Educational Support Services
The mission of Salem Academy Christian Schools is to provide an excellent education, from a Christ-centered, Biblical perspective, so that our students might know and serve God. The Educational Support Services (ESS) department supports Salem Academy’s mission by ensuring all students are learning at high levels so they can reach their God-given potential.
The ESS department is a purposefully designed program, following the Response to Intervention (RTI) framework, for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Services are varied and based on individual student needs.
- QUALIFYING FOR SUPPORT SERVICES
Identified gap in learning:
A disparity between what a student has actually learned and what he/she was expected to learn at a particular grade level. Identification determined by Salem Academy’s Educational Support Services Team.Specific learning disabilities (SLD): Private School Plan (plan written by Salem Keizer School District)
Salem Academy can provide services to support the following areas of need:- Reading: comprehension, fluency, basic reading
- Writing: expression
- Math: computation, mathematical problem-solving
Communication disorder - Private School Plan (plan written by Salem Keizer School District)
Scheduling of services provided by Salem Academy staff and speech services provided by Salem Keizer School DistrictOther Eligibilities: Private School Plan or Section 504 Plan
Salem Academy can provide services to support the following areas of need:- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other diagnoses
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)*
- Visual impairment*
- Hearing impairment*
* Students qualifying for ESS services under other health impairments must be mildly impacted by their disability.
* Enrollment in Educational Support Services requires additional fees.- RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION
TIER 1:
Daily Differentiation for Effective Instruction
- Access to excellent grade-level curriculum
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic testing (as needed)
- Classroom accommodations or differentiations
as determined by classroom teacher(s) - Intentional instruction in essential academic skills
- Progress monitoring by classroom teacher
- Parent communication by classroom teacher
TIER 2:
Supplemental Interventions for Additional Student Support
- Access to excellent grade-level curriculum
- Additional time and supports focused to help student in learning essential academic behaviors and grade-level academic standards
- Progress monitoring by classroom teacher
- Small group or educational support classes for academic area(s) of concern
- Plus, school-wide tier 1 supports
TIER 3:
Intense Interventions for Remediation
- Access to excellent grade-level curriculum
- Acute interventions focused on student’s academic needs ~5x per week
- Progress monitoring by Educational Support Services
- Plus, tier 1 and tier 2 supports
- PROGRAM FEES
Educational Support Services Program fees are determined based on the Response to Intervention Framework. No fees charged for K-4.
Tier Level Cost Tier 1 Included in Salem Academy’s personal approach to education Tier 2 $90/month (5th-12th grade) Tier 3 $180/month for specialized math and reading support (5th-12th grade)
K-12 New Student Applications must include documentation of any disability (i.e. a copy of the applicant’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), Private School Plan (PSP), Individualized Family Service Plan (ISFP), Section 504 Accommodation Plan, Individualized Learning Plan (ILP), etc.). Must be received prior to assessment.
NOTE: Please understand Salem Academy is unable to enroll applicants who perform two grade levels or more below grade-level expectations at this time as that level of support cannot be provided. Additionally, enrollment is also limited by the capacity of our Educational Support Service programming. Applicants who are currently being evaluated for a suspected disability will not move to the registration process until the evaluation is completed, and the results are shared with Salem Academy to review.
College Planning
Salem Academy offers full-service college planning. What does that mean for your student?
Discuss Direction: Most students have a difficult time answering the question of what do you want to major in or what do you want to be when you grow up? Salem Academy explores these questions starting their freshman year with aptitude and personality tests, career fairs, and work study opportunities for older students.
Pinpoint Priorities: Every family is different. Priorities can range from academic options and selectivity to affordability or geography. Whichever category you fall into, Salem Academy is here to help. We offer comprehensive college planning, guiding our students through the entire college admission journey. Our highly individualized approach helps our students find the “right fit” for a college, academically, socially, and financially.
Essay Excellence: Your student’s essay is one of their only opportunities in the application process to become personal and to tell their story to the admission committee. During your student’s junior year, they will develop a strong personal statement essay for their college application. Salem Academy’s English teachers correct and perfect their college essay, so it is ready before they apply to a college.
