Our Program

We operate with our students on a contractual basis. Admission to the Achievement Academy is based on a student’s commitment to the hard work of getting an education. It is not based on a student’s reading level, ability to pay, or subject area competency.

For students who uphold their contractual responsibilities, the Achievement Academy will support them through their GEDs and postsecondary education, no matter how long it takes.

Our average student starts the program at a 7th grade reading level and requires 250-300 direct instructional hours and daily homework to reach competency in the five subject areas of the GED. In addition to GED instruction and daily homework, an
additional 100 to 150 direct contact hours are needed to meet all requirements and qualifications for the Achievement Academy graduation from secondary education in preparation for postsecondary.

By the time they graduate from the program, students have a high school equivalency diploma, computer skills, marketable job skills at the sustainable wage level, leadership skills, excellent work habits, interpersonal skills, close friends (both peers and adults), and a support system. Achievement Academy graduates have strong self-esteem and self-knowledge.

Our Academic Program

  1. Fast-Forward Reading – If the student arrives with a low reading level (below 9th grade), s/he works solely on improving that reading ability to a 10th grade level before formally beginning GED study.
  2. GED – Our students study to pass the five subject area tests of the GED (literature, writing, science, social studies and math) and earn NC’s High School Equivalency Diploma. In addition to the GED, our graduates complete a course in keyboarding and word processing, explore career options, and secure funding for higher education.
  3. Post-Secondary – We support post secondary education in several areas of study. Students continue to receive academic, emotional and (when necessary) financial support through their post-secondary education. Read More.

Quella's Success Story

I am 17. When I was younger, my father slapped me around most of the time and my mother didn’t have time for me. One night when my father came home drunk, he beat me very badly. That was the first time life that I ever fought back, but it didn’t help me at all. That was the beginning of me rebelling against my father. By the time I was 13, my parents divorced. My mother started dating and seeing new people. I struggled with my mother because she put her ‘relationships’ before my sister and me. At 14 years old I was going through hell. I started having thoughts about killing myself and hurting the people around me. My life was defined by problems at school and problems at home. At 15 I was getting in fights and hanging out with the wrong crowd in school. I eventually got into a fight that resulted in my getting expelled from school for the rest of the year. At the age of 16 I had to start ninth grade all over again. That was very depressing and hard for me to face.

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