Students & Parents

Who We Are? (Star Center For Learning)

The STAR Center for Learning is an alternative educational setting that provides options for overage middle school students in Orangeburg County School District who may not have found success in a traditional school environment. At STAR, we offer three programs: Middle Grades Matter, Jump Start to High School, and disciplinary placement on a short-term basis. While we do provide services on a short-term basis to students who have committed disciplinary infractions in a traditional middle school setting, our main focus centers around students who need to earn initial or recovery credits.

Programs Offered at (Star Center For Learning)

Middle Grades Matter (MGM)

MGM targets 6th and 7th grade students who are overage for their grade level. The MGM program provides intensive academic interventions and therapeutic support to assist overage students in excelling at levels that will help them to earn credits toward completion of required courses needed to graduate from high school or courses needed to be promoted to the next grade level in accordance with criteria established by the STAR Center for Learning and the South Carolina Department of Education.

Jump Start to High School (JSHS)

Jump Start to High School targets 8th grade students who are overage for their grade level. The JSHS program provides an academic curriculum designed to help students earn high school credits toward graduation in accordance with criteria established by the STAR Center for Learning and the South Carolina Department of Education.

Recommendation Criteria (Star Center For Learning)

Students can be recommended to attend the STAR Center for Learning by their homeschool principal or guidance counselor or by his/her parent or guardian. All students who are recommended to attend The STAR Center for Learning will participate in an interview process if they meet the criteria as outlined in the prescreening process. Students are prescreened based on the following factors:
• Student has been retained in grades K-8
• Student has passed at-least two of the four content area courses during the previous school year
• Student has a minimum score of 210 as measured by the NWEA MAP Reading assessment
• Student has a minimum score of 212 as measured by the NWEA MAP Mathematics Assessment
• Student has a minimum score of 208 as measured by the English/Language Arts NWEA MAP assessment
• Student did not miss more than 10 days of school during the previous school year
• Student has less than 5 discipline referrals during the previous school year
• Student did not receive a level three infraction as measured by the OCSD Code of Conduct during the previous year
• Student has not previously attended The STAR Center for Learning

Offerings & Programs at (Refocus Academy)

·         Serving 9th and 10th grade students who have been retained and is looking for a fast track to receive promotion to their appropriate grade level and return back to their home school. (These students will be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities and athletics at their home schools).

·         Serving 9th-12th grade students who are referred by an Orangeburg County School District hearing officer. (students will not be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities or have access to their home school while enrolled at Refocus Academy)

·         Core Academic Courses
·         Smaller Classroom Setting
·         Daily Mentoring Sessions/ Local Mentors
·         Social/emotional services-Wrap Around Services
·         Individual counseling sessions
·         Academic Assessments
·         Literacy Focused Curriculum
·         Overcoming Obstacles Curriculum
·         Guess speakers
·         Community Service Projects
·         Students will have an opportunity to explore CATE courses at The Technology Center
·         Free summer school access if enrolled at Refocus Academy
·         Filed trips as incentives for academic and behavioral Success
·         Weekly academic updates
·         Financial Literacy sessions