This document provides tips for effective operation and success of a freshman academy. It discusses benefits such as improved collaboration, classroom management, communication, and student performance. It recommends obtaining student data prior to the start of school, creating a spreadsheet, and addressing any academic or behavioral concerns. It also suggests logging student concerns at daily meetings, implementing tiered interventions, and providing positive behavior incentives.

1. Freshman
Academy Tips
Effective Methods for Operation &
Success
By: M. Boullion

2. Benefits of an Academy
• Collaboration and cooperation of faculty
• Improves classroom management and
understanding of individual student needs
• Quality communication with students,
parents, guardians
• Attendance and tardy issues addressed
• Increased student engagement
and performance
• Increased cohort graduation
rates

3. Student Data
• Obtain test scores, grades, and attendance information
prior to the start of school
• Create a spreadsheet on the students with data
• Meet or communicate with counselors or teachers to
address any potential academic, social, medical, or
behavioral concerns
• Teachers review the spreadsheet and become familiar
of the needs of the incoming class before the year
begins

4. Academy
Meetings
• Daily student concerns logged by teachers onto a shared
meeting planner document
• Weekly or bi-weekly faculty meetings to address concerns
using meeting planner
• Concerns addressed and students with multiple concerns are
called in and their situations are addressed immediately and
collaboratively
• Parents/guardians can be contacted via phone conference if
necessary
• Meeting logs kept for reference

5. Standardized Tiered
Interventions
• Developed based upon needs & resources
o Examples:
 Level 1 Interventions
• classroom redirect
• teacher/student conference
• lunch detention
 Level 2 Interventions
• parent/guardian contact
• office referral
• after school detention
 Level 3 Interventions
• suspension
• counselor conference
• administrative review

6. Student
Incentives
• Positive behavior and performance system to provide
non-grade based incentives
• Students with no unexcused absences, tardies,
missing assignments, behavioral or academic issues
included
• Incentives can be class-wide or classroom based upon
faculty input and needs
o Examples:
 free dress day, extended lunch period, hat/accessory day,
homework pass, music in class pass, ability to eat/drink in
class pass

7. Citations
Pure Imagination (Producer). (2012). Students Gathered Around iPad Excitedly Working. [Image]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Pure Imagination (Producer). (2012). Students in Hallway Between Classes. [Image]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Pure Imagination (Producer). (2012). Wide Shot of Children Working in Class. [Image]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Pure Imagination (Producer). (2012). Wide Shot of Students Raising Their Hands in Class. [Image]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Pure Imagination (Producer). (2012). Wide Shot of Teachers Talking at Meeting. [Image]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/