Landmark School
Thursday, July 8th, 2004
Landmark School
429 Hale St.
P.O. Box 227
Prides Crossing, MA 01965
978-236-3010
978-236 3000 Admissions
978-927-7268 (fax)
www.landmarkschool.org/
Sanford Shapiro’s Review of Landmark School
Schools with Services for Language-based Learning Disabilities (LLD)
Schools with Services for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Landmark is a school that thinks their methods are topnotch. Though they specifically cater to the needs of students with language based learning disabilities, their approach is widely generalized. Like any other school, students’ have different intellectual levels, abilities and styles. However, landmark treats all of its students with one standard, that they are “LD.” Because of this, some students get educations that are slow and arduous to participate in. You can’t have a school that says they specialize in teaching LD students and treat them all the same. Isn’t that what they were escaping in other un-specialized schools?
Landmark is a waste of the nearly college-priced tuition and should rethink its role as a special education school.
Are you speaking from personal experience or have you just heard this about Landmark? This is a great point but how can anyone reading this comment know that its credible?
I attended Landmark for all four years of high school.
And what are you doing now?
Currently i am attending art school
And you think you could have skipped Landmark and gone, or gone to a public school? I’m wondering what about your current experience makes you feel that Larnmark did not prepare you.
In my experience, an LD kid is so much more than just someone who can’t read well. I met some of the most intelligent, talented people at Landmark I have met; yet for all of us we are simply treated as kids with learning disabilities. Kids who, without learning disabilities would be able to get into the best schools in their field; artists who should have gone to Pratt, actors who should have gone to Tisch, musicians who should have gone to Berkley etc. But what landmark prepares you for is state universities and community colleges. Granted, there are some students at landmark who really benefit from their methods, I just don’t think it’s for everyone there.
I agree, by the way, that highly structured learning environements are not for everyone and certainly not for me. I too have an art background and did well once I got beyond the structured parts of school.
I’m not sure that one could say that a highly structured education is preparation for community colleges and state universities only and that a less structured education is what is needed to go to art school. I don’t think one has anything to do with the other.
If you’re training to be an artist, you still need to have study skills and if Landmark’s methods are right for you, then even if you go from there to RISD you will have gotten a good set of literacy skills, useful anywhere, including RISD.
Maybe what you are getting at is that schools like Landmark (and all other schools like it) ought to offer more courses outside of what they consider a core, college prep curriculum. Courses like basic design, music theory, music performance, etc.
On that I would totally agree and I think it’s amazing that few of these schools make those “extra” curricular courses their core curriculum.
But, part of the reason they do not is because of parental pressure to get their kids into competitive, mainstream schools. SAT and GPA still drive college admissions in most competitive schools and without a strong foundation in what is called “core curricular” areas it’s hard to do well on the SAT unless one is naturally gifted and reads a lot. Most people aren’t naturally gifted in that way and few in the LD world read enough to make up for not getting core literacy in school.
I pretty much agree with everything you say, generally (I have no direct experience with Landmark, only with the idea of structure being right for everyone) but it’s always important to realize that those of us with LD are as varied as everyone else and some of us probably thive in highly structured learning environments. You and I know we don’t and I guess it’s up to others to figure that out for themselves.
Thanks for the insightful comments.
Yes, thank you for those comments. I have often wondered about the same thing. Also, from what I have seen about the dyslexic student in my life, she is almost genius and needs to have the latitude in instruction offered to her so she can excel in those areas she is obviously talented in as well as dealing with the LD issues that hamper her. This is such a difficult process to find a school. Especially when the student is what is referred to as twice exceptional. If it had been up to the public school she is in they would have kept her out of higher level math because she cannot multiply, add, divide or subtract very well. She does these paradoxical things which I am sure is not unexpected in the dyslexic. She has a memory like a steel trap once she is taught correctly. She made the highest grade in Biology but cannot read the book (guess that is the auditory learner part of her), BUT what is interesting is she does not seem to quickly process what she hears, she does poorly with sequential instructions, needs to get only two or three at a time, is very disorganized… It is so frustrating and I feel for her but at the same time we highlight how she is so capable. If she goes to an LD school she will probably have to repeat her junior year since she has failed every class. You see how, to the outsider, one would not understand how they can be so bright and fail a grade. But thank you for your honest input. This is how the school she is in currently sees her like an LD student and they have low expectations. I need a school that does not just advertise that they have high expectations but can show me. I wish they would provide data sheets to get an idea of what diagnoses are there, how these students do, what are the contributing factors and the factors that keep them back. Maybe a list of ten students from 11 and 12 grade.
