Paladin Academy
Encyclopedia
Paladin Academy is an elementary, middle and high school located in Pembroke Pines
, Florida
. The program caters to students who require smaller class sizes, a more structured environment and if needed, a slower academic pace. This includes individuals diagnosed with attention deficits
, dyslexia
or other undiagnosed challenges. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
, the program is a participant in the State of Florida McKay Scholarship program for students with learning challenges.
in South Florida
. The school started as an institution providing a clinical approach to students who suffered from numerous learning differences, helping them to overcome their challenges and gain the tools necessary to become successful academically. In 1998, Nobel Learning Communities, Inc. purchased the program and renamed it Paladin Academy. The school offers a full college-bound high school program. It was originally accredited under the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA SACS)
in 2004. With CITA's merger into AdvancED
, the accreditation was revised to be under the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS CASI)
. In 2008, the school announced that it would be relocating to a facility in western Broward County
, near the border of the City of Sunrise
and the City of Weston
. This move was completed in August of that same year.
In 2011, Paladin Academy started a phased move to a new 4.5 acre campus located in the City of Pembroke Pines
. Featuring a regular soccer field, swimming facilities, two technology labs, a science lab, library indoor cafeteria and other numerous upgrades; lower grades of the school started the 2011-2012 academic year at the new location. The high school program, still operated out of the Weston Campus, was scheduled to complete the move in December 2011.
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Pembroke Pines is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city had a population of 154,750 at the 2010 census, making it the second most populous city in Broward County, the tenth most populous in Florida, and the 150th most populous in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The program caters to students who require smaller class sizes, a more structured environment and if needed, a slower academic pace. This includes individuals diagnosed with attention deficits
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
, dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
or other undiagnosed challenges. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
, the program is a participant in the State of Florida McKay Scholarship program for students with learning challenges.
History
Founded in 1978, Dr. Deborah Levy opened the Developmental Resource Center (DRC) in the City of HollywoodHollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
in South Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The school started as an institution providing a clinical approach to students who suffered from numerous learning differences, helping them to overcome their challenges and gain the tools necessary to become successful academically. In 1998, Nobel Learning Communities, Inc. purchased the program and renamed it Paladin Academy. The school offers a full college-bound high school program. It was originally accredited under the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA SACS)
Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation
The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation was an international educational accreditation agency.CITA was formed in 1994 by regional accrediting organizations in the United States following a long history of collaboration under other auspices...
in 2004. With CITA's merger into AdvancED
AdvancED
AdvancED is a private organization that accredits primary and secondary schools throughout the United States. The organization is based in Georgia. AdvanceED was formed in 2006 by the consolidation of the pre-college divisions of two of the U.S...
, the accreditation was revised to be under the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS CASI)
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
. In 2008, the school announced that it would be relocating to a facility in western Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
, near the border of the City of Sunrise
Sunrise, Florida
-Overview:Sunrise is a city in southwestern Broward County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated in 1961 by Norman Johnson – a developer whose World Famous Upside-Down House attracted buyers to what was then a remote area...
and the City of Weston
Weston, Florida
Weston is a suburb of South Florida located in Broward County, Florida, USA. Established as a city in 1996, much of the community was developed by Arvida/JMB Realty and is located near the western developmental boundary of Broward County. It is the most western city in Broward County, and its...
. This move was completed in August of that same year.
In 2011, Paladin Academy started a phased move to a new 4.5 acre campus located in the City of Pembroke Pines
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Pembroke Pines is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city had a population of 154,750 at the 2010 census, making it the second most populous city in Broward County, the tenth most populous in Florida, and the 150th most populous in the United States...
. Featuring a regular soccer field, swimming facilities, two technology labs, a science lab, library indoor cafeteria and other numerous upgrades; lower grades of the school started the 2011-2012 academic year at the new location. The high school program, still operated out of the Weston Campus, was scheduled to complete the move in December 2011.
Curriculum
Paladin Academy utilizes an individualized educational model commonly referred to as the Paladin program. Since the transfer of ownership in 1998, the methodologies and techniques used in helping students to overcome their learning challenges have also implemented at other Nobel Learning Communities, Inc. schools throughout the United States. Since 2005, the original Paladin Academy school is the only site to integrate the Paladin program with a college-bound regular high school diploma component. The Paladin program uses multi-sensory strategies and specifically chosen support materials to teach, remediate, and facilitate students' individual learning. These strategies are designed to help children with learning challenges "learn how to learn." Included in these strategies are resources and techniques for improving the processing, reading, spelling, math, and language abilities of the students. In addition, the school holds a goal of helping students add study skills and organizational techniques to their arsenal of learning strategies.Sister Schools
Two sister schools were opened under the name of Developmental Resource Center in the mid 1990s. Following the purchase of the school program in 1998 by Nobel Learning Communities, Inc., several additional campuses were put into operation. By 2006, these sister sites had been consolidated. These schools included:- Paladin Academy of Boca Raton, FloridaBoca Raton, FloridaBoca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
- Paladin Academy of Delray Beach, FloridaDelray Beach, FloridaDelray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
- Paladin Academy of Lynnwood, WashingtonLynnwood, WashingtonLynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,836 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest in Snohomish County and twenty-ninth largest in Washington State. The city is a mix of urban, suburban, small city, crossroads and bedroom community to many...
- Paladin Academy of Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...