Admissions
ADMITTANCE INFORMATION: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU APPLY.
Dynamic Dyslexia Design; The 3-D School and Evaluation Center was established in 2008 in Petal which is located in the Mississippi Pine Belt area. The school is accredited through the Mississippi Department of Education as a non-public special purpose school. The school is designed to meet the academic needs of students with dyslexia.
The school offers a full day program to students entering 2nd and 3rd grades. The students must remain in the school for a minimum of three (3) years, or through 6th grade, to complete the comprehensive dyslexia therapy curriculum. The daily schedule includes, dyslexia therapy, language arts, math, social studies, and science. The students will also enjoy art and music activities, as well as occasional field trips. All instruction is delivered by licensed dyslexia therapists trained in the William Carey University Dyslexia Therapy Master’s Degree program.
The 3-D School accepts only students whose primary learning disability is dyslexia. The school does not provide intervention for students with autism. The school program is not designed to serve students that demonstrate social or emotional behaviors that cause disruptions in a classroom. Prior to admission, the school will request information from current or former teachers/administrators to be sure placement in the 3-D School is an appropriate fit.
Over the past fourteen (14) years, many 3-D School students have benefitted greatly from instruction and have gone on to be successful when re-entering a regular school. To continue that reputation of success, policies and procedures must be followed.
Policies that need to be clearly understood by parents before applying to the school:
1) Only students with a diagnosis of dyslexia as the primary learning disability will be accepted into the school. The 3-D School does not provide intervention services for students with autism.
2) All students exhibiting ADHD/ADD behaviors must be under a physician’s care and receiving medical management of the disability. Untreated ADHD is the #1 reason students do not benefit from dyslexia intervention. Parents not committed to medically managing ADHD behaviors should not apply to the school.
3) The 3-D School will provide a safe learning environment for students and will not tolerate behaviors that disrupt instruction for students. The school will request a behavioral report from former teachers/administrators.
4) It takes 3 years to complete the school’s academic program. Parents not committed to have the student complete 3 full years should not apply.
5) It is required that prospective students and parents meet with a school administrator before acceptance is determined.
The school is limited in the number of students that can be accepted, so please begin the process immediately. We look forward to meeting you and your child.
Cena Holifield, Ph.D., CALT, QI
According to Mississippi Law, academic evaluations may be administered by a psychometrist, psychologist, or speech language pathologist. In order to be considered for admittance to the 3-D School, the following test scores are required and must have been administered within 1 (one) calendar year of admittance date. Please be sure any outside testing includes scores from these evaluation instruments:
Full Scale IQ – measurement of non-verbal and verbal ability (RAIS or WISC-R)
Academic Achievement – WIATT III (Must include reading, spelling, and math scores)
Phonological Processing – CTOPP scores (Must have phonological awareness, memory, rapid naming scores)
Reading – GORT (Must include accuracy, rate, fluency, and comprehension scores)
Language – OWLS or CELF (Must include Receptive, Expressive, and Core/Combined Language Scores; both Verbal and Written Expression scores needed)
If problems outside of our areas of expertise are indicated, we will make recommendations for further evaluation by an appropriately qualified professional.
In addition to Academic testing, the following is required:
ADHD Evaluation Report (Connections Clinic, Hattiesburg, MS is highly recommended):
ADHD is commonly associated with dyslexia and is a barrier to successful remediation.
Students with ADHD must be under a physician’s care for ADHD management and taking the prescribed medications as indicated.
A letter of recommendation is required from the previous teacher stating behavioral observations in the classroom.
Submit any available emotional or behavioral documentation that will provide insight into learning needs.
Primary diagnosis of Dyslexia must be determined by a qualified diagnostician. Testing is generally administered over two days and includes all testing required for admission to the school EXCEPT for an ADHD evaluation.
Testing must reveal a primary disability of dyslexia in order to be a candidate for the school.
To schedule an evaluation at The 3-D School, email Elesha McCarty at evaluations@the3dschool.org
Elesha McCarty, M.S., CCC-SLP, M.Ed., CALT
ASHA Certified Speech Language Pathologist
ALTA Certified Academic Language Therapist
MDE Licensed School Psychometrist
MDE Licensed Dyslexia Therapist
Other recommended testing sites :
Aultman Speech Therapy Services
Machelle Aultman, CCC-SLP
68 Old Salt Rd, Sumrall, MS
601-270-6968
Connections Clinic, Hattiesburg, MS
2 Southern Pointe Parkway #200 Hattiesburg, MS
601-261-5159
The state department requires that final reports containing the diagnosis of dyslexia be signed by the diagnostician to apply for scholarship assistance.
Testing submitted from outside of the 3-D School Evaluation Center must include all measurements stated above, be administered within the past 12 months, and reviewed by the director of the 3-D School Evaluation Center to determine eligibility. If testing is incomplete, the 3-D School will administer the instruments at an additional fee to the parent.