What We Do

What We Do at
Center Academy

Classrooms

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The structure of the classroom is a critical component of education. Center Academy’s unique classroom design allows for both group instruction and quiet, individualized study. Our classroom design and management have been refined over the course of four decades. With our small class size and extensive curriculum, we provide all students with a friendly, safe learning environment. Center Academy has specific and deliberate classroom expectations that ensure order, consistency, and motivation throughout the day.

Our typical student-teacher ratio is 10:1. Our classrooms have a qualified teacher and a teaching assistant. This class size is optimal to allow individualized attention to students’ needs and still allow for quality interaction among students. We believe one should not limit a child’s potential for growth. We approach each student with the confident attitude that he or she will grow and prosper in our program.

High Impact Learning

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The prescriptive learning program at Center Academy was initially developed by our team of psychologists, neuropsychologists, remedial clinicians, and educators. We were one of a very select group of United States schools to receive a $325,000 NIMH grant from the federal government to develop and measure our prescriptive learning program, which has evolved to meet the needs of our students.

Based on our assessment of each student, we develop an individualized program that incorporates appropriate academic levels and prescriptive strategies which recognize processing strengths and weaknesses. Students may receive accommodations or work on remedial materials to address attention, thinking skills, memory skills, or other processing avenues.

Students with more significant processing deficits or dyslexia may use programs such as Learning Ally (audio books to help students dealing with dyslexia), Achieve 3000 (comprehensive suite using personalized and differentiated solutions), MobyMax (helps struggling learners close learning gaps), Wordly Wise (reading intervention and vocabulary instruction), and IXL (Comprehensive Adaptive Math Program).

In addition to the individualized system that addresses learning styles, our course offerings include subjects aligned with the Florida Sunshine Standards. Our approach to education is to focus on essential academic skills and to help students to “learn to learn.”

Our students can take advantage of “dual enrollment”, earning college credits while still at Center Academy and preparing them to attend four-year colleges and universities where graduates can take advantage of Bright Futures scholarships. We offer college preparatory courses in mathematics and science. Some of our campuses offer such courses as Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Marine Science, Ecology/Environmental Technology, Physics, and Anatomy and Physiology.

Homework Policy

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As we have discovered and research has confirmed, not all homework is created equal. Homework can create great stress for families and negatively impact home life and student motivation. We have found that excessive homework does not help students and may be harmful. Center Academy students learn to master their work efficiently and confidently at school, when their minds are fresh and there are teachers to help them. Homework is assigned on an individualized basis as needed to help students progress and meet learning and emotional goals.