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 Lexia’s PowerUp or Core5 (personalized and adaptive reading programs based on Science of Reading principles), Learning Ally (audio books to help students dealing with dyslexia), IEW (a scaffolded approach to teaching the art of writing essays) and a specified math remediation program.  

In addition to the individualized system that addresses learning styles, our high school course offerings align with Florida’s graduation requirements leading to a standard diploma.  Our approach to education is to focus on essential academic skills that will allow students to be successful in the workplace, college, and everyday life.  Students that are advanced in particular subjects may take advantage of dual enrollment at local colleges, which enables students to simultaneously earn high school and college credits. 

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.

Accommodations

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Center Academy’s unique classroom design and individualized approach to learning allow for student accommodations to be implemented throughout the school day. Many accommodations are built into the program for all students, including reduced distractions, small-group instruction, organizational assistance, minimal homework, minimized changing of classes, clear routines and structure, and close supervision of activities. Further individualized accommodations are provided as needed, such as brief tasks, extended time, cueing on-task behavior, checking for understanding, frequent progress monitoring, alternative assignments and differentiated curriculum.

While Center Academy’s program provides school-wide and individualized accommodations and remedial interventions, Florida State Statute requires that schools inform parents that a parentally placed private school student with a disability does not have an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services that the student would receive if enrolled in a public school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended.