THE ACADEMIC LINK, INC.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

Skyy is a dedicated coder! Skyy has been attending The Academic Link since she was in Kindergarten! She excels in every area of academics, and her Computer Coding class, using the Tynker program, is no exception! Take a look at her newest creation! Skyy's... Mission and Vision Statement Our Mission is Our Commitment! Our Vision is Their Character! Our Hope is God’s Promise! Our mission is to teach our students how to learn, to take intellectual risks, to understand the value of mistakes, and to become students of perseverance. We are committed to developing a strong bond of trust and respect between the teachers and the students that supports the student’s growth intellectually, morally, spiritually, and academically. We embrace the philosophy of learning to learn, thereby equipping each student to take intellectual risks, to understand the value of mistakes, and to become students with perseverance inevitably leading to success in the classroom and in life. The Academic Link’s vision is driven by our students. We believe each student learns best in small structured, collaborative classes with intuitive and knowledgeable teachers skilled in mediated learning. We envision a classroom where learning is cultivated by problem solving, engagement with teachers is rewarding and collaborative, and each student achieves success. Is The Academic Link a school? The Academic Link is a small private Christian school. We are also serve home school students in a variety of ways. Parents are able to choose between home school or private school for their students. A. According to Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America, a study conducted by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, demonstrated that homeschoolers, on the average, out-performed their counterparts in the public schools by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects. A significant finding, when analyzing the data for 8th graders, was the evidence that homeschoolers who are homeschooled two or more years score substantially higher than students who have been homeschooled one year or less. The new homeschoolers were scoring on the average in the 59th percentile compared to students homeschooled the last two or more years who scored between 86th and 92nd percentile.This was confirmed in another study by Dr. Lawrence Rudner of 20,760 homeschooled students which found the homeschoolers who have homeschooled all their school aged years had the highest academic achievement. This was especially apparent in the higher grades. This is a good encouragement to families to catch the long-range vision and homeschool through high school. According to the National Center for Education Statistics for the Department of Education, parents were asked which one of the applicable reasons they considered to be their most important reason for homeschooling—31 percent of homeschooled children had parents who cited concern about the environment of other schools, such as safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure, as the most important reason for homeschooling and 30 percent had parents who said the most important reason was to provide religious or moral instruction (table 4). While these were the two most common responses, another 16 percent of homeschooled students had parents who said dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools was their most important reason for homeschooling. How does The Academic Link define Individualized Education? The Academic Link defines Individualized Education as the process of providing instruction and curriculum specifically designed and crafted with the individual student in mind so as to meet and appropriately challenge the student’s academic abilities. Further, The Academic Link identifies Individualized Education as the practice of instructing the student as distinct from other students and deserving of one-on-one attention on a daily basis to build on strengths and address weaknesses. All work assigned is graded and reviewed for mastery. Further, work is often graded with the student present so that corrections or reteaching can occur right away. Students are enthusiastic about finding out their grade on an assignment right away. They are much more receptive to making corrections right after they have completed the assignment. Report cards are issued each quarter. Progress reports are issued midway through each quarter. Quarterly meetings are required between the Executive Director and a student’s parents. Each student brings home a weekly folder with his or her work. Teachers are available everyday before or after school. Teachers reach out to parents to keep them informed of concerns and successes. The school can forward grade records at anytime as requested. Additionally, the Academic Link utilizes a math program that will provide parents with specific skills information; two reading programs that also provide valuable information about skills and abilities; and other valuable online resources that provide skill based information. Each student is evaluated for skills in reading, writing, and math. Based on the results of these tests, we partner with the student’s parents to choose a curriculum best suited for their elementary, middle school or high school student. Previous testing such as standardized tests and/or professional testing are part of the planning process for individualized instruction. Modifications and accommodations are put in place as needed. Parents work with the Executive Director to determine courses that benefit their child. For example, it may be appropriate for a student to take two math classes and eliminate a history class or a study hall to make greater gains in math. Finally, teachers are committed to observing each student and making recommendations that support each student. Skyy is a dedicated coder! Skyy has been attending The Academic Link since she was in Kindergarten! She excels in every area of academics, and her Computer Coding class, using the Tynker program, is no exception! Take a look at her newest creation! Skyy's...