Academic Departments
Academic Departments
SJPII organizes instruction into departments that are grouped by areas of study. Our academic departments are staffed by specialists in their respective fields - specialists who collaborate in the development of curriculum, the establishment of standards, and the creation of instructional strategies.
SAT Preparation — Ray Dass Program
SJPII partners with the nationally renowned leader in PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP Exam review, Mr. Ray Dass. Ray Dass is responsible for creating the #1 National Merit program among private schools and Diocesan Catholic schools in the Southeast United States. After just one year of our school collaborating with Ray Dass, students in the Ray Dass Scholars Program, have seen their scores improve on average by 110 points and 45% of those in the first cohort scored over 1300.
There are two components to the Ray Dass Program at SJPII:
- STUDENTS in grades 9 to 11 utilize the SARA APP — ALL Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors at SJPII use the SARATM App, an online test prep software, to practice and gain skills necessary for answering Math and English problems, similar to those found on PSAT, SAT, and ACT standardized tests. Time to do this work is included in the teacher’s curriculum and the program teaches students the content they need to solve these problems. All students taking AP classes also have access to exam review sessions offered by the Ray Dass team, as students approach the exam deadline. Finally, to help bridge gaps in learning, Ray Dass also offers SJPII students exclusive access to supplemental math programs at the start of the school year and throughout the academic calendar.
- Ray Dass Scholarship Program — SJPII selects high-achieving students based on their sophomore PSAT national index scores. These students are given the tools needed to put them in the best possible position to become National Merit Scholarship finalists. Any substantial increase in their scores could lead to acceptances into top-tier colleges and access to a significantly large number of merit-based scholarships. The Ray Dass scholars program is rigorous and requires dedication and hard work, but the rewards and results speak for themselves. Since its inception here at SJPII Academy in 2019, a total of 10 students have already qualified for the National Merit Scholarship program and we look forward to many more in the coming years!