Why Us
We saw an opportunity with Acceleration Academies to show that all kids matter. We’ve been relentless. We don’t quit on kids. If there is no coordinated effort to recapture kids, then we’re failing them twice.
Dr. Jon Prince
St. Lucie Public Schools Superintendent
The Acceleration Academy difference
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We deploy tested recruitment strategies to engage at-risk and out-of-cohort students from a district’s ‘Did Not Enroll’ list:
- door-to-door visits
- social service outreach
- community awareness campaigns
- phone follow-ups
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Our year-round, open-enrollment approach gives out-of-cohort students their best chance of regaining credits and earning their high school diploma.
- research-based Edmentum learning technology
- aligned with state and district graduation requirements
- extended hours and increased learning, tutoring, and remediation time
- one course-at-a-time focus
- less "summer slide" or learning loss
- improved retention and persistence
- flexibility to meet their in-building hours while meeting work/family commitments
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Every Graduation Candidate receives 1:1 case management and wrap-around support:
- mental health counseling from Licensed Social Worker Counselors
- academic advising and support from Content Coaches
- life and career coaching from Licenced Guidance Counselors
- housing and food insecurity monitoring
- laptop and headset resources
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We commit to each Graduation Candidate and district partner and maintain strict accountability:
- daily academic progress tracking
- student accountability check-in and tracking — smartphone-enabled
- weekly staff/advisor meetings to review student progress
- minimum 24-hour student learning pledge
- Graduation persistence index factors non-academic obstacles
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Graduation Candidates find new motivation after discovering strengths and interests:
- dedicated life/career coaches
- Naviance planning tool
- apprenticeships, job training, and co-ops
- internships, college, and career opportunities
St. Lucie Partnership Results
St. Lucie County and Acceleration Academies: Better Together
Our partnership focused on these five priorities. We worked together to improve student attendance, academic progress, and ultimately the graduation rate.
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Identify and support at-risk students early.
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Staff schools with graduation coaches.
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Refine and expand the in-house alternatives.
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Partner with Acceleration Academies to re-engage older, out-of-cohort students.
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Expand Acceleration Academies’ role to include in-cohort students.
Download The Full Case Study
Discover how St. Lucie Public Schools transformed their graduation rates from 65% to 94% by implementing a multi-tiered support system, including early identification of at-risk students and dedicated graduation coaches. Download the full case study to learn more about their innovative approach and the impact on students' success and the broader community.
Cognia Accreditation
Read our full Cognia Accreditation Report to learn why Acceleration Academies earned a rating 25 percent higher than the average for the more than 36,000 schools endorsed by Cognia, the world’s largest accreditation body.