Agenda Item
c. Presentation on Acceleration Academies ~ Added 6.15.2026
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Sean Tartt, Acting Chief Academic Officer, Division of Teaching & Learning
DeKalb County School District
Acceleration Academies
Program Overview for the Board of Education
Board of Education Presentation
Division of Teaching and Learning
June 15, 2026
Agenda
01 Program Overview
What Acceleration Academies is and how it works
02 Unique Program Components
Flexible schedule, operations, and target population
03 Recruitment & Enrollment
How students are identified and brought into the program
04 Data & Outcomes
Performance metrics, attendance, and graduation data
05
Celebrations & Successes
Student stories and milestones achieved
06
Board Questions
Impact, efficacy, and in-district implementation
2
Program Overview
Who is Acceleration Academies? 13+
Acceleration Academies is a national dropout re-engagement Years of Service
partner that works with public school districts to bring back
students who have fallen behind or left school before
graduating.
24
District Partners
Through flexible, personalized learning plans, blended
instruction (in-person and virtual), career and college
readiness pathways, and intensive wraparound supports, 7,000
students earn a standard high school diploma. Students Served
DeKalb County School District has partnered with
Acceleration Academies to serve overage, under-credited, >50%
and disengaged students who need a different pathway to
graduate. Achieve Success
3
Unique Program Components
Flexible Schedule One Course at a Time
• Intensive focus builds momentum
• Students own their schedules
• Quick wins restore confidence
• Evening & weekend availability
• Mastery-based progression
• Remote learning options
• Prevents student from being
• Year-round enrollment
overwhelmed
Days of Operation Blended Model
• Extended operating hours • Nontraditional academic setting
• Flexible days to fit student life • Online Edmentum curriculum
• In-person + virtual modalities • Human coaching layer
• Community-accessible locations • Postsecondary planning
4
Target Audience
"I didn't drop out — I was pushed out."
Off-Cohort Students Disengaged Students Overage, Under-Credited
Students who have fallen Students who have Students who are older
behind their graduation stopped attending or are than typical grade-level
year due to credit chronically absent but peers and significantly
deficiencies or interrupted remain enrolled in district behind on credits needed
enrollment. schools. to graduate.
Approximately 7,000 students drop out of high school every day in the United States.
5
Recruitment & Enrollment Process
Identification
1
District data analysis identifies overage, under-credited, and chronically absent students eligible for re-engagement.
Outreach
2 Dedicated Acceleration Academies coaches make direct contact with students and families through calls, visits, and
community touchpoints.
Enrollment
3
Students are enrolled and a personalized learning plan is created based on transcript audit and individual goals.
Onboarding
4
Students are matched with an academic coach, complete orientation, and begin a single course to build momentum.
Ongoing Support
5 Wraparound services including social-emotional support, mentoring, and postsecondary planning continue
throughout enrollment.
6
Data Collected & Tracked
Students Academics
• Enrollment & re-enrollment counts • Course completion rates
• Attendance rates & trends • GPA and assessment scores
• Credit accumulation progress • Credit hours earned
• Previously enrolled school data • Personalized learning plan progress
Outcomes ROI
• Average Daily Attendance
• Graduation and diploma attainment (ADA)/Average Daily Membership (ADM)
• Post-secondary placement rates enrollment recovery
• Return to home school rate • Funding recovered for district
• Re-engagement success metrics • Cost-per-graduate comparison
• Revenue share model performance
Data is reported monthly through a real-time dashboard accessible to district leadership. 7
Program Performance Data Celebrations & Successes
180 34 955
Enrollment Students Graduated Credits Earned
Total Students Served Today Among Enrolled Students Avg. 5.5 / Student
1910 18.92 80%
Courses Days Success Rate
Total completed courses to date Avg. Days to complete a course Graduated, Returned to HS or Actively
Enrolled
85%+ 3x
Attendance Enrollment Growth
Avg. Weekly Attendance Rate Growth over 12 Months
8
Graduation by Cohort Year
14 4 15 1
4-Year 5-Year Graduate Recovery Early Grad Recovery
41% of total 12% of total 44% of total 3% of total
34
Total
Graduates
DeKalb County School District | Cohort Graduation Analysis 9
NEXT STEPS
Proposed District Hub Expansion Model
In partnership with Acceleration Academies, DeKalb County School District proposes establishing three school-based hubs to
expand access and re-engagement opportunities across the district.
Hub 1 Hub 2 Hub 3
Clarkston HS Cross Keys HS McNair HS
How Each Hub Operates Main Site Access
• Operating hours: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM • Students retain access to the primary
• Facilitated learning support provided on-site by Acceleration Academies site
trained staff • Scheduled support sessions available for students
• In-person academic coaching and wraparound with additional needs
support available • Main site serves as a resource and escalation
• Operated in partnership with Acceleration Academies point for hub students
• Ensures no student is limited by geography or
schedule constraints
Goal: Expand re-engagement capacity district-wide by bringing support closer to where students already are. 10
Questions?
June 2026