Each child begins Star Academy with an in-depth educational assessment leading to the development of a highly individualized education plan.

There are four multiage classrooms--elementary, intermediate, junior and senior classes-with a teacher-student ratio of 1:4. These classrooms provide remediation, a complete curriculum, and the arts. Interwoven into the curriculum of reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, computers, science, geography, history and social studies, is a broad spectrum of methodologies available on site to all students and implemented on the basis of individual readiness and need. Specialist instruction is provided in 1-1 or small group sessions by a team of 14 part-time specialists.

Services include speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. A broad range of educational methodologies includes multi-sensory Slingerland lessons, Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPs® )Program, Seeing Stars® , Visualizing and Verbalizing® or comprehension and memory, Feldenkrais work, the arts, yoga, social skills development, activity groups and pre-vocational skills preparation.

A special feature of the program is the daily opportunity for remediation and enhancement of the sensory and neuromuscular systems necessary for the complex process of learning.

Specialists and teachers communicate regularly regarding the progress of each student and collaborate in the fine-tuning of each student’s program

Working with students for an eleven month school year, this intensive team approach is unique in scope and depth. Usually a child in a special program has limited therapies available to him. Beyond that, it is left up to the parents, if they are able, to piece together a program of needed therapies at the end of the school day when the child is tired. There is very little, if any coordination of communication among these specialists. Typically, the parents themselves, not professionals, must try to oversee this extra-curricular program. At Star Academy, these elements are an integral part of the program and are professionally administered.

The individualized nature of Star’s program is paramount as many of these students have failed repeatedly in both public and private settings where their complex learning needs were not adequately diagnosed or addressed. The complexity of both the assessment and the remediation is often increased by the overlay of fine and gross motor deficits, social and emotional immaturities as well as the legacy of previous failures.

Experiencing daily success is central to the philosophy of Star Academy.

Family work is an integral part of the program as the impact on the family of the child with multiple needs is strongly felt. A range of services is available and adapted to the lifestyle and preferences of each family.