LIGHTHOUSE POINT ACADEMY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Do LPA students attend classes on a separate campus with a different schedule?

  No. LPA classrooms are fully integrated into our campus.  All LPA students are full-fledged North Broward Eagles and participate in all the enriching experiences that make our school community so special.

• Does LPA service all types of neurodiversity?

  No. LPA is designed to be a support program exclusively for students with mild learning differences.  The uniquely qualified LPA teachers are learning specialists dedicated to support students with intellectual skills and postsecondary goals as they navigate their college preparatory experience.  Students with intensive emotional needs, intensive ASD behaviors, or intellectual disabilities are not a good fit for LPA.

• How does a unique learner become eligible for LPA?

  LPA students have undergone a formal psychological-educational evaluation.  These can be executed by a public school district or by a licensed independent psychometrician.  Through this battery of assessments, a conventional learning difference can be identified.  If there is a mild-moderate diagnostic disparity in how a student accesses, processes, or expresses their learning, they might be a good fit for the LPA community.

• Does Attention Deficit Disorder count as a “conventional learning difference?"

  No. An ADD/ADHD diagnosis alone does not count as a conventional learning difference and is very unlikely to make a student eligible for LPA supports.  Of course, ADD/ADHD is often comorbidly identified along with other – more conventional – LPA conditions, like dyslexia, auditory processing, dysgraphia, expressive language disorder, or dyscalculia.  Many ADD/ADHD students thrive in conventional NBPS classes with conventional accommodations. 

• Does a psychological-educational evaluation “expire?”

  Within the health and wellness field, a psych-ed eval is considered “current” for three years.  While they never technically “expire,” after three years, the data contained in a psych-ed eval is no longer considered  up-to-date.  Students grow, adapt and compensate, so it is always important to have the most accurate and current data.  LPA applicants are discouraged from submitting an outdated psych-ed eval and LPA families are encouraged to return for re-evals every three years.  Up-to-date evaluations are also required by outside testing organizations like the College Board (PSAT, SAT, NMSQT, AP) and American College Testing (ACT).

• Is an LPA upper school student ever eligible for conventional North Broward classes?

  Definitely!  When a student feels confident, their teachers observe the appropriate level of independence, the grades indicate some level of mastery, and the parents are open to the idea; moves into more conventional NB classes are encouraged and celebrated.  Through the intimate LPA experience, students grow, mature, and develop compensatory strategies that prove dividends not only in conventional NBP classes, but also in college and beyond.  Conventional NB teachers frequently comment on how reflective and metacognitively mature LPA students are when they enroll in their classes.

• Will colleges and universities take LPA supports into account when considering my child’s acceptance?

  Because LPA high school students are mastering academic content and rigor that is commensurate with their NB peers, their transcript does not specifically identify LPA classes – colleges are alerted to the class name, the course description, and the grade earned.  LPA feels strongly that disclosure and collegiate support-planning should be part of the conversation between every college and graduate; however, LPA classes are not overtly identified on diplomas or transcripts.

• Do LPA students and families use the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to organize and articulate all supports and services?

  No. An IEP is a binding, multi-year, multi-discipline plan managed by local public schools and mandated by the state.  As a private, independent school NB/LPA is not directly bound by the parameters outlined in a student’s IEP.  Instead, the program and teachers refer directly to the guidance and recommendations outlined by the licensed psychometrician who provided the original compelling diagnosis.  Often, elements of an existing IEP provide helpful insights regarding the applying student’s most recent experiences in school, but they do not drive the supports and learning goals of an LPA student.

• LPA students thrive in college after graduation?

  Yes.  According to LPA alumni, because they have been attending classes that teach college commensurate skills and place an emphasis on diverse learning styles, they find that they are uniquely prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.  Of course, every college/university is different in terms of the depth and breadth of student supports offered, but LPA graduates are typically very comfortable in deciding what level of scaffolding they need at the next level, and they are not hesitant to make that part of the search, conversation, and decision.  In the past ten years, LPA boasts a 100% admission rate, and the majority of those students find success at the postsecondary level.