Thanks again Anonymous
Drew
I have a daughter who has been attending a junior boarding for the past 3 years. She will be graduating this year, and we are looking at other boarding schools with a similar structured and supportive environment to take her through her high school years. I’m curious and trying to get some opinions from parents who have children attending Landmark. In addition to the academics, we are quite interested in learning about the boarding side of the school as well. We live in Kansas, and Landmark couldn’t be further from home. If the boarding side of the school is not satisfactory, then I will have an unhappy daughter who wants to come home every weekend, which is nearly impossible and far too expensive. Thanks in advance for your feedback. Susan
As an Admission Counselor at Landmark School, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our boarding program. Roughly 60% of our high school population resides at Landmark, coming from all over the U.S. and the world, and we take great care with the students in our residential program. As well, I can put you in touch with current and/or former Landmark parents, potentially from the same area of the US that you are from, who have sent their high school-age student to board here. Many had the same questions and concerns initially that you now have. You may be confident these parents speak from their own mind and experience, and may by all means speak freely with them.
Emily, thank you. I’m not quite sure what your comment has to do with the current thread here but thanks for offering the resource(s).
Back to the current thread, and maybe you can shed some light on this Emily: What does Landmark offer the art or music student who would like to transfer to RISD or Berkeley College of Music? Does Landmark have a serious studio art program and/or a music performance program? Besides strengthening basic study (which is not unimportant) skills, why would an art or music student want to attend Landmark College?
My comment was mostly directed to Susan, who had questions about Landmark School’s Residential Program, in relation to her daughter (who is entering 9th grade).
However, I believe from reading your comment, you are confusing Landmark School w/ Landmark College? Landmark School has exceptional performing and visual arts programs.
Emily: I can see that Landmark offers performing arts but I’m not seeing anything about studio or visual arts listed on your web site. Am I missing something?
Hi Richard,
Next year Landmark High School will offer full year courses in the following areas: painting & drawing, printmaking, ceramics, and photography (black & white as well as digital). Students can also take a full year portfolio art class where they would prepare pieces for the college application process. For students who are interested in art but may not be as experienced, we offer a general survey course which includes painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, photography, model-building, etc. As you mention, our visual/studio art offerings are not highlighted on our website as well as they could be. Our curriculum guide lists all course descriptions and that can be found by clicking on “Academics” and then clicking on “Guides & Handbooks” in the drop down menu.
We visited Landmark and they were not very inviting. Perhaps they have a particular kind of student in mind but they did not encourage us to apply. I did not see any happy students there and the rules seems a little stringent. wondering how other parents felt when they visited?
Hi, I researched for 3 years before deciding to put my son into a tiny alternative private school. I had visited Landmark and others. I felt strongly that the emphasis was on remediation and tutoring to strengthen weaknesses without nearly enough focus on building strengths. My son is highly gifted, very dyslexic and now getting honors in school and applying to top colleges. It has not been easy at all.
Julia. I love your comment and really happy to hear that the choice to emphasize strengths as well as remediation worked out well.
I’d love to hear more. How were his strengths encouraged at his high school?
Thanks.
Sanford
As a professor at an art school, I have an alumna in my courses. She cannot think critically. In order to solve both simple and complex problems, she is compelled to ask for guidance every minor step of the way. Now what do I do?…Now what?…Now what? She also has minimal reading and writing skills and fails almost every quiz and writing assignment, even when given proper accommodations.
