New Star Academy ‘school within a school’ model comes to Jefferson County Middle School

Jefferson County Middle School is rolling out a Star Academy “school within a school” for 7th- and 8th-graders, aiming to close learning gaps with personalized, hands-on math and English instruction.

By Sabrina Robertson – The Natchez Democrat

FAYETTE — Jefferson County Middle School is launching a Star Academy program for English and math in the upcoming school year.

Founded in 2004, the Star Academy started out as an acceleration program for at-risk students in the hopes they would catch up, enter and graduate from high school on time with their peers. Since it started, the model has been used in over 100 school systems across 20 states.

It’s often described as “a school within a school,” where students learn through hands-on activities combined with computer-based instruction at their own pace, so that they have the ability to complete up to two grade levels in a single school year.

Ferriday High School in Concordia Parish implemented the first program for the Miss Lou region at the 9th grade level in 2022. It has since expanded to Concordia Education Center and to Vidalia and is now reaching into Mississippi.

Principal Tomekia Wise of Jefferson County Middle School said that for some time, the school has been looking for innovative ways to better engage students who have slipped through the cracks and increase academic achievement.

“We recognized the need to move beyond traditional approaches to reach our scholars,” Wise said. “When representatives from the STAR Academy, Asheley Raven-Pilate and Miles Francis, visited and presented the program to Dr. Adrian Hammitte and me, we immediately saw its potential. After a follow-up presentation to our school board, they gained a clear understanding of the program’s potential impact on our students. As a result, the board approved the implementation of STAR Academy for our seventh and eighth-grade students. This program will help us better engage students, close learning gaps, and provide meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that connect academics to real-world applications.”

Wise said the designed to re-engage students, particularly those at risk, through personalized learning pathways, smaller class sizes, and opportunities to explore career interests.

“This approach allows instruction to be more targeted, relevant, and engaging for our students,” she said. “During this school year, we are implementing a ‘soft start’ due to the timing of the program rollout. At this stage, all seventh and eighth-grade students are participating in the program’s intervention component.

“These platforms assess students through a diagnostic benchmark and place them on individualized learning paths. Students are expected to complete at least 20 minutes per day, totaling 100 minutes per week, in each program. Full implementation will begin in the 2026–2027 school year, with the program serving a smaller, targeted cohort of approximately 20 students in grades seven and eight.”

Wise said that since the soft start, the program has been met with positive feedback from teachers and students alike.

“Students appreciate the individualized learning experience, while teachers value how the program helps identify and address specific skill gaps,” she said. “The targeted nature of the interventions allows us to focus on foundational skills that many students may not have fully mastered in previous years.”

Each student’s progress is monitored consistently through daily, weekly, and monthly data tracking, Wise said.

“The program provides detailed reports that allow teachers and administrators to monitor growth and adjust instruction as needed, she said. “Additionally, we are supported by an educational support specialist who visits monthly and remains available to provide ongoing assistance and guidance. We will measure the program’s success through improvements in student performance data, growth on benchmark assessments, and overall increases in proficiency levels aligned with our school’s academic goals.”

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