Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Author: Lola Gueguen
Table of contents
Embracing the Normalcy of Learning Differences
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 65.6 million individuals in the United States experience learning and attention issues. This translates to roughly 1 in 5 people having a learning or attention-related challenge (Barto, n.d.). Neurodivergent individuals are those who process information, learn, and behave differently. This can include, but is not limited to, individuals with ADHD, dyslexia, or autism, and represents a significant portion of our student population. During the 2022–2023 school year, 15% of all public school students, approximately 7.5 million children, received special education and/or related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that guarantees students with disabilities access to a “free and appropriate” education. About 32% of those students were identified as having a specific learning disability, making it the most common eligibility category for K–12 special education services. This represents a 3% increase from pre-pandemic levels. This upward trend cannot be attributed to a single factor; rather, it reflects improved identification practices, greater awareness and reduced stigma surrounding mental health and disabilities, and an overall rise in the prevalence of certain developmental disorders (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024).
Private schools, which are not bound by the same IDEA requirements as public schools and often lack equivalent funding, have more limited data on the number of students receiving additional support. Nonetheless, it is likely that they are also experiencing an increase in students with learning disabilities, developmental differences, and mental health needs. Because private schools vary widely in their resources and may not have a formal special education system in place, they are sometimes assumed to be less equipped than public schools to meet the needs of students with learning differences. However, public schools, which serve a larger and more diverse population, including a higher percentage of students with disabilities, do not always meet students’ needs effectively despite having a wider range of available services. As a result, many families choose private schools for reasons that can be highly beneficial for children with learning differences: smaller class sizes, greater opportunities for individualized attention, flexible instructional approaches, and closer relationships between teachers, students, and families. These characteristics can allow private schools to respond more quickly and creatively to student needs, even with fewer formalized resources. In response to the growing number of students requiring additional support, the French American Academy has prioritized its commitment to a comprehensive and proactive approach. This includes a clearly defined protocol for identifying student needs and targeted support services designed to help students with unique learning profiles
The FAA’s Intervention Team and Process
So, what steps is the FAA taking to support diverse learning styles, behavioral needs, and social-emotional challenges, both in the classroom and beyond?
At the FAA, an intervention team, composed of a speech pathologist and a licensed social worker, works collaboratively to provide in-house academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support to students, families, and faculty. The team regularly consults with teachers to provide informal in-class support, such as implementing reward systems. Additionally, each month, this team meets with the Head of School, Division Directors, and relevant teachers to discuss students of particular concern. Before each meeting, teachers complete a referral form to bring forward any students who are demonstrating academic, behavioral, or social-emotional challenges in the classroom. In contrast, students may also be referred if they are performing above grade level and may be considered for grade advancement. During the meeting, teachers share relevant information about the student’s academic performance, behavior, and social interactions, including factual records, observational data, and samples of classwork or assessments. The team then collaborates to identify the main concerns, problem-solve, and develop targeted strategies to implement in the classroom.
Personalized Plans for Student Success
Differentiation and classroom-based interventions are always the first line of support, both before and after the intervention meeting. In some cases, however, students require additional support to be able to participate fully in their educational environment alongside their grade-level peers. Teachers are first expected to implement a variety of strategies in the classroom, and if these initial accommodations are implemented correctly but do not result in adequate student progress, teachers may submit an initial request for a Personalized Plan for Rewarding Education (PPRE).
The PPRE provides a temporary structured course of action that includes accommodations and targeted interventions for students who may be experiencing social, emotional, behavioral, and/or academic challenges. Accommodations are supports that change how a student learns and accesses the general curriculum, such as receiving extra time on tests or having preferential seating in the classroom. Once teachers complete the initial request form and pre-referral checklist, the intervention team then meets internally with the teachers to prepare and finalize the PPRE before presenting it to the student’s parents for review and approval. The PPRE includes the student’s identifying information, family background, and academic history. Teachers contribute by completing sections on the student’s strengths and areas of need. In addition, the teachers and intervention team collaboratively develop two specific, measurable, and attainable goals for each student with a PPRE, along with the accommodations necessary to ensure they can fully access their educational environment. The PPRE is reviewed with the student’s parents to ensure shared understanding and agreement on the proposed goals and supports. It is updated each trimester to ensure that goals are regularly monitored and that services continue to meet the student’s evolving needs. If goals are met by the time of the meeting, they are adjusted to promote continued growth. The goal of the PPRE is to gradually fade support over time as the student becomes more independent and acquires new skills.
