Academic Programs

Our Student Population

At Ignite Achievement Academy, we work with students in kindergarten through grade twelve in our traditional program, and through age 21 in our life-skills/transition program. Most of our students have academic barriers that prevent them from succeeding in a regular education program..

Some students have learning barriers that interfere with their ability to read, write, speak, spell or calculate. Other students have barriers that interfere with their ability to control their attention or emotions. Many of our students experience not one barrier, but several. This compounded difficulty makes them vulnerable in regular education environments.

Our average enrollment is approximately 140 students. Each classroom consists of approximately 5-8 students, a teacher, and a teacher assistant (for just a portion of the day, or the full day, depending on the program), who work individually or with small groups of students in the classroom.  

After 12th grade graduation, our students continue their education at four-year universities, attend community colleges, or complete specialized training to enter the workforce. Other students might choose to continue schooling at Ignite Achievement Academy as part of the FLAME life-skills/transition program through the age of 21.

Assessments and Results

Informal and Formal Curriculum-Based Assessments

Throughout the school year, students participate in ongoing informal, curriculum-based assessments that help determine their level of understanding and skill development within the curriculum. For example, students working on word recognition, reading fluency, or spelling complete brief assessments at the end of each lesson. These assessments indicate whether the student has achieved fluency, or mastery, of the targeted skills.

When a student demonstrates mastery, they progress to the next lesson. If mastery is not yet achieved, the teacher analyzes performance, identifies specific areas of need, and provides targeted practice and support. Students continue working on those skills until they are able to demonstrate consistent understanding and fluency.

In addition to lesson-based assessments, students complete curriculum-based quizzes and tests at the end of units or instructional sections. These assessments provide a broader measure of comprehension, allowing teachers to evaluate how well students are applying and retaining skills across a larger body of content. This layered approach ensures both immediate skill mastery and long-term understanding.

Formal Standardized Assessments

Students also participate in formal growth and achievement assessments administered at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year using the Renaissance Star360 Assessment. This assessment allows us to measure each student’s progress over time, focusing on individual growth rather than comparison to peers.

This approach provides a clear and meaningful picture of student development while also fulfilling North Carolina state requirements for students receiving scholarship funding.

Mastery criteria are established by the school and may be individualized based on each student’s unique learning profile, ensuring that expectations remain both appropriate and attainable.

Our Key Elements of Success

Our Approach to Student Success

Over the years, we have studied, developed, and refined a wide range of instructional strategies to support students with diverse learning needs. Our approach is grounded in decades of educational research and continuously adapted to meet the needs of the students we serve.

At Ignite Achievement Academy, we intentionally design both the instructional experience and the school environment to support student growth, confidence, and long-term success. Through small class sizes, individualized support, and consistent access to caring staff, students are supported not only academically, but also in developing the confidence to engage in learning and persevere through challenges.

The Ignite Academic Process

To ensure each student receives the right instruction, in the right environment, and at the appropriate level of intensity, we follow a structured academic process.

This process includes ongoing data collection, progress monitoring, and regular collaboration among teachers, administrators, and families. By closely tracking each student’s response to instruction, we are able to quickly identify what is working, what is not, and make timely adjustments to support continued growth.

This level of intentional monitoring and responsiveness is a key factor in student success at Ignite Achievement Academy.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is intentionally designed to meet the needs of students with learning differences and academic barriers. It is grounded in research-based instructional practices and incorporates multiple modalities to engage students in meaningful and effective ways.

Students are placed at their current level of skill and understanding, ensuring there are no gaps in foundational knowledge. Instruction focuses on building strong core skills, with new concepts introduced only after students demonstrate mastery of prerequisite skills.

The curriculum emphasizes:

• Structured, explicit instruction

• Frequent, targeted practice

• Multi-sensory learning approaches

• High levels of student engagement and interaction

Teachers use ongoing data to monitor progress and tailor instruction to each student’s needs. This ensures that learning is both appropriately challenging and achievable, allowing students to build confidence while making steady, measurable progress.

The Academic Process

The Ignite Academic Process

At Ignite Achievement Academy, we use a structured, research-based academic process to deliver highly individualized instruction for students with learning barriers. This process is grounded in a simple belief: with the right instruction, environment, and level of intensity, all students can make meaningful progress.

Our approach is both data-driven and responsive. If a student is not progressing as expected, we identify the cause and adjust the plan—ensuring instruction is always aligned to the student’s needs.

How the Process Works

Our academic process follows a continuous cycle:

1. Identify Current Skill Levels
   Students are assessed to determine what they know, where gaps exist, and where instruction should begin.

2. Understand Learning Barriers
   We identify the factors that may be impacting progress so instruction can be tailored effectively.

3. Deliver Individualized Instruction
   Each student receives a customized plan that includes:

   • Targeted learning objectives

   • Research-based curriculum and teaching strategies

   • The appropriate level of intensity and practice

   • Accommodations to support learning

4. Monitor Progress and Adjust
   Teachers continuously track progress using data and adjust instruction as needed to ensure consistent growth.

Why It Works

This process allows our teachers to focus on what matters most: helping each student build skills efficiently and confidently. By combining clear data, individualized planning, and intentional instruction, students experience steady progress and increased success over time.

Families are kept informed through regular communication, including progress reports and ongoing collaboration with our team.