Academic Model

Academics

The mission of Fortitude Preparatory Academy is to provide high school students with skills for life and to empower students to be authentic individuals who value diversity, engage in environmental stewardship, and pursue social justice throughout their lives.

Our Learning Model


Education at Fortitude Preparatory Academy is designed to prepare students for whatever their futures as adults may be. 

To this end, academic disciplines are partnered with life & career skills and character development through personalized learning  and interdisciplinary projects.  All students can learn, but individuals rarely learn best in the same way, in the same setting, or at the same pace.  By using a competency-based approach, the curriculum is both rigorous and flexible.


  • Student voice is encouraged.  For example, students can propose Units of Study and/or modules based on their interests.


  • Units of Study are comprised of modules from one or more of the 6 core subject areas listed below.  These subject areas each have specific Learning Objectives, that are combined to form modules.
  • English Language Arts
  • Math
  • Health & Integrated Sciences
  • Computer Science, Environmental Science, Forensics Science, Biotechnology, Health
  • Social Studies & Social Sciences
  • Global History, Economics, Human Geography, U.S. History/Government, African American Studies, Florida History
  • Arts
  • Textile Arts, 2D Art, 3D Art, Performance Arts, e-Arts
  • Foreign Languages (
  • Survey of Global Languages, etc.


  • Students at Fortitude Prep will demonstrate mastery of 7 cross-cutting areas:
  • Well-being competency (includes Mental and Physical Well-being, Financial Literacy, & Executive functioning skills)
  • Global and Cultural competency
  • Ethical and Environmental competency
  • Societal competency (includes Civic Engagement, Leadership, & Ubuntu)
  • Digital competency
  • Interaction competency (includes Collaboration, Communication, Expression)
  • Multi-disciplinary and Creative competency (includes Critical Thinking, Reasoning, Problem-solving, & Creativity)
  • Mastery is a path, not an event.  Students receive feedback on their progress along the path, rather than a letter or number.  For competencies and units of study, all students begin their path with a "Novice" designation.  They then progress through "Emerging", "Competent", and "Master" designations.  Once students reach "Master" status, they can elect to continue to "Advanced"; however, for graduation purposes, "Master" is the requirement. 
  • Proof of mastery can take many forms, although it tends to be task-based and connected to one of the seven competency areas or to groups of learning objectives. 
  • This system sound more complex than traditional grading, and in some ways it can be--at first.  However, it is also a more authentic assessment of knowledge and skills. 
  • Students will utilize a variety of online and physical resources as tools for both learning and demonstration of mastery.


  • Students will use systems thinking, design thinking, and computational thinking to deepen their understanding of themselves, their world, and the broader world.


The Fortitude Preparatory Academy Learning Model is based on a fusion of cutting-edge education research, models, and frameworks, including Project 21, the Center for Curriculum Redesign, and Finland's National Curriculum.  It also has a basis in democratic and progressive education practices similar to those at some of the most elite private schools in the United States.  Fortitude Prep will be joining the Mastery Transcript Consortium to track progress towards mastery and to issue competency-based transcripts, accepted at colleges nationwide.  (Traditional transcripts can be provided if necessary.)


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