Non-traditional

KCS Launches D-B EXCEL – A Game-Changer for Today’s Secondary Students

DB EXCEL

We Are Groundbreaking…

Let’s face it… Today’s world looks much different from the one of ten, twenty, or thirty years ago.  From changes in technology, communications, and culture, society has evolved at a dizzying pace.  We would be naïve to think that education can’t, or shouldn’t, evolve with it.  Our parents and community expect that we will do everything possible to meet today’s students where they are and provide an innovative, high-impact educational experience that will prepare them for future success.

For many months, the administrators at Cora Cox Academy and Dobyns-Bennett High School have been examining their current educational programing and envisioning the full scope of what secondary education could look like, especially for the student that is not as likely to find success in the traditional high school setting.  Out of that extensive research and planning led by Mrs. Shanna Hensley and Dr. Chris Hampton, D-B EXCEL (Excellence in a Creative Environment for Learning) was born. 

This innovative approach to personalized learning takes the core foundational philosophies of KCS and places them in an environment that better fits today’s non-traditional high school student.  The campus is unique, providing opportunities for online learning, blended (both online and in-person) learning, and even a planned full-time virtual academy.  Schedules are unique, with classes even offered outside the traditional school day, often going late into the afternoon and evening.  This is especially helpful for students that have work or family responsibilities that keep them from maintaining a traditional school schedule.

And the learning is especially unique.  The coursework allow students to craft a more individualized learning path and provides the versatility to work at a much more personalized pace.  By providing counseling, mentorships, and a positive school culture, staff can assist D-B EXCEL students in maximizing their academic potential in a truly innovative way.  The intended outcome is to open doors and opportunities to a world of possibilities where students are empowered to focus on their own specific goals.

It’s a game-changer for secondary education not only for Kingsport, but for the entire region and state (the virtual academy is planned to open in 2015 to any Tennessee student).  Is it for you or someone you know?  Find out by accessing a  wealth of information available at www.db-excel.com.  D-B EXCEL… It’s a progressive leap forward in creating a world-class educational experience for all students, providing an innovative approach to personalized learning.

We Are Groundbreaking … We Are KCS!

Cora Cox Academy Graduates Largest Class

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We persevere,

How do you define success?  It may be different for each of us, but for most folks, we likely think about crossing a finish line after embarking on some type of life journey.  At this time of year, graduation ceremonies provide the opportunity to celebrate the academic accomplishments of students who have reached a successful conclusion to their school experience.  It is one way we acknowledge the hard work and effort required to earn a diploma.

For many, that journey may be a direct path.  But for some, the road to that graduation finish line might look a bit different.  For a variety of reasons, life may cause it to be a winding road rather than a straight line.  That is what makes the 2014 graduating class of Cora Cox Academy so unique and so extraordinary.  Undaunted by whatever challenges life my have thrown at them, these young men and women demonstrated the commitment necessary to graduate high school and successfully prepare themselves for the next stage of their lives.  They are to be greatly commended for understanding the importance of completing high school and for committing themselves to accomplishing that goal.

On May 21, 2014, the largest graduating class in Cora Cox Academy history crossed the stage and received their diploma, signifying the completion of their high school journey.  It marked the next step in the growth and evolution of CCA, which offers students a unique path to a high school diploma.  In the coming months, this innovative approach to a personalized high school education will grow to include both a virtual academy with expanded online course offerings and a non-traditional high school academy, where flexible spaces and scheduling will help to serve a student population with diverse needs and abilities.    It’s an exciting and cutting-edge approach that focuses on individual student needs to provide all children a path to high school graduation… especially ones that may find success in the traditional high school setting more challenging.

As the recent Cora Cox Academy graduates demonstrated, great things can be accomplished when you dedicate yourself to doing whatever is necessary to reach that finish line.  And with the non-traditional approach being developed at CCA, even more students will have the opportunity to take this vital step in their life journey.  To the CCA Class of 2014, we salute you for not allowing the winding and difficult road of life from deterring you from reaching your goal of a high school diploma.  You set a wonderful example for us all, and we look forward to celebrating that next finish line with you.

We persevere… We are KCS!