Academics
Lawton Academy’s curriculum is based upon the following sources: the “School Steps: An American School Curriculum”; and the College Board’s “Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need to Know and Be Able to Do”; the Oklahoma competency standards (PASS, as a bare minimum).
Elementary students work at the level at which they are able, even if it is not the class to which their ages assign them.
Lawton Academy was developed as a school for the gifted and talented. Because we take students as young as four years of age, and these students are not traditionally tested for giftedness, we do not require a “gifted” test for admission. The needs of all hard working, self-driven students will be met at this school. We do have certain “benchmarks” that must be attained for continuing education into the middle school and the high school, however.
Candidates for middle school and high school must demonstrate self-motivation and self-discipline in their work ethic to gain admittance. Candidates for middle school must have a 2.5 GPA upon leaving elementary school to gain admittance. Candidates for high school must be maintaining a GPA of 2.5 to attend the high school. This is for the success of the student. Our high school curriculum is set at a high difficulty level and a very fast pace, and we want to ensure student success.
The secondary academic program leads students to an Oklahoma High School Diploma of Distinction. This requires that high school students complete four of each English credits, math, science, and social science. In addition, our high school students are required to have three units of the same foreign language and a writing/competitive speech class each year, and they are required to pass the state-mandated US Citizenship test. Senior must take the Senior Capstone Course: Business Communications and the Financial Math course.
All secondary students attend six core classes and two elective classes per week, and they have extra learning opportunities on Fridays. Middle school schedules are fixed, with choices only within the electives. High school AP courses are offered in English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Physics, American History, Calculus, and Computer Science thus far.
The area vocational schools and college concurrent enrollment programs are available to our students. Many of our current students have interests in Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. Applicants from our school have a 92% acceptance rate thus far.
The staff at Lawton Academy is trained to teach gifted classes, and most of the faculty are themselves “gifted.” While “gifted and talented” is placed in the realm of “special education” in many states, this is the only form of special education we offer. We simply are not equipped to meet the needs of other types of special needs students. The public schools have teachers and facilities better able to serve in these areas.
Grading/GPA Calculation/Ranking
Lawton Academy uses the traditional ten-point scale (90 – 100 A, 80 – 89 B, etc) and a non-weighted GPA. Beginning with grade 9, all subjects, whether passed or failed are included in the computation of the cumulative GPA. A minimum of 24 credits is required for graduation, as well as 60 volunteer hours for those in the honor society (currently 59% of our secondary student body). Students are ranked according to their cumulative GPA.