Ma'alot Learning Platform

The Hebrew word Ma’alot (מַעֲלוֹת) means “to elevate,” and our Ma’alot program is designed to do just that—lift and support students as they navigate their learning journey. The program provides thoughtful academic and/or behavioral support for students who benefit from additional guidance in order to thrive in the classroom.

Whether a student requires accommodations related to a physical challenge, a short-term illness, or learning differences, Akiba Yavneh’s administration and student support services partner closely with parents, students, and teachers to create responsive supports on campus and meaningful differentiation in the classroom.

We believe in empowering students to advocate for themselves and communicate openly with their teachers about individual needs or circumstances. At the same time, our teachers are committed to using best instructional practices and approaching each student with care, flexibility, and a shared goal of success.

Our approaches are  grounded in Torah and מוסר values:

B’tzelem Elokim בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים – Every brain has dignity and purpose
Chinuch al Pei Darko חֲנוֹךְ עַל־פִּי דַרְכּוֹ – Educating each child according to their way
Derecheha darchei noam דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי נֹעַם– Learning should be humane and approachable

Achrayut אַחֲרָיוּת – Skills enable responsibility; they are not the same thing
Menuchat hanefesh מְנוּחַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ – Calm and regulation are prerequisites for learning

ALL Student Intervention (ECP - 12): 

The learning services team supports and interacts with all students in various ways, even if they do not have a diagnosed learning difference. 

• Screeners: Our speech and occupational therapists administer preliminary assessments starting as early as three-years old. If the results show that a full evaluation is warranted, they contact the parents and offer to provide that service or help them find an outside provider. 
• Short-Term Intervention: In the early years of learning to read, fluency and comprehension skills are closely monitored. Targeted reading intervention may be provided in earlier lower school grades to close any gaps. Likewise, if a student struggles with organization skills in the upper grades, a learning specialist will put together a plan to provide direct support for a designated time. 
• Cognitive Skills Report: All students from 5th grade to 12th take a cognitive skills challenge administered through the Mindprint Learning portal. Students and teachers are given a report outlining their strongest thinking and learning skills, as well as any skills that need to be supported or strengthened. Teachers and students are provided with strategies and resource links to help students learn how they learn best. 
• Emotional/Behavioral Counseling: Our full-time counselor is available to all students who need support for anxiety, depression, social skills, impulse control and mindfulness, which includes learning strategies for coping with the stresses at school or home.
• Behavioral Support: In early developmental years, students may need to have a clear behavioral plan to provide consistency and build social habits on campus, which is a temporary intervention based on need. 
• LEAP Learning Enrichment Academic Program (Lower School, grades 2–4): Students identified through the CogAT assessment receive enrichment opportunities aligned with their abilities.
• ELL support: Structured language instruction, differentiated pacing, and technology tools for English Language Learners.

Formal Education Plan (FEP) & Case Management Services (K-12):

Students with a full psychoeducational or cognitive assessment with diagnosed learning differences will receive an education plan outlining classroom and testing accommodations as well as key teaching practices tailored to their learning profiles. Teachers and parents receive a copy of the plan as well. Every student with an FEP is assigned a case manager who implements a proactive support model.

• Teacher Collaboration: work with classroom teachers to provide all accommodations in the classroom according to the education plan. 
• Weekly Check Ins: meet with students once a week to check in on their progress and address any concerns or celebrate successes.
• Grade Monitoring: monitor students’’ grades and missing assignments 
• Parent Communication: email parents in regards to any concerns as well as provide parents with a point of contact if concerns arise on their end.

Specialty Support Services (K - 12): 

A team of specialists provide an important level of intervention for students who qualify through an official assessment or evaluation. 

• Dyslexia/Reading Intervention: Trained specialists use the Take Flight, MTS or SIPPS programs with students at various dyslexia levels of reading through a daily pull-out program. 
• Speech Therapy: Students work with our speech therapist when pragmatic speech intervention will help them learn better on campus. They also work on certain articulation issues on a short term basis. 
• Occupational Therapy: An OT will work with students on fine motor skills for writing, cutting, and other classroom tasks, as well as helping students with self-regulation, so they can focus, manage emotions, and follow routines. OTs also support sensory processing, assisting students who might struggle with distractions or sensory overloads in the classroom. They collaborate with teachers and parents to create strategies and accommodations.
• Neurodiversity Support: Students with an ASD diagnosis (Autism Spectrum Disorder) receive social-emotional, behavioral, executive functioning support and/or in-class accommodations.

Academic Support Services (5-12)

Students with a full psycho-educational or cognitive assessment with diagnosed learning differences will qualify for a specific support when they show academic need. This is a program that replaces an entire Judaics class requirement in Lower School or adds a support period in Upper School. This is provided as a one-year program to build specific academic skills. 

• Classroom Intervention: spend time with the student one-on-one to preview upcoming coursework and review important lessons. Learning specialists also use this time to arrange for content specialists to provide tutorials. 
• Executive Functioning: goal-oriented, direct instruction in areas such as homework routines, organization, time management, study strategies and effectively communicating with teachers. 
• Self Advocacy: Learning specialists work with students to understand their learning profiles, how they learn best, what accommodations help them the most and how to communicate those needs to their teachers.