Removing Any Barrier: Meeting the Unique Needs of Each Student

Friends, This month, we are excited to highlight a core strength of charter public schools: their ability to cultivate a deep understanding of, and utilize their flexibilities to respond to, the unique needs of each individual student. In the diverse landscape of Massachusetts charter public schools, we recognize that every child is unique — each with their own personality, learning style, strengths, and needs. Every day, our charter public schools exhibit a deep commitment to understanding these differences and tailoring support to meet student needs. This nimbleness, which is inherent in the charter model, drives results such as those reflected in CREDO’s National Charter School Study, which we shared with you earlier in the year. We also saw the impact of these individualized supports in our most recent state assessment outcomes, which revealed that among students who identify as Black and Latino, students from low-income homes, and students who are English Learners or former English Learners, those who were enrolled in charter public schools outperformed their peers in traditional public schools across the state.  While we’re proud of our academic results, this charter public school superpower isn’t about test scores — it's about nurturing a love for learning, building a deep sense of self, and removing any barrier for students to thrive. Below, we are pleased to spotlight a few of our member schools who are leading the way in supporting the individual needs of students. We hope you enjoy reading their stories.  Thank you for your continued support.

Gratefully,

Tim Nicolette

Executive Director, Massachusetts Charter Public School Association

MCPSA Spotlight: Removing Barriers Through Individualized Support

THE 20TH YEAR OF MATCH CORPS

This year, the Match Corps tutoring program is celebrating its 20th year of operation. Thanks to a robust team of full-time tutors, all Match students in grades 6-10 receive tutoring as a core part of their daily schedule. In groups of 2 or 3, students work with the same tutor every day, all year. The small group setting allows tutors to address students' specific needs by practicing and refining skills that would be harder to address in a larger classroom. While tutors are able to provide individualized instructional support, the relationships they build over time in this small-group setting are also integral to the program’s impact. For Brittany Bennett, Match Class of 2014 and now Match’s Associate Director of Talent, her Match Corps tutor, Ms. Anjali, was like family. She remembers her tutor going above and beyond to be there for her during hard times, putting in effort to learn more about Brittany outside of her academics, which enhanced Brittany’s sense of connection to school and thereby her investment in learning. 

“Match is one of the very few places I felt at home …  If it wasn’t for Match, I don’t think I would have a master’s degree. I would have been another statistic. If I didn’t have the mentors and teachers who helped me, I wouldn’t have become the adult and woman I am today,” Brittany said. 

ALMA DEL MAR’S HIGH DEMAND, HIGH SUPPORT MODEL

A critical part of Alma del Mar’s crew code is “High Demand, High Support.” This pillar defines how the team at Alma approaches scholar support. Alma believes in providing the support necessary to ensure that all of their scholars grow up to be service-minded leaders. In order to ensure that all scholars have the tools needed to meet this goal, they deliver inclusive, specialized, and all-encompassing services to rigorously meet the needs of every scholar.For example, Alma’s health teams order eyeglasses for any scholar who needs them, and provide dental services twice a year at their campus. Alma also has an in-house position for a speech therapist who attends deep dive meetings with the classroom teachers to help provide a full picture of scholars’ needs. Alma also partners with high-quality local and regional organizations to ensure strong support for scholars with more unique or complex needs. For example, Alma has partnered with the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech to provide evaluations and services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, ensuring they have what they need to thrive at Alma. These robust supports outside the classroom are paired with individualized instruction inside the classroom to ensure that every child has what they need to succeed at the highest level.