Killian Oaks Academy serves children of average to superior intelligence from the preschool years through high school. Our students possess unique learning styles and differences and individualization is vital to their success. We believe that all children can learn and succeed if they are given the opportunity to grow at their own pace in an environment of educational expertise and knowledgeable support. The formula for success is to build a child’s confidence and self-esteem through an array of the latest educational practices and strategies. The program respects the fact that children reach their goals through circuitous routes and that they achieve their successes in their own time. Each child will make more successful progress if he or she has been given the time to process the information they have received. At Killian Oaks we view children as curious and active learners. Whether gifted, exhibiting attention deficits, or possessing unique learning styles each child receives the individual attention necessary for success.

We are dedicated to

• Providing students with the learning and organizational skills to achieve success.
• Creating an atmosphere of support and acceptance.
• Developing confidence and a strong self-image in every child.
• Challenging children to achieve their true potential.
• Fostering leadership skills and responsibility.
• Developing strong personal values and knowledge of right and wrong.
• Building exemplary citizens.

All children can learn and succeed if they are given the opportunity to grow at their own pace in an environment of educational expertise and knowledgeable support. The formula for success is to build a child’s confidence and self-esteem through the implementation of the latest educational practices and strategies.

We respect the fact that children reach their goals through circuitous routes and that they achieve their successes in their own time. Each child will make more successful progress if he or she has been given the time to process the information they have received. We view children as curious and active learners. Whether gifted, exhibiting attention deficits, or possessing unique learning styles each child will receive the individual attention necessary for success.

Meeting the needs of our students impels us to address a variety of learning styles and individual differences. We accomplish this objective by carefully analyzing the academic, social, and artistic potentialities of each student through interviews, initial testing, and continuous observation and evaluation after enrollment. The comprehensive growth of every child demands enriching experiences in every area of development – intellectual, personal, emotional, cognitive and physical. We balance their successes in the classroom with different types of experiences in art, music, drama and physical education, areas that open up a wide array of further knowledge and growth. Seeing the world through the eyes of a musician, artist or athlete often has the effect of creating a new vision for the child.

Teaching in a Different Way
In addition to our strong emphasis upon individualization, our non-traditional approach in the lower grades maximizes the individual child’s experience by having the children change classes at the end of each instructional period. Through flexible scheduling the child is afforded an extremely low student/teacher ratio in areas of greatest need, and experiences larger classes in areas where group work is important. This allows for exposure to a variety of teaching styles, different educational settings and a variety of techniques that build confidence for the ultimate return to the regular classroom. Each class represents a new and different opportunity to experience success throughout the day. This policy is maintained uniformly from the lower elementary grades through the high school years.

Mastery Learning
Mastery learning, employed in all grades, requires the setting of appropriate and realistic individual goals for each learning unit. We then encourage students to master skills and content while learning at their own pace, frequently assess student progress, working directly with students to analyze results, and insure that the final objectives of the learning program are achieved. We do not expect students to learn at a uniform rate; rather, we carefully monitor student growth and work with individuals so that they learn each skill as it is presented.

Life Skills
Our belief in the necessity of social and emotional growth inspires our character-building program. Integrity, honesty, friendship, loyalty and caring for others are among the many life skills that are constantly being reinforced. Children want and seek praise, but past experiences often have been just the opposite. The program emphasizes those positive attributes that bring children personal satisfaction. Knowing that life is truly the end result of the many choices we make, we help children use critical thinking to make sound choices and give them the tools with which to solve their problems.

While the methodology at Killian Oaks is based on the latest educational concepts, the structure of the curriculum is essentially traditional. Pedagogically, we draw from the Core Knowledge Curriculum and the Sunshine State Standards for content. While in the early grades our major concentration is the development of skills, as the child progresses and matures increasing emphasis is put upon content and the traditional subjects.

Our educational method stresses individualized instruction and mastery. It is an eclectic approach in that all available resources are utilized; it is humanistic in that success is the goal. We attempt to change the disposition of children from “failure-avoidance” to one of “success-striving” thus producing a change both in attitude and in life style. We give careful attention to the child’s interaction with other children and his or her response to the environment, and these observations are then integrated into the total educational strategy for each child.

What We Try to Achieve…

In Reading
Reading is our first priority and serves as the focus and measure of the program. Student placement, class assignments, and initial educational prescription are all dependent to some degree upon a student’s reading proficiency. A typical reading class session allows students to achieve success every step of the way. Students participate in learning experiences through a program of controlled language and reinforcement that is interesting and specifically prescribed to meet their diagnosed reading needs. An important part of the reading program stresses the use of the library through a strong outside reading program. Reading is also closely integrated with language arts instruction to combine critical reading skills with practical applications. In this way achievement in reading progresses hand-in-hand with writing, literature and grammar skills.

In Language Arts
Language arts foster a child’s natural development of language and the tools of English. Here too the program for each child is individualized, yet a solid curricular framework guides the instructional program. In addition, the child is constantly reminded of the surrounding world, and the teacher draws upon other disciplines to formulate assignments and lessons. The curriculum stresses the acquisition of such skills as spelling, vocabulary, writing and personal expression, handwriting and the use of technology.

In Mathematics
Mathematics instruction instills a working knowledge of basic mathematical skills and produces confident problem-solving students who develop trust in themselves and their mathematical abilities. While individual goals are emphasized, the child is also measured against the acquisition of skills that are typical for his or her age and grade.

A wide variety of concrete materials are used to meet each child’s particular needs. Techniques employ direct instruction augmented by audio, visual and tactile stimulation. Fortifying the more traditional mathematical goals are workbooks, worksheets, textbooks, manipulative materials, group lessons and audiotapes. Our unique mathematics lab allows teachers to further individualize goals and to introduce computer skills.

In the Social Studies
Developing knowledge in history, geography, government, citizenship, economics and the other social sciences provides the child with an awareness of time and place. By focusing on people and their interactions the student begins to understand the world in which he or she lives. The program provides basic fundamentals at each level, but also promotes activities that develop an understanding and interest in the student’s own culture and community.

While the program is individualized, student-centered, well rounded and flexible, the class sizes are purposely larger than in reading and mathematics. Here an additional goal is to acclimate the student to a larger group and to develop his or her capability to perform successfully in the larger setting. Each child’s program is still based on individually diagnosed needs, but the instructional environment also depends upon cooperative and group activities.

In Science
Science instruction stresses group activities and cooperative work in order to provide hands-on scientific experiences. The curriculum is based on solid curriculum frameworks while focusing on the student’s natural curiosity and interests. Children are encouraged to investigate the world around them by bringing their questions and observations to the classroom.

Units and experiments that excite student interest augment a structured curriculum, and each child is encouraged to take each investigative procedure to his or her own level of interest. In addition to a well-equipped science classroom, the program employs many other instructional techniques that appeal to the visual, audio and tactile senses. We have also designed the program to excite children about their environment and the wondrous things they find within it.

While the methodology at Killian Oaks is based on the latest educational concepts, the structure of the curriculum is essentially traditional. Pedagogically, we draw from the Core Knowledge Curriculum and the Sunshine State Standards for content. While in the early grades our major concentration is the development of skills, as the child progresses and matures increasing emphasis is put upon content and the traditional subjects. Our educational method stresses individualized instruction and mastery. It is an eclectic approach in that all available resources are utilized; it is humanistic in that success is the goal. We attempt to change the disposition of children from “failure-avoidance” to one of “success-striving” thus producing a change both in attitude and in life style. We give careful attention to the child’s interaction with other children and his or her response to the environment, and these observations are then integrated into the total educational strategy for each child.

In addition to our strong emphasis upon individualization, our non-traditional approach in the lower grades maximizes the individual child’s experience by having the children change classes at the end of each instructional period. Through flexible scheduling the child is afforded an extremely low student/teacher ratio in areas of greatest need, and experiences larger classes in areas where group work is important. This allows for exposure to a variety of teaching styles, different educational settings and a variety of techniques that build confidence for the ultimate return to the regular classroom. Each class represents a new and different opportunity to experience success throughout the day. This policy is maintained uniformly from the lower elementary grades through the high school years.

Mastery learning, employed in all grades, requires the setting of appropriate and realistic individual goals for each learning unit. We then encourage students to master skills and content while learning at their own pace, frequently assess student progress, working directly with students to analyze results, and insure that the final objectives of the learning program are achieved. We do not expect students to learn at a uniform rate; rather, we carefully monitor student growth and work with individuals so that they learn each skill as it is presented.

Our belief in the necessity of social and emotional growth inspires our character-building program. Integrity, honesty, friendship, loyalty and caring for others are among the many life skills that are constantly being reinforced. Children want and seek praise, but past experiences often have been just the opposite. The program emphasizes those positive attributes that bring children personal satisfaction. Knowing that life is truly the end result of the many choices we make, we help children use critical thinking to make sound choices and give them the tools with which to solve their problems.

Effective communication among staff, parents, teachers and children is essential for helping a child to succeed. Knowing that all members of the child’s immediate world have a profound effect upon successful individualization, we employ a variety of methods to insure maximum communication efficiency. Formal reports are sent home six times a year. Three of these reports are in the form of comprehensive report cards that allow each teacher the opportunity not only inform the parent of progress, but also to formulate and articulate the strategies that will be employed in the next grading period. Midway in each 12-week marking period an interim report, also used for teacher planning, is sent to the parents detailing current student progress.

Parents who have specific concerns are encouraged to communicate with the director, whose office is always available to meet those needs. Killian Oaks is a friendly, warm community of learners, teachers and parents, and everyone is encouraged to voice opinions and questions at any time.

Teachers, therapists, office personnel and administrators are chosen for their sensitivity to the needs of our children and their expertise. All teachers receive intensive training in our beliefs and instructional strategies. The training begins in our summer planning sessions and continues during after school sessions throughout the year. We also encourage teachers and other staff members to attend educational conferences, meetings and to pursue additional coursework at area colleges and universities through our comprehensive staff development plan.