New Focus Academy, a residential treatment program for neurodiverse adolescents, is thrilled to announce that its academic program is now accredited by Cognia. Cognia, formerly known as AdvancEd, approved New Focus Academy for 5 years of accreditation with no recommendations or changes to the programming. Recommendations are very common when being under review, but at New Focus the academic model is so strong that it received no areas to modify.

The program was evaluated on the following domains: Leadership, Learning, and Resource. The entire process lasted three days and was conducted by an evaluation team that has 16 years of experience evaluating schools. “We are really excited about the future of New Focus Academy with the results from our recent evaluation,” said Josh DeWeerd, Academic Director.

New Focus’s educational instruction includes face-to-face interaction with instructors that work to meet all students where they are academically. When a student enrolls at New Focus, they take an assessment to understand where they are and place them in appropriate classes based on their level, cognitive ability, and age. The assessments are then used to determine the growth and progress that students make while at New Focus. “We have data to prove our students are improving each and every day,” states DeWeerd. 

Instructors at New Focus use Special Education techniques and provide therapeutic support in the classroom to foster a positive learning environment. Additionally, New Focus encourages learning in and out of the classroom. Every week students are involved in the community to give back while developing their executive functioning skills. 

To learn more about academic programming at New Focus Academy, click here. 

New Focus Academy is a therapeutic residential treatment program for adolescents ages 12-18 with neurodevelopmental challenges. Located in Heber City, Utah, just outside of Salt Lake City, New Focus Academy prepares struggling teens for a purpose-filled, independent life. New Focus Academy creates an environment of success using a positive reinforcement approach and empowering students to take small steps leading to big changes and overall wellness.