Hill Learning Center offers a unique half-day program to students in grades K-12 that is designed to provide highly differentiated instruction to students who have specific learning differences or attention deficit disorders. In 2019-20, 176 students from 69 different public and independent schools, as well as 19 home schools, spent a portion of their day at Hill. This dual enrollment affords students the opportunity to receive necessary remediation in a smaller school setting, and apply the skills learned at Hill in other educational settings.Hill strives to assist each individual in realizing his or her potential by developing strengths, remediating weaknesses, and experiencing success. With a student-teacher ratio of 4:1, the relationship between the teacher and student encourages participation and a willingness to attempt difficult skills. The positive, success-oriented nature of the program facilitates learning, as well as improvement of self-concept and motivation. There is an explicit focus on building age-appropriate executive function skills, and a peer advisory program strengthens peer relationships and the platform for practicing self-advocacy skills. An experienced school counselor spends time with each student and provides emotional, behavioral, and social support.
Students in grades K-5 receive instruction in reading, written language, and math for three hours each day. Reading instruction is powered by the Digital HillRAP (Hill Reading Achievement Program), which was developed by Hill faculty and staff and is currently being used in districts across North Carolina and beyond. Students benefit from hands-on classroom manipulatives, thoughtfully integrated technology, positive peer interactions, and collaborative teaching techniques. Students in the Lower School participate in events and activities throughout the year that are designed to develop their social and emotional well-being as well as to build the foundations of critical early executive function skills.
The Middle School experience is specifically geared to students who thrive in an interactive learning environment where students stay engaged through real-life learning activities and cross-discipline instruction. For three hours per day, students in grades 6-8 receive reading, written language, and math instruction. By cultivating self-advocacy, students learn how to transfer the skills and strategies they learn in our classrooms to their base schools, and our proven methodology prepares them to become confident, independent learners. Hill Middle School students enjoy the development of their executive function skills, financial literacy math program called MoneyWorks, Top of the Hill newsletter, the spring Trivia Contest, as well as clubs that foster creativity, engagement, and positive peer interactions and learning.
Students in grades 9-12 are offered English, Academic Writing, Spanish, and Mathematics (general math through AP Calculus), and may attend for one, two or three classes per day. Hill credits and grades transfer to students’ base school and are included on their official transcripts. Students in the Upper School have the opportunity to be involved in community service projects, as well as Student Council. Peer advisories and an annual ski trip help strengthen student relationships and peer support. College and post-secondary planning is another important part of Hill’s high school program. The college advising program is tailored to the needs of each student so that he or she will be prepared for the next step in life. Beginning in ninth grade, and each year thereafter, students at Hill receive support in preparing for their futures after high school.
Explore the School
Hill's flagship student program, the school is a unique half-day program that addresses the needs of K-12 students with diagnosed learning and attention differences.
Hill students attend over 70 different base schools in the area, spanning over various school districts including Durham, Wake, Orange, Chatham, and Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools. On average, 65& of our students attend public schools and 35% attend independent or home schools.
For the morning session, students arrive by 8:05 am and leave at 11:00 am with a fifteen minute break at 9:55 am. For the afternoon session, students arrive by 12:10 and leave at 3:05 pm with a fifteen minute break at 2:00 pm. Classes are 50 minutes in duration. After School Study Hall is available until 4:30. Lunch is not offered at Hill, but many afternoon students eat lunch before they arrive or have time before the afternoon session to eat in the playground area or in the lounge. Students in grades 9-12 may attend for one, two, or three hours and choose from the following courses: English, Academic Writing, Math and Spanish.
We have a maximum 4:1 student/teacher ratio and group up to 5 students on similar levels in Spanish to support language development.
