Lead Academy is helping all students develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by challenging every child to achieve success now, in high school, college, and life beyond the classroom. We set high expectations for our students through our focus on the four expectations that guide our school culture: be nice; work hard; serve well; have fun. These core values drive all programs and initiatives at Lead.

While assessment scores are important, we also believe that a balanced approach to education supports the development of the whole-child into a successful adult. When a student is done with school and enters adult life, she will be judged for the rest of her life not by her performance on tests of basic skills, but by the quality of her work and the quality of her character.  Accordingly, we completed our second full year as a network partner of EL Education, which assists schools in defining student achievement in three measurable dimensions: Mastery of Academic Skills and Content, High-Quality Work, and Character.

The EL Education framework is also exemplified by project-based learning expeditions, where students engage in interdisciplinary, in-depth study of compelling topics, in groups and in their community, with assessment coming through cumulative products, public presentations, and portfolios. The model emphasizes high levels of student engagement, achievement, and character development. Partnerships that provided increased opportunities to our students were formed with the Freedom Within Walls, Goodwill GoodGuides, and the Rotary Club of Greenville. These organizations supported our after school program, provided technology for our 1:1 Chromebook program, assigned mentors, assisted with college and career planning, and engaged our students in regular character education lessons. Our students had the opportunity to participate in a number of extracurricular activities and clubs including honor band, community service initiatives, interscholastic sports, yearbook, leadership club, Lead karate program, a variety of athletic programs school government and FLL robotics. 

We look forward to building on the achievements of years past as we work together as a community of parents, students and teachers to complete a building project and launch our students into greater experiences and opportunities for leadership.