For many families navigating the world of learning differences, the IEP process in public schools is familiar territory. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is designed to outline accommodations, measurable goals, and steps to support a student’s academic progress. But for some learners, especially those who need more day-to-day flexibility and more integrated support, there are broader alternative options available.
At The Janus School, every student receives a deeply personalized educational experience, built on narrative reports, daily teacher collaboration, and one-to-one or small-group tutorials woven directly into the school day. Instead of a static document, Janus creates a living portrait of each student’s learning journey, adapting in real time as strengths emerge and needs evolve. To families accustomed to the traditional IEP process, this often feels like a meaningful shift—moving from a compliance-focused plan to a more relational and dynamic model that grows with the child.
Narrative Reports at Janus: A Full Picture of How Each Student Learns
Rather than relying on a traditional IEP, Janus uses narrative reports as the foundation for each student’s learning plan. These reports are designed to give families a clear, comprehensive, and personalized understanding of a child’s academic, social-emotional, and executive functioning skills—all grounded in ongoing observations and team-based insights.
The process begins well before the first written report is drafted. After teachers get to know a student in classrooms, tutorials, and across daily campus activities, the entire instructional team gathers with the family—and often the student—to identify strengths and pinpoint the areas most affecting the student’s learning. Those insights become the anchor for individualized, measurable goals. Each instructor translates the agreed-upon areas of focus into goals directly tied to their own class or learning environment. The result is an initial narrative report that offers families a holistic view of their child’s day-to-day growth.
Then, growth doesn’t wait for an annual review. Families meet with the Janus team again midyear to discuss how goals are taking shape, and a Final Report at year’s end offers a detailed narrative of how the student has developed in each goal area. The emphasis is always on clarity and connection: a story of the child’s learning journey, crafted with both specificity and care.
Daily Collaboration: The Team Behind Every Janus Student's Plan
Narrative reports are only possible because of the deep collaboration happening behind the scenes at Janus. Teachers have dedicated time each day to meet, share observations, discuss emerging needs, and celebrate successes. This rhythm is intentional—and essential.
Because Janus faculty work so closely together, every educator understands each student’s profile, strengths, and challenges. That shared knowledge creates consistency across classes and allows teachers to adjust instructional plans in real time. For students with learning differences, this level of communication is transformative. Instructional decisions are shaped by daily observation, ongoing data, and collective professional expertise, ensuring that every child receives meaningful support exactly when they need it. In contrast to the set review intervals typically built into a traditional IEP cycle, the Janus model allows for ongoing, real-time adjustments to instruction. Teachers can respond to what a student is experiencing that very day, creating a learning environment that remains flexible, responsive, and closely aligned with each learner’s needs.
Janus Tutorials: Individualized Instruction that Builds Skills and Confidence
One of the defining features of the Janus approach is the tutorial system, which provides consistent, individualized instruction as an integrated part of the school day. Included in base tuition, every student meets with a tutor multiple times each week—typically in two one-to-one sessions, with a third weekly tutorial often occurring alongside a peer.
These sessions are intentionally flexible and responsive. A tutorial might reinforce concepts from a particular academic course, help a student develop organization or planning strategies, or build communication and collaboration skills with a peer. The instruction is always tied to the goals identified during the initial conference and evolves as the student grows.
Just as important as the instruction is the relationship that forms between student and tutor. Over time, the tutor becomes a trusted adult who understands how the student thinks, what motivates them, where they need support, and where they’re ready to stretch. For families, the tutor also becomes a consistent point of communication—someone who knows their child deeply and can share meaningful insight into how they’re developing as a learner.
The result is a student who becomes more confident, more capable, and more independent. Tutorials help learners build a “toolbox” of strategies they can apply across settings, an essential step in developing long-term self-advocacy.
Helping Students Learn How They Learn
The combination of narrative reports, daily collaboration, and tutorials creates a learning environment where students genuinely understand themselves as learners. Brenda Keller, Director of Academics, has witnessed many students begin their Janus journey frustrated, discouraged, or misunderstood—only to transform into confident, empowered learners who see their own potential clearly.
“Students learn to recognize their strengths and challenges, apply targeted strategies, and grow not just academically, but socially and emotionally. Some even reach the point of sharing their strategies with peers, demonstrating leadership and mastery,” shares Brenda.
A Personalized Path That Goes Beyond a Plan
At its core, the Janus approach isn’t about being “better” than the IEP in a public school setting—it’s about offering something more dynamic, more relational, and more responsive for students with learning differences as part of an alternative educational experience. Narrative reports provide a holistic view of each learner. Daily teacher collaboration ensures that support is timely. Tutorials build skills and confidence in a deeply personalized way. All of this is provided within a close-knit private K-12 setting that’s specifically designed for the student population we serve.
Together, these elements create an environment where students feel understood, supported, and empowered, and where families can see the complete picture of how their child learns. Head of School Heather Strunk notes, “We hear from our Janus families again and again: ‘Now we finally understand how our child learns.’ That clarity changes everything.”
If you’re exploring whether Janus may be the right fit for your child, we invite you to reach out, ask questions, or join us for a visit. Our team is always here to help families understand what’s possible when a student receives the individualized support they deserve.