The Academic Support Program (ASP) at New Hampton School was one of the first of its kind among New England private schools. Over the years, the program has grown and adapted. We have identified what works and what doesn’t, how to motivate, encourage and build the learning confidence for students to succeed in the future.
Roughly 20% of the 340 New Hampton School students are enrolled in the ASP program. The focus on individuality and independence means that students of all different learning styles can find value in this robust program. In fact, 47% of all ASP students are also taking New Hampton’s most rigorous academic offerings including International Baccalaureate which, due to its distinctive success metrics is uniquely suited to students with different learning profiles. Read more about Why the IB Works for the LD Student in a separate post.
Mission Statement
While day-to-day instruction in ASP focuses of conquering new skills and strengthening existing skills, the ultimate goal and mission of the ASP program is to teach students to understand their individual learning style. Once they are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, they will be able to use the strategies they’ve been taught more effectively and articulate their needs to future educators or employers.
Supporting the Mission
A unique element of the ASP program is its incorporation into the daily class schedule. Students meet with their tutors during a full class block in the academic day as opposed to after school or in the evenings, which means that ASP students can still partake in all of their favorite activities or co-curriculars. The benefits of this format can be seen in the students’ commitment to learning and absorbing information during their allotted class block.
Supporting Each Other
Also critical to the success of our program is the communication between all team members as it pertains to a students education. Through our learning management system, ASP tutors can communicate with a student’s teachers, advisors, and even dorm parents for evening homework assignments. Because tutors remain consistent throughout the year, they learn to understand students strengths and weakness and can recognize if a student is having an off day.
What Success Looks Like
Our distinct curriculum which has been crafted over decades, can create a practical starting point for students of every learning style and develop individual strategies that encourage student progress towards independence. Students will be aware of their strengths and their learning profile, be strong self-advocates and ultimately become independent learners in college and in life beyond.
