Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Westwood Learning Lab founded?
The Westwood Learning Lab was researched and developed in the late 1970’s and was created in the fall of 1980. The founder, Mrs. Grace Adkins, made it her mission to help struggling learners be successful in the classroom. The motto of the Lab is “Every Child a Winner.”
Which students are helped by Learning Lab professionals?
Our staff is available for students — preschool through middle school, if needed.
What role does the Learning Lab play in helping young students?
All K-5 students at Westwood are screened during the first two weeks of school each year. The Search Screening was researched and developed at the New York Medical Center to detect students whose pre-academic skills, necessary for academic success, were not in place.
Depending upon how a student scores, he or she may be scheduled to work on a one-on-one basis with Lab personnel to improve necessary skills. Our Learning Lab Elementary staff meets with the Kindergarten teachers twice a year to review student progress and make recommendations, if needed. Other grade levels are placed in the Lab on teacher recommendation or STAR scores (reading and math).
How does the Learning Lab help in benchmarking and testing students?
STAR evaluations are administered by classroom teachers and are reviewed by Lab personnel each spring. The evaluation results are used to determine which students need to attend the Summer Learning Lab Program to build their educational foundation and/or fill in gaps.