Mission

The mission of Dominion Education Center is to provide informed, scientifically research- based, educational outreach services to all of Hampton Roads and to build a private-public connection that will give critical access to such resources to all individuals in our community.

Who Are We?

Dominion Education Center (DEC) is an extension of Chesapeake Bay Academy (CBA), providing outreach services created from a foundation centered around the school's areas of educational expertise.

What Do We Do?

DEC currently offers four programs: Professional Development, Student Assessment, Career and University Success Program (CUSP), and Adjunct Services.

CUSP (Career and University Success Program)

CUSP  provides young adults in Hampton Roads who might benefit from explicit guidance in the transition to post-secondary education or to the workforce with much needed support. Aimed at realizing the true potential of its candidates, CUSP serves as a bridge to independence, easing the transition for those who have previously faced hurdles in the process. Participants receive Individual Flight Plans (IFP), based upon individual assessments, career inventories, and a one-on-one personal interview. Beginning with their goals for the future and working backwards to create a road map, the IFPs develop structure where there otherwise is none.  Areas of particular focus include self-advocacy, financial literacy, workforce development skills, and college and/or vocational preparation.

For more information, contact:

Ellen Burlingame, CUSP Director
P: 757.497.6200, ext. 1415
F: 757.497.6304
E: eburlingame@cba-va.org 

Professional Development

By teaching the foundations of language acquisition, DEC's professional development program in reading, writing and spelling prepares teachers to effectively and efficiently teach every child. The cornerstone for DEC's training, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS^TM), is a high-quality program that is both scientifically research-based and parallel to the findings of The National Reading Panel (2001), upon which the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is based. Students who can effectively read and write can understand all texts better; they write better essays; they perform better on tests. This improved reading ability results in greater success, higher self-esteem, and improved quality of life through self-support and productivity. LETRS bridges the gap between theory/research and actual classroom practice for educators and will close the gap between achievement and individual potential for Hampton Roads' students.

Regional Student Assessment

DEC's Assessment Program is the only private program in Hampton Roads that combines a child's formal psycho-educational evaluation with explicit, research-based instructional strategies, and creates a specific plan unique to the individual child for use at school and in the home. With a team approach to the identification, demystification, and triumph over learning difficulties DEC's assesment services allow bright students, including those with learning disabilities and ADHD, to realize their full potential in school and in everyday life. Families will participate in a meeting with the DEC Director and receive a written set of individualized recommendations and strategies identified through careful analysis of their child's test results.

DEC's Assessment Program is:

• Available to CBA families and/or those who have participated in assessment elsewhere
• Appropriate for families seeking further understanding of the information found within their child's testing reports
• Families looking for comprehensive educational interpretation of their child's test results for both classroom and home application

Adjunct Services

Currently under Adjunct Services, DEC offers College and Career Counseling, Teacher and Administrator Support, Parent and Sibling Education, and a GED Preperation/State-approved ISAEP Program. Accepted and approved by the Virginia Department of Education, the Individual Student Alternative Education Plan is for students 16 - 18 years old. It combines preparation for the GED with vocational training, each for a minimum of ten hours per week.

Fee Schedule for DEC Services*

For general information or to inquire about fees, please contact:

Kate Mitchell, Director
Dominion Education Center
at Chesapeake Bay Academy
P:  757.497.6200, ext. 1414
F: 757.497.6304
E: kmitchell@cba-va.org

*DEC services are offered at a lower rate for families of students currently enrolled at CBA.