Lives Over Time

This study began in 2013, and explores the experiences of individuals with learning disabilities over the period after they graduated high school in order to understand what helps them to be successful.
Dear Winston Alumni,

We are recruiting Winston Preparatory School Alumni (18 years old or older) to participate in our online, longitudinal Lives Over Time Study. We want to better understand your life journey from Winston Preparatory School and beyond. To do this, we will contact you annually to respond to an online survey with questions to assess your life progress (with an approximately 30-minute online survey each year- if you participated as a student, the survey took approximately 20-25 minutes to complete the survey). As a Winston alum, you will receive a $50 gift card each year that you participate in our study. 

The Winston Preparatory School is invested in learning more about you and your journey. Your participation will help Winston better understand and address our students’ needs. Consequently, your participation is very important to us. 

This is a minimal risk study, which means the harms or discomforts that you may experience are not greater than you would ordinarily encounter in daily life while taking routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

If you would like to participate, please click here.

If you would like further information, please contact either Dr. Jonathan Cohen, Senior Advisor, at Winston Preparatory School’s Innovation Lab, or Dr. Amber DeBono, Director of Research at Winston Preparatory School’s Innovation Lab. 

Dr. Cohen’s Contact Information:
Email: jc273@tc.columbia.edu
Phone: 212-877-7328
 
Dr. DeBono’s Contact Information:
Email: adebono@winstonprep.edu
Phone: 917-336-4074

What is Lives Over Time?

In Phase One of this project, 36 participants who graduated from Winston Preparatory School between 2002 and 2008 participated in in-depth interviews. Qualitative analysis revealed that variables such as social support, mental health, seeking out help for academics and/or employment, optimism, and self-awareness were characteristics present in successful individuals. In Phase Two of this project, Winston Prep leaders worked to integrate the findings of this study into Winston Prep professional development, and directly link the factors that contributed to the success of graduates to the Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner. Phase Three of the Lives Over Time Study was completed in 2018 with the electronic distribution of a short-form survey to all Winston Prep graduates from 2000-2016 to assess their level of success and deepen findings from Phase One. Lives Over Time is currently in Phase Four where the focus is on the longitudinal components.
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Winston Preparatory School is a leading school for students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, executive functioning difficulties (ADHD), and non-verbal learning disorders (NVLD).

WPS does not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin. The Winston Preparatory School provides programs and services and equal opportunity in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, financial aid programs, employment, and the selection of its governing board without regard to gender, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, or any status recognized by federal, state and local civil rights and non-discrimination laws.