I don’t know what her competency level would have been without a Landmark education, but she is still not prepared for college-level academic rigor.
Dear Prof: this is an example of the tension between only working on wrote skills in a controlled environment where quite a bit of life is mapped out (Landmark) and adding a bit more critical and higher level thinking work to that mix.
One of the reasons people think highly structured environments are successful is that they can train students to do some of the things they are weak in (in a controlled environment) but in fact, that if those skills can’t be generalized then they’re less useful than people think.
However, for some students a bit of time and structure and support is all they need, they’re off and running and grow into higher level ways of using those skills. For others, a bit more transition is needed, or, they’re simply out of place in a college setting that requires serious critical thinking.
There is quite a bit of pressure from parents for their kids to go to “name” institutions, whether or not those kids can handle the work and it’s possible that this young woman is simply out of place at your school and needs to transfer to another school where the course load would be within her abilities.
All of this isn’t necessarily Landmark’s issue, it may also be a bit of her parents and her for being unrealistic about what she can do when.
I havew a 13 year old son who is gifted in art as well as computers. The rote effort to teach him to read has turned him off of learning. We are currently looking for a new school placement. Any suggestions on how to choose a school that as previously posted emphzasizes their strenths as well as remediates their weaknesses.
Thank you
Mary
Mary: We have very good friends who sent their son to Putney Academy and he’s loved it there. He’s about to graduate and has a nice long list of colleges that want him. Putney specializes in the arts and has been great for him. Oh, they also have a decent computer program, wifi network, etc.
Hi Richard,
Thank you so much. I will have to check it out.
Thank you
Mary
I have been reading comments from everybody and this what I think. I am a graduate of Landmark School, Class of 1997. While, it was more elitist when I was a student at Landmark, I benefitted from the structure and the study skills imparted on to me. Furthermore, it is these study skills that have served me through out college and graduate school. Additionally, the focus on language development has been beneficial both professionally and academically.
Now I did have a hard time fitting in socially. My parents are blue-collar working class people. My father makes maybe 40K and my mother about 15K a year. It was this socioeconomic difference with peers that I did develop some resentment towards my peers and my teachers. They had money and I did not!
Also, most of the teachers (when I was there) are upper-middle class white angelo-saxon Protestants (WASPS) that have never had to go hungry or grow up in the housing projects. I only knew of one Roman Catholic teacher and one Jewish teacher. Although, my current understanding of the socioeconomic gap is that it has been significantly narrowed.
By the way, I am pursuing my Ph.D. at The University of Alabama and received my Masters of Education in Instructtional Design from the University of Massachusetts-Boston in the Spring of 2007.
Currently, I am a research assistant at UA.
Kindest regards,
David Horgan
I, too, am interested in hearing from other Landmark parents/graduates about this subject of remediating weaknesses while also emphasizing strengths. I have a 13 year old boy who has severe dyslexia, does NOT have ADHD, and has an IQ in the superior range. He is not artistic, but he tends to think outside the box. We have tried very hard to keep him in public school (partly because of the elitist problem that David mentioned, which is common at most private schools). But the public school is simply supplying him with an aide to read and scribe for him, and this is creating “learned dependence.” He needs to learn to organize, read, write by himself. However, I am a little nervous about the “cookie-cutter” issue. Does anyone else have a different experience?
David makes a great point about many independent boarding schools, not just Landmark. I had never set foot in one of these schools before 1986 when I moved to Connecticut to start the computer program at The Forman School. For the next fifteen years I spent a lot of time consulting in many of these schools and many have the feel that David describes. This isn’t necessarily bad but if it’s not your cup of tea it might be a problem.
Brooks, you might be able to influence your son’s public school situation by attending IEP meetings and attempting to help them help him to get the skills to work independently. There is little doubt that schools like Landmark and others like it which pride themselves on “college prep” as well as building basic skills will make a point of doing exactly what you’re asking for. The question is, can you get your public school to do a passable job as well. I’d do a bit more research at the public school to see how open they are to listening to your needs for your son. If they can’t provide what you think is an essential piece of his education: teaching him to work independently, you may be able to get the district to town fund him to a private school, like Landmark.
