Student Support

Learning Support at Forest Ridge is an accommodations-based program supporting students with disabilities who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Accommodations at Forest Ridge provide access to our academic program but do not alter or modify curriculum nor do they change what a student is expected to master in the class content.  

Forest Ridge is a culture that expects intellectual curiosity, flexible thinking and critical reasoning from all members of our community. Our learning support specialists seek to assist students to realize their potential in an environment that promotes self-awareness, self-motivation, and self-advocacy in a comprehensively accessible environment.   

Forest Ridge employs two School Counselors who provide services for students and parents navigating the challenges and changes in adolescence. Our counselors support and grow the social-emotional health of all students through brief, individual counseling, psychoeducation, and consultation with parents and professionals. While School Counselors do not provide treatment or therapy, they are specialists in mental health in the school setting, drawing from experience in independent schools, public schools, and private practice. 

Forest Ridge welcomes students from around the world to immerse themselves in speaking, reading, writing and learning in English. Our English Language Learners (ELL) program provides differing levels of support in each division during student’s transition into our English-taught curriculum. 

Middle School English Language Learning Support 

Based on their English proficiency, students entering fifth through eighth grade will engage in either a formalized English Language Learning (ELL) curriculum as a separate class, or they will receive support from a specialist pushing into their English-taught classes. The level of support is determined by the school administration through a variety of information, including teacher recommendations, previous coursework, WIDA Screener ®, and TOEFL® scores and is evaluated on an ongoing basis. The goal of the middle school ELL program is to grow students’ confidence in both interpersonal communication skills and academic success. Students with low or emerging English proficiency may be encouraged to complete a Forest Ridge approved summer course prior to enrollment.  

Upper School English Language Learning Support 

Beginning proficiency in English, as measured by TOEFL® and/or ACCESS ® is required for the upper school. Students will engage with a formalized English Language Learning (ELL) curriculum as part of their class schedule in order to ensure they continue to develop the academic language skills required to engage with our academic program.