Academics

ELA instruction develops strong literacy skills through reading, writing, and discussion. Students build fluency, expand their vocabulary, and learn to express their ideas clearly across a range of genres and formats.

Students gain a solid foundation in numeracy, operations, and mathematical reasoning. The math program emphasizes critical thinking, real-world application, and problem-solving to prepare students for more advanced study.

Science instruction fosters inquiry, observation, and hands-on exploration of the natural world. Students investigate life, earth, and physical sciences through experiments, projects, and collaborative learning.

Social Studies helps students understand history, culture, geography, and civic responsibility. Lessons connect past and present while encouraging students to become active, informed members of their communities.

Every student participates in 40 minutes of daily PE to promote movement, fitness, and teamwork. Beginning in Grade 3, students also take part in an intramural or competitive sports block during the school day, with sports rotating every 4–6 wKs to encourage a wide range of skills and interests.

Through the Character Counts!® curriculum, students receive structured instruction in key character traits such as respect, responsibility, and fairness. Lessons help build a positive school culture and support students' personal growth.

Students participate in a variety of learning activities each day that individualize instruction for each subject area. Students receive whole class instruction, small group instruction, and individual instruction with teachers, technology and other curricular tools.

Our teachers meet the requirements set forth by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Bachelor’s degree, grade-level teaching license/certificate & ability to demonstrate subject area expertise. Our teachers are supported by trainers and participate in continuous, research-based professional development. Our teachers are accountable for student learning and rewarded for high quality performance.

Our students receive double the instruction in ELA and Math to provide a strong foundation for all learning. Beginning with full-day Kindergarten, our school also follows a longer school day and school year than many other schools.

The Blitz™ is an award-winning academic program created by Dr. Chad Carr. It was first implemented at Columbus Preparatory Academy (CPA), a public charter school that was failing academically by the 2006-07 school year. The Blitz™ took CPA from closure status to the #1 ranked public school in the state of Ohio within three years, a position it held while implementing The Blitz™ from 2010-2017. The Blitz™ competition takes place each spring during the eight weeks leading up to the Ohio State Test (OST). Students play Blitz™ review games and become familiar with the vocabulary and structure of state assessments. During fun and friendly competition, students participate in a series of academic pep rallies where they:

• Gain confidence in their ability to perform well on the test
• Showcase their creative talents during school-wide games
• Encourage one another to put forth their best effort academically & behaviorally
• Receive rewards for excellence, including a series of field trips based on their end-of-year Blitz™ rankings