Research Partnerships
In 2018, Chartwell School partnered with the Dyslexia Center at The University of California, San Francisco to support their work in accelerating research, developing and implementing better screening and assessment tools, testing new interventions, and reducing the social stigma surrounding dyslexia and other learning disorders. This remarkable opportunity couples the latest scientific discoveries in neuroscience with classroom-based intervention strategies that have been the hallmark of a Chartwell education for over 40 years.
The researchers and neurologists at UCSF assess our students using a functional MRI in addition to other executive functioning and social-emotional assessment technology. Additionally, the researchers perform other cognitive assessments to create a dynamic overview of each student’s learning profile. We learn information about our students by literally observing their brain functions. This provides insightful information including their social-emotional state and cognitive, processing, and executive functioning strengths and difficulties. We then use this information to inform our programming and instruction in the classroom.
To date, more than 70 Chartwell students have engaged in the research with UCSF doctors and scientists, undergoing in-depth assessments and receiving detailed insight about their learning and targeted strategies for growth. The program was featured in The Monterey Herald here.
Chartwell has partnered with Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center at UCSF engaged in both development and research to advance cutting-edge technologies as novel brain assessment and optimization tools. At Chartwell, students benefit from their Engage training program. The program was developed by neuroscientists at UCSF and brought to life by professional game designers, to bring insights on how students build their attention and other academic skills, like reading.
We know from The UCSF Dyslexia Center Phenotype Study that all students with dyslexia do not have a primary deficit in phonological processing. Therefore, an approach that targets phonics skills may not be enough to increase reading growth.
Many Chartwell students, in fact, have a primary deficit in executive functioning. This contributes to difficulties with inhibition which could look like skipping or guessing sounds, syllables, suffixes, words and/or difficulty with attending to specific letters/syllables in words or sustaining attention during reading in general.
Students who participated in Engage trials showed significant progress in attention and reading from this intervention paired with phonics instruction.
Watch the video below to learn more about this transformative partnership.
