ORMA is always looking for ways to improve academic progress for our students. More than half of our current cadets, grades 7-12, have ADD/ADHD diagnoses whether medicated or not. We, as military schools know that value our structured environments and smaller class sizes hold for these students. Beyond that, though, ORMA has several additional structures in place to encourage student academic success.
Monday through Thursday, we hold a Help Class session after school for 30-40 minutes. Help Class is a time where teachers are available to any student for additional help, answers to questions, or a quiet place to get homework done. Help Class becomes mandatory for students with grades below a C. Each week, a list is generated that assigns these students to Help Class at least one day a week with that teacher until the cadet’s grade becomes a C or better. This weekly list gives students a chance to see short-term improvement, as well as, giving teachers time to fill gaps with students or have them complete missing work.
Boarding cadets have CQs (Closed Quarters) from 7:30-9 PM Monday through Thursday. Students with good grades can study in their dorm room. Students on the Help Class list attend a teacher supervised CQ mostly manned by teachers residing on campus. Again, the goal is to give cadets an opportunity to receive extra teacher support, and to make sure they are utilizing study time wisely. Middle school cadets must attend the monitored CQ unless they make the Dean’s List or Gold Wreath, 3.25 GPA or above, in order to foster discipline, organization and study skills.
Cadets making multiple Ds and Fs after first semester are placed on the Academic Success Plan. They are ineligible for sports, attend Help Classes regardless of their grade, and spend afternoon sports time studying. Cadets on the plan may be denied leave and are ineligible for promotion. They are reevaluated monthly, and the plan is either continued, altered, or removed as deemed by the Academic Dean.