I would like you all to know that if you have a child with a ld I hope you have big bucks!!! tuition for the Forman is more than Harvard University. The Landmark take out a second mortgage.Public School get a lawyer,advocate and a tuitor.My child should have been a senior this year.I had my child tested at NEMC 3rd grade reading level at the end of 7th grade .$500 for an advocate 4 IEP meetings
and 3 mediations with the dept of ed. and we finally got orton gillingham for 1 yr 3 m. My child really wants to go to Forman this year I cant afford the tuition we are blue collar workers any ideas out there to get money for your kid.Oh and one more thing .Every penny you spend is a medical expense tax deductable
Brooks, Debbie, and Susan,
If you have any questions I would be happen to share them with you about Landmark. Forman School you are on your own (sorry). As said, my experience there mixed. If it weren’t for Landmark, I would have never had gone college. I remember in first semester college, I was in World Civ History 1 class with Dr. Gail Cummings. I loved her class for several reasons, some of which I really should not post on this board. However, Dr. Cummings commented on fact that out all her students, I was 1 of 7 students (out of a total of 30 students in the class who earned an A on my paper. It wasn’t for the content, but how well I wrote the paper. I learned write both in business and in academia. It was hardwork and their were days I didn’t want to go back. See I have a slight stutter and was relentlessly tormented as you can well imagine. I would act out against my rich elitist peers. On several occassions, I told these peers where they shove silver spoons.. I don’t want to spoil it. A portion of this will be coming out upon completion of my dissertation.
Any questions, email me.
Best,
David
Hi everybody! I’m currently a student at Landmark who is going to be a senior this upcoming school year.
If anyone has any questions which they want to be answered from a students perspective, please post them below and I’ll answer them.
Do you know if Landmark gives fincial Aid? Did your family pay or are your a private or public pay student? HOw did your family make the cost issues work
Landmark’s phone number is posted above mom, I think the best thing to do is give them a call and find out.
concerned mom,
I believe that there is a limited form of financial aid that the school offers. And by very limited, I mean very few students receive it as well. I’m not going to speculate much but this is probably due to the school not having the largest endowment (it’s a newer school compared to others), amount of teachers, etc.
Most people who do receive some form of financial aid do so through suing their prior public school district. I don’t know the process specifically but I believe it is along the lines of if you can prove that your town’s public education is not adequate enough for your child, you can legal force your town to pay for a Landmark education. You should diffidently consult the school or a lawyer to get more information on this method.
My parents looked into suing my public school but in the end they decided not to. My parents could afford it, therefore going to court would have been more to make a statement. (I had an awful middle school experience) So yes, my parents pay the full amount (I have been apart of the prep-program since last year though and the cost pre year is slightly cheaper because of the lack of a 1 on 1 tutorial daily).
And also just to mention, public funding in not an option in the prep program. The public schools take the opinion that if the student can make it in the prep program, they can survive fine in a public school setting.
Hope this was helpful for you…
My daughter just started the 6th grade and not doing well,where do i begin she is on a IEP since 1st grade. She has ADHD and takes meds,she can barely multiply……..
Pam: Your daughter is not doing well at Landmark School or you want to send her there?
my daughter is a junior @Landmark & she has mulltimodal ld.
Landmark remediates students & that’s their primary focus.
The children can play sports, there is theatre, woodwork they make
short films ect. My daughter went to schools where because of her grades she could not play sports. I don’t care how gifted you are you need to be able to read & write. My child went to christian & public schools none of them were the right fit she failed every spelling test the textbooks that she had to read was painful to watch her struggle. Now the question is can she go to college knowing that reading the college textbooks is a big part of learning in the college setting.
Many parents know their children’s limitations & are very unrealistic. Paying >$42,000.00/year(We do get some finacial aid & is on monthly payment plan >$2,500.00/months & loan payment & transportation)
we do not want her to be a waitress(she is also very clumsy).
