Executive functioning skills are the neuropsychological processes that allow students to organize, integrate, and manage their behaviors to reach goals. They include skills such as planning and organization, problem solving, and initiating, completing, and monitoring progress on tasks.

Skill building is supported by:

• Teaching students to develop and utilize planning and time management systems for homework and assignments
• Establishing routines for monitoring performance across classes and balancing school and extra-curricular obligations
• Developing systems for organizing paper and digital class materials
• Uncovering barriers to getting started in order to avoid procrastination
• Working with students to break down long-term assignments into manageable chunks and checking work-in-progress

Learning strategies are specific actions and operations that can be explicitly taught and implemented. Roxbury instructors are learning specialists with experience in strategies that support learning across content areas. Within coaching sessions, instructors work to match a student’s needs and learning profile to specific strategies.

Examples of learning strategies are:

• Using mind maps and graphic organizers
• Employing active reading strategies such as predicting, summarizing, and visualizing
• Utilizing notetaking and test-taking strategies
• Understanding how and when to use different memory strategies such as rehearsal, mnemonics, linking, and chunking
• Exploring assistive technology such as speech-to-text, word prediction, digital calendars, and task lists

A key component of the Roxbury coaching model is the supportive relationship between student and instructor, built on a foundation of mutual trust and understanding. The student-instructor relationship is fostered through one-on-one coaching sessions. Sessions help students think more critically and flexibly to solve problems and to manage the daily academic stresses and pressures that might interfere with motivation and persistence.

During one-on-one sessions, instructors develop supportive relationships by:

• Helping students understand themselves as learners, including how they can grow from their strengths and overcome barriers to learning
• Modeling communication and encouraging positive interpersonal behaviors with teachers
• Supporting self-advocacy by encouraging students to seek out extra help, clarification, and information from classroom teachers
• Assisting students in taking advantage of opportunities to improve their grade, such as paper and test corrections and extra credit

When students begin in Roxbury—and at the start of each academic year—instructors review educational records and utilize screening measures to understand each student’s strengths and unique learning needs. Results of screening measures, educational history, and student, parent, and teacher input inform goal setting. Instructors keep records on the student’s progress toward their goals and reassess student skills on a regular basis.

Progress monitoring facilitates student growth by:

• Prioritizing collaborative goal setting, including specific and achievable goals, actions steps to achieve those goals, and ways to measure progress
• Providing the opportunity for instructors to individualize support within sessions and proactively adjust strategies as needed
• Helping students develop a model for being a well-rounded and successful student, including specific and observable behaviors that they could engage in
• Encouraging students to chart their own progress and growth, thereby supporting motivation

Research shows that family involvement is an essential factor in overall school performance at all ages. Communication is necessary for involvement and effective communication is early, often, and two-way. Roxbury instructors help students understand feedback from their teachers, and weekly reports on student performance, strategy use, and progress toward goals are emailed to families.

Establishing and maintaining an ongoing conversation in service of student success involves:

• Collaborating with teachers to share effective strategies and understand students’ profiles
• Discussing preferred methods of communication for all stakeholders
• Scheduling opportunities for in person, virtual, or phone meetings with families and teachers as needed
• Co-creating mutually agreed upon student-instructor expectations for engagement in sessions

Students are enrolled in Roxbury at the comprehensive or standard level. The comprehensive level of support includes approximately three weekly coaching sessions, allowing for deeper instruction to build a repertoire of executive functioning and learning strategies, guided practice and application on current coursework, point of performance feedback, and frequent follow up.

The standard level includes approximately two weekly coaching sessions, enabling strategy instruction, skill building, and follow up which positions students to execute plans and apply skills and strategies outside of session time. After benefiting from participation in Roxbury at the comprehensive or standard level, students may be recommended for the reduced level of Roxbury, meeting approximately once per week. This level facilitates independence through accountability and centers student agency in designing sessions.

The Roxbury Academic Support Program is a supplemental, variable fee-based program and costs are not included in tuition.

Comprehensive Roxbury – $11,550
Standard Roxbury – $7,700
Reduced Roxbury – $3,990