The program is designed to help students improve academic competence, graduate from high school, develop employability skills, implement a career plan and participate in a career pathway in preparation for postsecondary education and/or careers.
The Success Academy provides a combination of educational and shadowing opportunities for student success. The Success Academy model is a single period of Career Based Intervention followed by a period of English, Math, and History.
The following key principles are based on seven of 10 High Schools That Work research-based key practices linked to student achievement and the integration of academic and career- technical skills and are intended to guide the Success Academy design and delivery to best meet student needs.
The seven key principles used as a guide for program designs are:
Higher Expectations - Partnering with administrators, teachers, counselors, parents and community to support a belief system that all learners will achieve academic success, establish a career pathway and become contributing members of society.
Common Curriculum - Engaging learners in the common curriculum of the school that provides opportunities for graduation and links with school district and state curriculum and performance expectations.
Authentic Learning - Providing appropriate and effective instruction by meeting student needs through active learner engagement and relating subject matter to life and work.
Supportive Structures- Achieving optimum conditions for learning through a student-teacher ratio that promotes effective interaction and instruction, physical location to develop psychological and social identity and instructional resources and technology to meet individual learner needs.
Sense of Belonging - Providing activities and a classroom/community environment that lead to increased positive social interaction, citizenship practices and leadership development.
Continuous Improvement - Monitoring and improving classroom achievement by using student assessment and program data in relation to the district's continuous improvement plan.
Student Identification - In partnership with administrators, counselors, teachers and parents, selecting students who have barriers to career and academic success.