WeCAN! Supporting All Feehan Learners
While Bishop Feehan does not have a formal special education program, we do have a carefully-crafted, time-tested system for supporting our students. Feehan accepts many, many different types of learners. And Feehan students succeed.
What is it?
Our Fundamental WeCan! belief is: “Every student here can succeed thanks to supportive, trained adults who believe in appropriate rigor for all, have high expectations for every student, insist on (and assist on) effective effort, and have an unwillingness to give up on any young person in their care. Caring adults make supportive connections with students, and students respond with effort. Caring adults see the God-given, unique talents and strengths of students and work to maximize those strengths and talents each day.”
In fact, we are an entire “community of commitment” – characterized by a shared vision, a culture of caring, and a willingness to engage in productive struggle. Our school’s expectation for students — rigor for all, responsibility, and persistence — succeeds on a foundation of caring adults, faculty members who are all-in for their students and parents and families who embrace our Feehan values.
We also believe there is great value in educating children through standard curriculum, with their peers, and by classroom teachers who are the actual specific-content experts. We have had many children who are eligible for special education services (or even received those services at a prior school) who thrive at Feehan with our system of support from home, school, and our community. If we accept a student to Feehan, it means our experienced experts believe that our path can work well for that student.
And our students’ – all of our students’ – track record of success helps us know that our program serves our learners well.
Two More Core Beliefs
All students can learn and all students benefit from high expectations and as-needed care and support. That care and support is best provided to all students and by every teacher and every adult in our building, as opposed to a separate system that too-often sets a few students apart with lower expectations (and thus lesser outcomes).
WeCan! is a partnership between talented teachers, motivated students and supportive families who say together: “I can do this; I will try; I will seek and receive the help I need; I will try again; I will succeed.” This growth mindset applies to our teachers (always working to connect with their students most effectively), our students (who know that effective effort is a requirement) and our families (realizing that hard work and even struggle is part of the equation).
Key WeCan! Supports
There are occasionally students with learning needs whom Feehan is not currently optimized to support. This is rare. Our admissions process includes a thorough review of all provided applicant documentation (required), and if we accept your student, we know your child can thrive at Feehan with our WeCan! commitment.
Effective Leveling, Course Design and Professional Teaching
Feehan’s many academic levels allow us to custom-schedule students into traditional classrooms that address all required material at a pace and style that fits each student’s learning needs. Classes are designed with appropriate scaffolds of support from the pace with which material is covered to the length and type of assessments used in the course.
Of course, it’s our teachers who really make this program work so well. Feehan’s teachers:
- are empowered to make strategic decisions on content coverage to meet the essential criteria for student success,
- explicitly teach cognitive and meta- cognitive strategies to support learning,
- adjust specific, varied instructional strategies according to curricular level, and
- customize assessments (tests, take-home work) based on the needs of each level.
The Academic Resource Center (ARC)
The ARC offers a range of student support services designed to enhance the academic experience and success of every student:
- individual academic check-ins to address specific concerns and tailor personalized strategies for improvement;
- collaborative efforts, where students can work together to tackle challenging subjects in small group settings;
- peer tutoring (more than 825 hours in the last school year alone), offering students the opportunity to learn from fellow students who have demonstrated proficiency in particular subjects.
There is a full-time Learning Specialist in our ARC who's sole role is to provide extra support to students assigned to her for short- or long-term assistance. The ARC is especially equipped to provide additional assistance for:
- organization
- study skills
- writing
- proofreading
- test prep and test taking skills
- time management
- note-taking
- editing
- goal setting
- homework
Finally, we focus on metacognition and self-advocacy, encouraging students to think about and take ownership of their own learning processes and confidently identify and express their needs and concern.
Mrs. Dawn Esposito-Smith, ARC Learning Specialist, [email protected]
Bio: I have more than 20 years experience as both a Catholic school and public school educator for grades K-12. I look forward to working with you in the Academic Resource Center this year.
A Word on Supports We Do NOT Offer
- Untimed tests or extended-time Feehan assessments
- In-class staff aides
- Opting out of required courses
“But my child has an IEP. He or she learns differently.”
Yes, he or she certainly does. Every student in every school learns uniquely. That said, we will professionally review any and all IEPs, and we will let you know if your student perhaps has needs that Feehan is not optimized to help with (and explain why). This is rare.
If we accept your student (we accept dozens of students per year with IEPs or 504 plans and have so for well over a decade), then we know our WeCan! commitment can support your student and propel him or her to success. When needed, these students are identified for higher-support from the start both through their course level placement, their classroom teachers themselves (essential!) and through our Academic Resource Center (ARC). Our ARC teacher meets with all newly enrolled students with identified IEPs before the start of school to make sure our new students are aware of available supports.
Feehan’s many academic levels allow us to match student needs with course style and requirements. Whether it is pacing (how much material is covered how quickly) or assessment design (length and complexity of tests and assignments), we have professionally-crafted courses for all of our learners to support both specific content knowledge and general content literacy. Our teachers are available for extra help nearly every day. Our students access even more help in the ARC. And all of our students succeed thanks to their hard work, their repeated efforts and the talents and vocation of our faculty and staff.
Could you provide some examples?
We would love to! We studied 51 students in the Classes of 2022-24 who entered Feehan with an IEP or 504 and completed their Feehan time using our WeCan! supports.
A sampling of what we found:
- 57% moved up at least one curricular level in a core academic course during their time at Feehan
- Weighted GPA for these students: 3.5
- 20% enrolled in at least one AP course at Feehan
Every one of these students enrolled in college, including schools like:
- Bryant University
- College of the Holy Cross
- Elon University
- Endicott College
- Marquette University
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
- Pennyslvania State University
- Providence College
- Quinnipiac University
- Roger Williams University
- Sacred Heart University
- Saint Anselm’s College
- Stonehill College
- University of Alabama
- University of Maine
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Vermont
One of these students was told in a former educational setting that she “would never be able to go to college” because of her learning needs. We can say with certainty that this statement was 100% untrue.
Is Feehan right for you and your child?
The Shared Language of Feehan’s WeCan! approach:
- Sense of Purpose — This is Important!
- Growth Mindset — You can do it!
- Effective Effort — Smart is not something you are; it’s something you get.
- A Community of Commitment; A Culture of Persistence — We can help! We won’t give up on you!
Is Feehan right for you and your child? Let’s have that discussion. Speak to some families who had the same concerns in the past. Experience our community of commitment, persistence and care.
We believe that children thrive with high expectations, high effort and highly effective support. WeCan! is Feehan. WeCan! are Feehan graduates. We’d love to talk to you about how we make that happen and partner with you to serve your children.