If a PPRE remains in place for more than a year and the interventions become part of the student’s ongoing routine, the plan will be converted into a Plan for Personalized Actions (PAP). A PAP is similar to a 504 plan in the American education system and provides more sustained, long-term supports. A PAP may also be implemented from the outset for students presenting with long-term or persistent academic and/or social emotional challenges, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysphasia, ADD, ADHD, anxiety and similar conditions. Like the PPRE, the PAP outlines the student’s strengths, needs, and long-term goals. The PAP also includes a more comprehensive list of accommodations and modifications the student will receive across settings, such as during evaluations, in various subject areas, and for homework. Unlike accommodations, modifications change what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate. Modifications adjust the learning standards themselves to better match a student’s current abilities and skill level. The available modifications accommodations vary by grade level to reflect the different developmental, academic, and organizational expectations of preschool, elementary, middle, and high school students.
For students with a recognized disability, a PPS (Personalized Plan for School) may also be put in place. A PPS is designed for students with physical, sensory, intellectual, cognitive, or developmental disabilities that significantly impact learning. It is a formal support plan that ensures students have access to appropriate educational accommodations, specialized supports, and related services tailored to their individual needs. A PPS is most comparable to an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) in the United States, which applies to students in private schools and provides access to specific services through the public school district, although these services are not legally mandated. Unlike a PAP, which provides accommodations for students with ongoing learning or social-emotional difficulties without specialized instruction, a PPS involves more intensive supports and may include specialized teaching, therapeutic services, and coordinated follow-up with external professionals. Additionally, while a PAP is a school-based plan, a PPS is a legally recognized document within the French education system, and schools are legally required to implement the supports specified in the PPS. Lastly, if a student has a chronic condition (such as asthma), allergies, or food intolerances, they will benefit from a PAI or Plan for Action Individualized, which outlines specific supports to manage their health needs at school.
Additional Support Services
Within these formal plans, particularly the PPRE and PAP, a student may be recommended for additional services. The FAA provides both push-in and pull-out support to address students’ diverse needs, including EAL, FAL, Academic Support, and Counseling, tailored to each student’s individual profile.
- English as an Additional Language (EAL) – EAL classes are small-group pull-out sessions designed to teach English to non-native speakers at a pace and level appropriate to each student’s abilities.
- French as an Additional Language (FAL) – FAL support includes small-group pull-out sessions and is available to English-speaking students from Kindergarten onward, providing individualized instruction in French tailored to each student’s proficiency level.
- Academic Support – Academic Support includes small-group pull-out sessions, where students with similar skill levels work on targeted topics, such as phonics, reading comprehension, or understanding the number system, aligned with either the French or American curriculum
- Counseling – Individual counseling with the school’s clinical social worker is offered to students who experience ongoing social-emotional challenges
Celebrating the Strengths of Learning Differences
Despite this upward trend, learning differences, mental health disorders, and disabilities should not be viewed as problematic, negative, or inconvenient. Instead, they simply reflect the reality that everyone learns differently, and it is the education system’s responsibility to adapt to students’ diverse learning styles. In fact, students with learning differences often demonstrate remarkable strengths, such as creativity, resilience, problem-solving skills, and adaptability. With the right support, they can be just as successful as their peers, both academically and personally. Moreover, having students with diverse learning profiles in the classroom benefits the entire school community. Students with learning differences build self-advocacy skills, while their classmates and teachers gain opportunities to adopt more innovative, flexible, and empathetic approaches to teaching, learning, and socializing. There are many examples of individuals who have thrived because of, not in spite of, their learning differences. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, for instance, was diagnosed with ADHD at age 9. Despite frequent doubt from his teachers, he used swimming as both an emotional outlet and a way to manage his symptoms (LD Online, 2007). Filmmaker and screenwriter Tim Burton, who has autism, never let his challenges deter him from pursuing his passion for filmmaking, ultimately earning him both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, was diagnosed with dyslexia and faced significant challenges in school as a child, yet this did not prevent him from becoming a powerful public speaker and a highly successful innovator (Draper, 2024). The message is clear: intelligence and success are not defined solely by one’s ability to read, write, spell, or calculate. Being “smart” looks different for everyone, and any student can succeed when given the chance and the appropriate support.
