How Learning Profiles Provided the Missing Link

From Mary Laurie,
principal of an inner city school

October 2005

“CDL's Learning Profiles program was the missing link for us,” states Mary Laurie, former principal of Woodson Middle School and now principal of O. Perry Walker High School, both inner city schools in New Orleans. “The knowledge we gained from Learning Profiles training gave us the glue, the connection among the other programs we are providing.

“Woodson was designated last year as a community school, which means we offer comprehensive physical, social and emotional health services to all students. As a community school, all of these services are galvanized under one roof for the children. We were excited to have these services available for our children.

“We quickly realized, however, that it took more than just having the services available. It took having the capacity to look at each child individually so we could wrap the correct approach for each individual child. Learning Profiles gave us that capacity. It got the faculty to thinking differently, more specifically about every child.

“And the Learning Profiles notebook is full of strategies that work in the classroom. Now that our teachers are better able to recognize specific neurodevelopmental breakdowns and address them with specific strategies that directly address the breakdowns, student learning and student and faculty motivation is increasing.”

Last year, Woodson's faculty participated in CDL's Learning Profile training by meeting on Saturdays spread throughout the course of the year. Contact CDL at learn@cdl.org or (985) 893-7777 to learn how CDL can customize the training for your school.