The Center for Academic Excellence
Rendering of the future renovation of CAE
The Center for Academic Excellence (formerly the Center for Learning) opened this year with an expanded direction and a new director! Janine Couch, who was previously a Language Arts teacher in Middle School and Academic Dean, returned to Maclay to head the CAE after a year in the Harvard Graduate School of Education program, where she completed her master’s in School Leadership. The CAE now promotes a high standard of learning for all students at Maclay through support programs and extension of services. It is also the hub for all professional development programming, such as providing faculty resources, growth, and opportunities to expand professional knowledge. Pre-planning week for faculty was reimagined this year and formed into an EdCamp where teachers created and presented training sessions. The CAE and faculty co-chairs Mike Fisher and Caroline Strange led the program. So far this year, the CAE hosted Dr. Jenny Root, Ph.D., who presented “Neurodiversity and the Universal Design for Learning Framework”. The workshop provided strategies for recognizing, acknowledging, and leveraging the strengths and talents of all students in classes through the Universal Design for Learning framework. Later in the fall, Allison Leatzow, Autism Consultant with the Florida State University Autism Institute’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, presented to faculty: Supporting Students with ASD in the PK-12 Classroom. The CAE will continue to grow programs and expand facilities to accommodate the many needs of our students.
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