Every student’s learning journey is different. To summarize the comprehensive support options discussed in this post, we’ve created this quick-reference guide. It breaks down the key differences and similarities between French and American educational plans, from the remediation-focused PPRE to the service-oriented ISP, ensuring you have the information you need to understand your child’s education.
| Type of Support | Region/System | Purpose/Focus | Key Features | Equivalent |
| PPRE (Programme personnalisé de réussite éducative) | France | Provides early academic support for students showing emerging or mild learning difficulties who may benefit from short-term accommodations and targeted interventions to address temporary academic challenges | Short-term, targeted action plan with clearly defined goals and concrete interventions implemented for a limited period Focused on remediation: designed to help the student catch up academically and prevent the development of more persistent or long-term academic difficulties Focuses on temporary accommodations (e.g., instructional adjustments) and targeted academic support | There is no direct equivalent in the American education system |
| PAP (Plan d’Accompagnement Personnalisé) | France | A formal support plan for students with an impairment or diagnosis that significantly impacts their educational experience (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, anxiety) | Long-term support plan providing accommodations and modifications Designed for students who require different, and often reduced, expectations compared to general classroom standards May include supports such as extended time, modified assignments or exercises, and assistive technology | This is comparable to the 504 plan in the American education system. |
| PPS (Projet Personnalisé de Scolarisation) | France | A formal support plan for students with disabilities that ensures access to appropriate education and related services, tailored to the student’s individual needs. Eligibility is for any student with a recognized disability (physical, sensory, mental, cognitive, or developmental) that impacts their learning | Legal document that coordinates educational, therapeutic, and support services for students with disabilities who required adapted schooling Includes accommodations, specialized instruction, and additional services as needed Developed collaboratively by the family, school, and medical/ rehabilitation professionals | A PPS is most similar to an ISP. |
504 Plan | United States | A support plan for students with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as learning, attention, or social-emotional functioning Eligibility is determined through school-based evaluations, teacher observations, academic, behavioral, and medical records, as well as parent input, to assess the functional impact of the impairment. A formal medical diagnosis is not required, though it may help support eligibility | Designed for students who do not require special education instruction but do need accommodations to access the general education curriculum While a 504 Plan can include modifications, it primarily focuses on accommodations. Common accommodations include extended time, preferential seating, and instructional adjustments. | The closest French equivalent is the PAP, although there are important differences between the two plans. |
IEP (Individual Education Program) | United States | A formal support plan for students with disabilities that guarantees a comprehensive, individualized educational program and related services to help students to make progress in the general curriculum. Students with an IEP are entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and must be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) that meets their individual needs. Available to eligible students in the public school system. Eligibility is determined based on whether the student meets criteria under one of the 13 categories defined by the IDEA Act. | A legal document that requires specialized instruction and measurable academic, behavioral, and/or social-emotional goals Includes accommodations, modifications, and additional services as needed. Services outlined in the IEP are legally mandated. | There is no direct equivalent in the French education system (see ISP below). |
ISP (Individualized Service Plan) | United States | A formal support plan for students in private schools that provides access to specific services from the public school district. Unlike an IEP, an ISP only guarantees certain services; the district is not legally required to provide the full range of support that a public school would offer under an IEP. Parents are responsible for their child’s overall education and must ensure their child receives the instruction and resources they need in the private school setting. | Provides some specialized services (e.g., therapy, academic support) determined by the public school district Focuses on access to specific services rather than a full individualized educational program Parents maintain responsibility for implementing and overseeing the child’s education | The closest French equivalent is the PPS. |
