Academics

Academic Skills Program

Gould’s Academic Skills Program supports students with various learning styles. Each student works with their assigned Learning Professional during a formal class period to improve upon self-identified skills. This helps to ensure that the student is effectively managing their workload while also developing the skills needed to become an independent learner.

Enrollment in the Academic Skills Program is based on, but not limited to, academic performance, advisor input, educational consultant or advisory council recommendation, and educational testing. In certain circumstances, participation in the Academic Skills Program may be a condition of acceptance or continued enrollment at Gould.

Upon enrollment into the Academic Skills Program a student learning plan is written for each student and shared with the student’s classroom teachers. This plan outlines the student’s learning style and accommodations and/or modifications that will be executed in the classroom setting.

Academic Skills Program Highlights

  • 2:1 student/teacher ratio
  • Integrated into the academic day and meeting times during a regularly scheduled class
  • Individualized assistance related to executive functioning and the completion of academic work.
  • Assigned Learning Professionals incorporate a wide variety of interventions, including study skills, ADHD coaching, reading comprehension, written expression instruction, and math remediation.
  • If approved for testing accommodations, students can use ASP classrooms for nonstandard assessments.
  • A Skill Development plan is created, and progress is reported to the parent, student, and advisor at the midterm and completion of each trimester. 
  • Academic Skills Center is open four nights a week for additional support in homework completion. This is a 2-hour session during study hall hours, staffed by our ASP professionals.

Skill Development Emphasis

  • Organizing for the day
  • Developing homework plans
  • Writing a paper
  • Planning for long-term projects
  • Test-taking strategies
  • Organizing notebooks/homework
  • Taking notes
  • Developing active reading strategies
  • Sustaining attention
  • Managing anxiety
  • Advocating appropriately

Standardized Assessments

The Academic Skills Program will facilitate the completion of registration and application materials needed by students who are eligible to receive accommodations on standardized testing.
In order to receive accommodations for standardized testing, students must register with the appropriate organization (College Board for the PSAT and SAT, or ACT for the ACT). The Academic Support Program will assist students and their families in this process. Note that all decisions regarding accommodations for standardized testing are made by the testing agency and require documentation.
Private High School for Boys and Girls | Grades 9-12, Postgraduate and Winter Term for Grades 7-8 | Boarding School in the Mountains of Maine

Gould Academy guides students to be creative, courageous and resilient and to lead lives of fulfillment and purpose.