Academic Expectations: Do you have reasonable expectations for your recovering teen?
Like most parents, you've probably decided to enroll your troubled teen in a therapeutic boarding program for one of several reasons. They may be dealing with social and emotional issues such as depression, anxiety or low self-esteem; or they may be struggling with physical and behavioral concerns like aggressive, disruptive or violent behavior or substance abuse.
Regardless of the source of these issues - family change or upheaval, the pressures of a new school, social environment or peer group, adjusting to a new step-parent or dealing with being adopted - chances are your teen's academic work has understandably suffered as a result of these challenges.
After all, teens struggling to cope with behavioral and/or emotional issues often find themselves struggling to maintain a healthy academic performance, let alone a strong GPA. On the flip side, struggling teens who do manage to maintain their academic performance may often be doing so at the expense of their own emotional and personal well-being.
That's where therapeutic boarding schools with a strong academic curriculum can help. Therapeutic boarding programs like EXCEL Academy of Texas in Houston, Texas combine a rigorous emphasis on academics with the therapeutic treatment, support and care your troubled teen needs to make the transition into healthy young adulthood.
"We firmly believe that academic work should be an integral part of a therapeutic boarding program, and in fact that's one of the things that sets us apart from many programs," says Duncan McGinnis, Academic Director for EXCEL Academy of Texas.
According to McGinnis, it's not uncommon for students arriving at EXCEL Academy to need time and support simply to catch back up to grade level. This may include finding new approaches to dealing with a learning disability, developing appropriate - and effective - classroom and interpersonal behaviors, and building the skills necessary to cope with both academic and emotional challenges. It's a tall order. And it's not one that can necessarily be completed overnight.
In fact, "most EXCEL Academy students come in academically behind by one semester," says McGinnis. "Thanks to our 18-month long, three-semester academic year, that means we can take one semester to catch them up, then bring them along and have them leave us fully caught up or even ahead - and often with a GPA that has been significantly repaired."
And that's where it can be tempting for parents to elevate the academic expectations they have of their child - especially if they seem to have made such strong and promising progress.
"EXCEL Academy of Texas has a curriculum that prepares students for a wide range of colleges and universities worldwide," says McGinnis. "But parents have to remember circumstances - and their child's own choices - have conspired such that their teen was behind when they came to us, so while admission to a great college might certainly be feasible, acceptance to an Ivy League school may be less so."
While that doesn't mean you can't - and shouldn't - expect your teen to perform at the very best of their academic ability, you do need to remember that while your child may have all the ability in the world, they're already trying to make up for lost time - and the additional pressure of an Ivy League college admission may be unreasonable.
Instead, you can help to ensure your teen's continued recovery and success by recognizing the emotional and intellectual work they've invested to get back on track - and to have developed healthy relationship and decision-making skills.
You may also need to take into consideration the fact that many therapeutic boarding schools focus on providing students with the fundamental academic credits they need - but that doesn't always include the same number of electives and optional courses Ivy League schools require.
"For example, EXCEL Academy of Texas takes students from all over the world, so we offer a range of courses and credits that will get students admission into the majority of colleges," McGinnis explains. "But teens hoping for Ivy League admission may need to think about a smaller state school or junior college for a year or two prior to considering a transfer."
So what can you expect from your recovering teen once they've completed a therapeutic boarding program? While the answer really depends completely upon the individual, you can certainly expect that your teen will have the academic and emotional skills necessary to make a healthy transition back into home, family and school.
For more information about EXCEL Academy of Texas, please call us at (800) 260-9178.