Learning Assistance Program (LAP)
What is LAP ?
The Learning Assistance Program (LAP) provides financial assistance to states and school districts to meet the needs of educationally at-risk students. The goal of LAP is to provide extra instructional services and activities which support students identified as failing or most at risk of failing the state’s challenging performance standards in mathematics, reading, and writing.
What will LAP do for my student?
The LAP will provide your student with extra educational assistance beyond the regular classroom.
Which schools does LAP Serve?
The program serves students in elementary and secondary (middle and high) schools who have demonstrated that extra assistance is needed.
How does our school receive LAP money?
First , the state follows a detailed student funding formula. Then the state Educational Agency sends money to its school districts. How much money each school receives is determined by the; population, number of low-income students attending that school and other factors of the funding formula.
Finally, LAP schools:
- • Identify the students at their school who need the most educational assistance based on the criteria that school has chosen. Students do NOT have to be from low-income families to receive LAP services.
- • Set goals for improving the skills of educationally disadvantaged students at their school.
- • Measure student progress to determine the success of the LAP for each student.
- • Develop programs for each individual student in order to support/supplement regular classroom instruction.
LAP generally offers:
- • Smaller classes or special instructional spaces
- • Additional teachers and aides
- • Opportunities for professional development for school staff
- • Extra time for teaching LAP students the skills they need
- • A variety of supplementary teaching methods
- • An individualized program for students
- • Additional teaching materials which supplement a student’s regular instruction
Parents , you can influence the success of your student in school more than any teacher or federal program. By becoming an active participant in the LAP parent involvement plan at your school, you will:
- • Serve as a role model, showing your student that you support his/her education.
- • Assure that you are aware of your student’s educational progress; thereby demonstrating how important that progress is to you.
- • Teach your student that your input at the school is appreciated and that you support its efforts.
Research shows that how well students do in school depends a great deal upon how much their parents get involved in their education. You can become more involved by:
- • Joining local and national school/parent organizations
- • Supporting school extra-curricular activities
- • Volunteering at the school
- • Attending parent-teacher conferences
- • Communicating with your student’s teacher regularly, by writing notes, telephoning the school, etc.
- • Keeping your student’s teacher informed about events in his or her life which may affect his/her performance at school
- • Discussing with your student’s teacher and parent organizations other ideas for parent involvement
For more information regarding LAP services in the Eatonville School District, contact David Jacobson at (360) 879-1800.