Students who have learning and financial challenges often also face challenges getting into and attending college.

However, educators say these challenges are not insurmountable, and some have developed techniques to help these students compete with their more advantaged counterparts.

Commonwealth Academy in Alexandria meets the needs of students who benefit from individual attention and small class sizes, as well as students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Students are taught to understand their learning styles and develop strategies to succeed in the classroom and on standardized tests.

Children with certain challenges are often misunderstood, said Cathy Feehan, director of marketing. “We take kids with an average-to superior-IQ who have been called stupid in other learning environments.

“Some of our children are not linear thinkers,” she said. “For example, students want to write a story, but they want to start in the middle. We have [computer] software that will help them graphically organize their thoughts.”

The school mimics the college experience to prepare students, said Feehan. “We build in time to teach executive functioning skills. By the time they leave us, they have the organizational skills to succeed in college.”

Students change classes without the sounding of bells. The school halls are carpeted and the atmosphere is quiet and serene.

This atmosphere combines with organizational and other help to give students a learning environment that works for them.

“It’s really hard for me to stay organized,” said Gabby, a student at Commonwealth. “I could never find anything. My notes would be all over the place. More than just organization, I could never get my thoughts together.”

The school provides a nontraditional way of preparing for college. “Our kids take college–prep classes like physics and chemistry,” said Feehan. “We help them write their essays. We separate English literature from writing. When they leave, they not only know about different genres, but also different types of writing and how to do research.

“Our kids have to understand character development, plot, and setting. The difference is that many school ask students to read five books in an English class. Do you need to read five books to understand character development in literature? Not as long as they understand the concept.”

The school also focuses on SAT and ACT preparation, something many students can find challenging. There are other options to get ready for these tests as well.

“We had 80 colleges visit our little school last year and 100 percent of our kids have gone to college for three years in a row,” said Feehan.