She does not know what her interests are & we are trying to direct her path because she needs to become independent with a satisfying & decent paying job.
I understand anonymous’ comment maybe he was not placed in the right school. His parents wanted him to read & his artistic needs was not a priority. Socially this is not the school for my daughter but her ability to learn how to read & learn the strategies to manage her reading difference I believe will be beneficial in the long term & she will have the rest of her life to socialize.
Landmark is a school that if you are not publicly funded, independently wealthy working class & willing to sacrifice everything
then it is not for you. I will not laud Landmark because of these facts .It is for those who can pay(big bucks). But if you can afford it your children will be in a place “that gets it”
The recipe for academic success is the same everywhere, motivated students, great teachers & involved parents.
We have a 10 year daughter who’s been in an IEP program ever since third grade.
I believe all this program has done for her is to make her so dependent to others that she practically does not know HOW to learn.
She is a fluent reader, above her grade level. She has language based learning disability and short-term memory problem.
Her comprehension level is below her grade level. She can perform arithmetic operations without any problem however if we put the 2+2 into a word problem, she will totally get lost.
We are researching different options for her. I believe the IEP program at her public school is just not the right fit for her.
I was wondering if any of you experienced parents/teacher could give us some more pointers as to whether we should consider specialized school such as Landmark? Selecting landmark is really not easy considering we leave about 70 miles from school, apparently it is very expensive, but would that be one of our few best options? or any private school where the ratio of student/teacher is relatively small might work as well? Should we make her repeat a grade if a private school accepts her?
And yes, getting into a private school in MA would be a challenge we need to overcome as well. Mainly because she has a very limited vocabulary for her age and her poor writing skill.
Any help would be greatly appreciate it
Thanks
Dear Sophie,
Firstly, if you see that her IEP or how it’s being implemented is making your daughter more dependent and leaving her without strategies for learning, then good for you for acting on it now and for asking these questions.
Weighing in on whether a specialized school is right for your daughter might come after figuring out if you’ve gotten all you can from your present school. It may be that you can redo the IEP and how it plays out in your child’s daily life in a way that works better.
There’s nothing to lose however in considering the question. What you need to do is make a list of her needs and strengths and examine what all your options.
By the way, Landmark is not your only option I’m sure. The Carroll School and White Oak are two others for example.
These specialized schools are expensive for the average person however there often are financing mechanisms, through the schools. It may be that going to a specialized school is an option that your daughter uses for a couple of years.
There are many people myself included, who can help you along the way. I was reminded recently that when considering school choices, we send kids to people as much as programs.
The schools I mentioned and others are all described here on this site for you review. Please feel free to contact me here or offline for further explanations.
One more thing: It’s never too often to express thanks and appreciation to the owner of this site, Richard Wanderman. As an adult who grew up with school struggles himself (even though he’s as sharp as a tac/tack) he provides this site as a resource).
Good Luck,
Sanford Shapiro
Thank you so much for your reply.
I contacted Carroll school and their program is mostly for kids with dislexia. My daughter is an excellent reader. She doesn’t fully understand and retain what she read, which is where her weakness is. I don’t know much about White Oaks since geographically it is not an option at this point.
In finding the right school for my daughter, we are considering private school option. However most private school would test your child’s intelligence based on Wechsler IQ Test. I am not sure how accurate the result of this method is for children with Language based learning disability. Isn’t there a discrepancy factor that needs to be considered for them? Basically if the IQ results for a child with learning disability is in the low percentile, it does not necessarily mean that the child has a low intelligence. There should be a way to measure this discrepancy. Is there an alternative to this testing method?
I also found out that there are places where you could get assistance for these questions. Would you recommend any particular one in MA? Should we seek their help? Should I consider the option of private tutoring with tutors who specializes in Learning disability?
I apologize for all the questions I am sending over to you all at once. It is just very comforting when I find professionals who actually understand our struggle.
Thanks again for your assistance.