Ulsan Office of Education to Expand Student Support Centers to 42 Locations

Agreement Signed with 11 New Institutions to Strengthen Basic Academic Achievement
In-depth Assessments and Diagnoses... Expansion of 1:1 Tailored Intervention and Learning Counseling

Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Cheon Changsoo) is strengthening 1:1 individualized professional support for students who require specialized assistance outside of school, such as those with borderline intellectual functioning.

To this end, the number of specialized support institutions collaborating with schools has been expanded from 31 to 42.

Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education and specialized support agencies are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement. Photo by Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education

The Ulsan Office of Education signs agreements every year with external specialized institutions to provide professional learning support for students struggling due to complex or special factors, such as borderline intellectual functioning or dyslexia.

On the 11th, the Ulsan Office of Education signed a business agreement at Jiphyeonsil with 11 newly designated specialized support institutions to establish and operate an out-of-school specialized support system.

The signing ceremony was attended by Superintendent Cheon Changsoo, heads of specialized support institutions, officials from the Office of Education, and about 50 participants in total.

Students in need of specialized support are first recommended by the ‘Student Support Council for Learning Support’ established in elementary, middle, and high schools. Afterward, they go through expert councils such as the Ulsan Basic Academic Achievement Support Center, Learning Comprehensive Clinic Center, and Special Education Support Center, and are finally connected to the out-of-school specialized support program (Umteo Project).

The selected students receive in-depth assessments such as standardized tests and counseling at the specialized support institution linked to their place of residence, based on the basic data provided by the school. They are then provided with intervention support (treatment) and tailored professional learning support to remove factors hindering their learning.

In addition, cases of intervention support for learning support students are shared and managed, and collaboration is strengthened for the three-stage out-of-school basic academic achievement guarantee specialized support through the linkage of human and material resources.

Last year, the Ulsan Office of Education, in cooperation with specialized support institutions, provided intervention support to 127 students struggling with learning difficulties due to borderline intellectual functioning and complex factors.

This year, with the expansion of partner institutions, students and their guardians will have a wider range of choices and access to specialized support institutions, making more systematic support possible.

An official from the Ulsan Office of Education stated, “We will further strengthen the system to guarantee basic academic achievement both inside and outside of school for learning support students, such as those with borderline intellectual functioning, who all learn at their own pace,” and added, “By expanding the linkage of human and material resources, we will operate student-centered, customized learning support more effectively.”