O'Neal Partners with Longleaf Academy to Support Students
The O’Neal School is pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Longleaf Academy to enhance support for students with language-based learning differences. This collaboration will launch with a Summer Academy on The O’Neal School campus, followed by expanded services for O’Neal students beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
“We are excited to partner with The O’Neal School to bring this specialized instruction to students who need it most,” said Longleaf Academy Founder and Executive Director Jill Dejak. “Our goal is to empower students with evidence-based strategies that build strong literacy foundations and foster confidence in their academic abilities.”
Longleaf Academy specializes in providing research-based instruction for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Through this partnership, O’Neal will integrate targeted academic support, ensuring students receive the tools and strategies needed to thrive in an independent school setting.
“This new partnership will provide our parents a proven option to support children with learning differences, reinforcing O’Neal’s commitment to embrace students as they are and provide a customized approach designed for their success in and out of the classroom,” states Head of School Dale McInnis.
This initiative complements O’Neal’s longstanding Academic Enrichment Center (AEC), which has been serving students with learning differences for more than 20 years. Now joined by school counseling and called Student Support Services, O’Neal has supported students diagnosed with learning differences to go on to achieve remarkable success in college and beyond. By partnering with a highly reputable learning academy like Longleaf, O’Neal further strengthens its commitment to fostering academic achievement for all students.
“At O’Neal we are committed to providing top-tier instruction that empowers students with learning differences while equipping our teachers and staff with the tools to support all learners,” states Co-Chair of Student Support Services and Head of Middle School Elizabeth Sager. “By using the most current instructional practices, we ensure that every student benefits from a more inclusive, responsive, and effective learning environment. When we strengthen our understanding of diverse learning needs, every child thrives.”
Established in 2009, Longleaf Academy has earned accreditation from the esteemed Orton-Gillingham Academy for its evidence-based approach to dyslexia education. With a dedicated team of certified practitioners, Longleaf Academy has consistently achieved remarkable results, with students experiencing upwards of 50% reading growth under their guidance. This collaboration brings expert multisensory language instruction to students in the Southern Pines community, reinforcing both institutions’ commitment to academic excellence and individualized learning.
Orton-Gillingham is a research-based, structured, multisensory approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling. It is particularly effective for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.
The Summer Academy will serve as the initial phase of the partnership, offering specialized instruction and resources to help students strengthen their literacy skills. As part of the program, the Academy will provide training for O’Neal faculty and collaborate on professional development initiatives. Beginning in Fall 2025, Longleaf Academy will provide additional services directly to O’Neal students, further enhancing the school’s ability to support diverse learning needs.
For more information about The O’Neal School and its partnership with Longleaf Academy, contact The O’Neal School Admissions Office – admissions@onealschool.org or visit www.longleafacademy.org.
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The O'Neal School admits students of any race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by law to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
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