Academics

Students build strong literacy skills through structured reading and writing instruction. Early grades emphasize phonics, vocabulary, and fluency, while older students focus on comprehension, grammar, and written expression. Lessons are designed to help students access increasingly complex texts and express their ideas clearly and confidently.

Instruction blends foundational math fluency with real-world application. Students begin with number sense and basic operations, then build toward algebraic thinking and problem-solving. The Blitz™ model allows teachers to adjust instruction based on regular assessment data, ensuring students stay on track.

Students explore scientific concepts through hands-on investigations and guided inquiry. Lessons cover life, Earth, and physical sciences and emphasize curiosity, observation, and analysis. Science instruction supports critical thinking and reinforces connections between classroom learning and the natural world.

Through lessons in history, geography, government, and community, students gain a clearer understanding of the world around them. Instruction encourages students to ask questions, consider different perspectives, and reflect on how individuals and systems shape our society.

Daily PE promotes movement, discipline, and teamwork. Students participate in structured physical activities that help them develop coordination, build healthy habits, and strengthen their ability to focus and persevere—both in the classroom and beyond.

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.

Student knowledge of academic standards is assessed formally and informally in short cycles by each teacher. Our teachers adjust class-level and individual instruction based on data-driven student performance in these frequent intervals.

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:

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