City of Fort Myers STARS Complex The Academy “The Academy” is where we teach the habit of excellence and how to use the power such excellence provides. Why? About The Academy: Schedule: Students above grade level in 12 weeks 100% In addition to the award winning online curriculum, “The Academy” focuses on addressing students perception of self and teaching how to dismiss the low expectations applied to them, the dismissive attitudes of previous well-intentioned educators and the pervasive negative influences directed to low-income, people of color in America. Up To 57% Of 6-8 th Grade Free Lunch Students Failing Math Or Reading 50% Drop Out Rate For Free Lunch Students We as a community can solve this problem All children deserve the power of quality education City of Fort Myers STARS Complex Contact Us: Spring Semester: o Start: 3/28/2016 End: 6/6/2016 Summer Semester: o Start: 6/13//2016 End: 8/8/2016 Fall Semester: o Start: 8/22/2016 End: 11/7/2016

The Academy City of Fort Myers STARS Complex The Academy Frequently Asked Questions: Q: How does The Academy Differ from a tutorial program? A: There are lots of tutorial programs in the marketplace, some of which provide adequate educational benefits for their clients. The Academy addresses the reasons why a specific demographic of students does not achieve at a higher level, nationwide. We strive to provide our students with the tools that will enable them to achieve academic excellence for the rest of their lives and to do so as a matter of habit. Q: What specifically does your program offer not found elsewhere? A: In their book “Despite the Best intentions’ Amanda Lewis and John Diamond describe a 5 year study they conducted to identify why black and Latino children consistently achieved at a lower level than their white counterparts. In short, they found that the day to day school practices create dramatically different school experiences for the different identity groups. Armed with this knowledge, we create an environment that introduces our students to systems and processes that excite, motivate and inspires them to exceed their expectations and to see themselves achieving at the highest level. We help them believe they can, show them how, prove they did, then help them to recognize their newly acquired power and how to keep it and grow it. Q: How do you measure achievement and growth? A: We measure in several areas. We use an assessment test based on the Texas guidelines which are more rigorous than in Florida. The pre-assessment gives us a clear understanding of the students understanding of the subject matter from which we create an individualized curriculum and set specific goals for each child. The online curriculum enables us to measure practice levels and comprehension on a daily basis allowing teachers to quickly address any issues while in class. At the end of the session, we do a post assessment which in combination with the online data provides us with a clear understanding of the level of growth over the course of the 10 week program. We also watch the growth in the personal power of each student throughout the session. Do they want more, do they hold their head higher, do they introduce new ideas, are they proud of their personal weekly achievements, do they believe they can be better today than they were yesterday? Once they believe they can and must achieve at their highest level they will do well for years to come. Q: How often are classes held? A: Once per week. We encourage our students and parents to use the online tools daily to achieve the fastest rate of growth. Q: How Do I enroll my Child? A: Applications are available at the STARS Complex in Ft. Myers or online at… Space is limited and we are selecting 6 th -8 th grade students who are just at or below grade level in Math or reading.