At Salem Academy we are determined to create a strong career & college going culture in our high school. Salem Academy has embraced the State of Oregon’s ASPIRE program that offers education, support, and resources for all students. ASPIRE provides student support for future planning, in addition to activities or events that focus on career exploration, career and college research, admissions applications, scholarships, and financial aid.
- COMMUNITY SERVICE
Service hours are often a helpful addition for both scholarship and college applications. For help tracking them throughout your time at Salem Academy, (this link opens in a new window)submit hours year round (above and beyond the 10 hours per year for SA graduation requirements).
- COLLEGE SELECTION
GENERAL SITES
- U.S. News College Rankings
- Affordable Colleges Online
- Council for Christian Colleges
- Princeton Review
- National Catholic College Admissions Association
- National Center for Educational Statistics
- Peterson’s Education Center
- Scoir
- Khan Academy SAT test prep help
REGIONAL SITES
SPECIFIC COLLEGES
- Abilene Christian University
- Chemeketa Community College
- Corban College
- Grand Canyon University
- George Fox University
- Hardin-Simmons University
- Oregon State University
- Pacific University
- Portland State University
- Seattle Pacific University
- University of Richmond
- Western Oregon University
- Whitworth University
- COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
Here is a list of general scholarship websites for students. There is a variety of local, state, and national scholarships. Students are responsible for reviewing scholarship requirements, note deadlines, and review the instructions on each scholarship.
Oregonstudentaid.org
Studentscholarships.org
GoingMerry.com
Scholarships.com
Niche.com
OregonGoesToCollege.org
JLVCollegeCounseling.com
OregonGearUp.org
Avoid Scholarship Scams- STUDENT ATHLETES
Athletes who are wanting to play sports at the collegiate level need to be aware of college athlete participation requirements set forth by the NAIA and NCAA. These requirements can be found on the websites listed below.
We recommend students, along with their parents review these requirements at the beginning of freshman year of high school as there are specific high school course requirements that need to be met. Students will need to register with the NAIA and/or NCAA Eligibility Center (for Division I and II) during their junior or senior year of high school. Students will also need to work with their high school coaches to compile the proper materials to assist them in the pursuit of participating in collegiate athletics.
Dual Credit
Salem Academy offers college credit for the equivalent of almost 2 years of college a small fraction of the cost of university through our Dual Credit program. All credits are earned through Corban University and Northwest Nazarene University, accredited four-year programs whose courses transfer easily to other institutions throughout the region. These courses are taught on our campus, in small classes, by our caring faculty who know your student personally.
POWER OF DUAL CREDIT
FROM SA TO PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
My name is Ashley Wells and I graduated from Salem Academy in 2015. During my time there, I signed up for as many dual-credit classes as possible that were offered at Salem Academy. These benefited me in three life-impacting ways: financially, academically, and time.
After graduating from Salem Academy, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministries from Northwest University where I was able to skip a year of college. At Northwest University tuition costs $31,100 with room and board and additional $8,640. On top of that, there are student fees. Skipping a year saved me $40,180! Therefore, the small amount that I paid for dual-credit courses at Salem Academy paid off financially in the long run. Read more.
MORE THAN DUAL CREDIT - PERSONAL GROWTH
After graduation, I was able to enter college at George Washington University with over 30 viable class credits earned at Salem Academy through the dual credit program. The main benefits of these credits were the ability to start taking upper-level courses in my field of study freshman year, save money by eliminating unnecessary general education requirements, and avoid overpopulated (and often unnecessarily difficult) introductory classes. However, these are all things that can be found on a pamphlet on the benefits of taking college classes in high school, so I’ll try not to bore you with facts and figures that I’m sure you have already heard from school advisors or internet sources. Instead, I want to discuss the personal development that I experienced while in, and due to, dual credit classes. Read More.
Curriculum
We define curriculum as a purposefully organized program of study and courses required for a specific program or goal. Salem Academy’s curriculum contains sufficient breadth so that students begin to discover how God has gifted them, and also includes enough depth so that those gifts can be developed, honored, and mastered. The curriculum is designed to provide a broad view of the world from a Biblical perspective, and also designed to give students a vision for their place and role within that world.
- CURRICULUM BY GRADE LEVEL
- SA ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Curriculum course offerings may vary each year as determined by student interest and staff availability.
Premier Preparatory School
Salem Academy balances rigorous academic study with differentiated learning to enable all students to flourish academically. Emphasizing higher order thinking skills prepares our K-8 students for the demands of college preparatory high school classes. Our extensive catalog of dual-enrollment courses allows SA graduates to earn enough university credits to forego up to a year and a half of college.
- HIGH SCHOOL OVERVIEW
SA offers 20 university courses for a total of 62 university credits(this link opens in a new window). To support college bound students, SA offers college guidance support that includes monthly college visits, personal help with applications, reference letters, testing (SAT, AP) and scholarships.
A Salem Academy traditional diploma mirrors the same requirements as the State of Oregon, plus 4 credits of Bible. To challenge motivated learners, Salem Academy also awards honors diplomas to students who excel in a select number of honors courses. Our commitment to small class sizes supports both a deeper dive into subjects and an accelerated pace.
Salem Academy is committed to serving students with learning disabilities who will benefit from smaller class sizes but require additional support from Academic Services to excel in our rigorous academic program.
Community building is intentional. Our HS students kick off every school year with a Fall-In retreat; students and faculty immerse in team building experiences at on off-site location. Our students express a lively school spirit cheering at sporting events, dressing up for Black-tie formal, and getting their hands dirty at an annual community service project.
- JUNIOR HIGH OVERVIEW
8th graders have an opportunity to earn high school credit through Algebra I and Honors Physical Science. These classes challenge our motivated 8th grade students and build skills and rigor to prepare in advance of their High School experience.
Our 8th grade students study U.S. History and they will have the opportunity to visit Washington, DC in the spring.
Our Junior High students are eligible to compete in OSAA athletics; the students build teamwork and school pride while competing against other schools in the district.
7th and 8th grade student will also work on their public speaking skills with presentations in the classroom and an opportunity to complete in a regional speech meet competition.
- BRIDGE 56 OVERVIEW
Salem Academy’s Bridge 56 program has been designed to prepare our 5th and 6th grade students for Junior High and High School by teaching them important study & organization skills, having them rotate teachers for core subject classes, selecting their fine arts class, and experiencing a variety of elective classes including Journalism, Art, Computer, Culinary Arts, STEM and Theater.
Bridge 56 students also develop leadership and mentoring skills as they participate in leading chapels, ASB, organizing and facilitating service projects, and mentoring younger students in community chapels. Students participate in a living history fair, world history fair, science labs, outdoor school and various other activities and field trips throughout the year to enhance learning.
- ELEMENTARY OVERVIEW
Our elementary students receive personalized and differentiated education due to our small class sizes and our excellent, certified teachers. We also offer some education support services for those students who need extra academic help outside of class time or tutoring in specific content areas.
The elementary school offers many after school clubs including Lego Club, Lego Robotics, Running Club and our very own literature club called SALT. Our elementary students have participated in ACSI Math Olympics, ACSI Spelling Bee, ACSI Speech Meet, S.A.L.T. (Salem Area Literacy Tournament) and Lego Robotics tournaments.
Students enjoy a variety of “pull-out” classes to enrich and give a well-rounded education. Our “pull-out” classes are taught by dedicated teachers who are passionate about and experts in the areas of Music, Art, Library, Computer Science, and Physical Education.
Communication with families is systematic to ensure that parents are equipped to support their student’s development with organization skills and homework. A Friday Folder is sent home weekly with graded homework and a weekly newsletter to highlight upcoming activities, provide weekly spelling words and bible memory verse, and class messages.The elementary school experience also includes many field trips to enhance student learning, music performances, learning outside in our school garden, chapels, guest speakers and assemblies and more.
