Tiger Academy
Joseph Wiemelt
Executive Director of Secondary Multilingual & Alternative Programs
jwiemelt@usd116.org
Alternative Education
The USD 116 Alternative Education Day Time Program, housed at Tiger Academy, is a hybrid model between in person learning at UHS, homebound (voluntary or expelled), and/or alternative education for partial days.
- Focus on credit recovery and passing current classes, while also providing a small learning environment for students to succeed academically, behaviorally, and socially/emotionally.
- Individual Alternative Learning Plans will be developed with academic and behavioral goals.
- In order to be accepted, the student must have documented interventions already attempted through a Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for behavior/social/emotional and/or academics
The goal is to provide an individualized learning environment incorporating alternative and restorative practices for credit recovery, passing current classes, and small learning environment for students to be more successful academically, behaviorally, and socially/emotionally.
CURRICULUM
Our day time program utilizes a combination of online learning courses via APEX learning, Google Classrooms from UHS facilitated by their already scheduled teacher and Tiger Academy staff, and other supplementary curricular materials based on the individual student needs academically, socially, and emotionally.
STAFF
- Teacher: Melissa Lighty – mlighty@usd116.org
- Social Emotional Learning Specialist: Mitzy Maldonado –mcastillomaldonado@usd116.org
- Grants & Curriculum Coordinator: Natalee Bretz – nbretz@usd116.org
- Restore U Facilitator: Domesha Nunn – dnunn@usd116.org
- Student, Family & Community Support Specialist: Jay Jay Elvir – joelvir@usd116.org
- 6th Assignment Special Education Teacher: Emily Carter
- Spring 2022 – USD116 posted for and hired an Executive Director to start and oversee a district managed alternative program that is focused on inclusive restorative practices and is in addition to, but not a replacement
of, READY, Circle, etc. - Spring 2022 – USD116 wrote for four different violence prevention and/or alternative programming grants
- Summer 2022 – Planning team met to develop a vision and goals for alternative programming, with a focus on a part time, hybrid model for students who are struggling academically, socially/behaviorally (focus on credit recovery, online learning pathways, etc)
- Fall 2022 – USD116 received three Anti-Violence Grants & Freedom Schools Grant
- October 2022 – Old Comcast and old Dominos buildings are approved to be opened for students
- November 2022 – Freedom Schools Program
- January 2023 – Adult Education & Day Time Alternative Programs start
- Summer 2023 – 4 week program in June, plus additional recreation days in July/August
- SY 2023-2024 – Grants renewed/rolled over for year 2, plus a new IDHS grant. Increase in Tiger Academy staff to expand programming. Continue FS program, slightly scaled down during school year and summer.
- SY 2023-2024 – Grants renewed/rolled over for year 3. Continued Tiger Academy, ended Freedom School Program, started Manifest Program
- SY 2025-2026 – Grants ended. Continued Tiger Academy with District funding, starting new after school program focused on Career Planning
Academics:
- 13 high school students started the 2024 school year in behind in credits/grade level.
Of those still at Tiger Academy and in USD- 6 students are now fully caught up in credits
- 5 students graduated Urbana High School (1 in December and 4 in May)
- 61% of Tiger Academy high school students ended the spring semester on track for graduation and in the correct grade level status
- 71% of Tiger Academy high school students improved their overall GPA from
Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 semesters - 70% of Tiger Academy middle school students ended the spring semester on
track and ready for the next grade level - 5 students completed 8th grade
Community Partners
We are grateful for the community partners that work with our students and staff, including:
- City of Urbana
- Champaign Urbana Trauma & Resiliency Initiative
- Youth & Family Peer Support Alliance
- Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center
- Urbana Park District
- Reconstruction US
- Prairie Winds of Urbana
- Several other community organizations and businesses