“What I love most about my role is the relationships. Getting to know each student, understanding what motivates them, and helping them overcome obstacles makes every day different and meaningful. Seeing them grow in confidence, independence, and resilience is the best part of the job.”
Will Del Santo
Head Learning Coach
Learning Coaches
Academic guidance, made personal
Learning Coaches are a central part of the USPA experience, offering families peace of mind and students consistent support for their particular needs. Through regular check-ins and mentorship, learning coaches help students manage their time, advocate for themselves, and stay aligned with their academic goals as schedules and demands change.
An integrated approach
Support that adapts to you
At USPA, guidance and structure adjust to students’ schedules, goals, and learning needs. From mentorship and skill-building to community and family partnership, everything works together to help students stay on track.
Schedule and Time Management
Students receive guidance in building schedules and managing time across coursework, training, travel, and daily responsibilities.
Self-Advocacy and Skills
Students develop self-advocacy skills, organization, and communication skills that help them navigate coursework and their growing independence over time.
Assessments and Accommodations
USPA supports appropriate academic accommodations and assessment considerations, so students may demonstrate learning in ways that align with their particular needs.
Enhanced Academic Support
GOAL students have access to additional academic resources, including learning specialists and individualized support, designed to complement the core student experience.
Our program
The GOAL program
USPA recognizes that highly competitive student-athletes bring a myriad of learning styles. With this in mind and our commitment to student’s particular learning needs, we created our Guided Opportunities for Achievement and Learning (GOAL) program. GOAL’s mission is to embrace the different learning styles found among middle and high school students.
Built for a neurodiverse population, whether a student has a specific learning disability, ADHD, is gifted, twice exceptional, or has a condition that requires an accessible educational environment, USPA is intentional in providing appropriate support to students and their families.
“USPA has given us the ability to truly put family first while also achieving great academics, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Tony & Michelle Primo
USPA Parents
Further Support
Levels of additional support
USPA offers tiers of additional support designed for students who may benefit from more personalized guidance, recognizing that learning is not one-size-fits-all.
Available support may include:
- Executive function and study skills
- Learning specialist guidance
- Achievement testing accommodations
- Instructional adjustments
- Collaborative communication with families and educators
FAQs
Guidance every step of the way
From NCAA eligibility to international applications, the path to college can feel complex. We make it simple.
My student has an IEP or 504 plan. What should I do?
For one-on-one guidance, please reach out to our Admissions Advisors at admissions@gouspa.org. From there, we will connect you with our Head of Student Support to speak with your family and learn more about your child’s needs. Our Admissions team recommends providing documentation of your child’s IEP or 504 plan before the meeting, so we may provide guidance and determine what level of support your child needs to be successful at USPA.
What is the US Performance Academy (USPA) GOAL Program?
The GOAL Program is designed to support US Performance Academy students with diverse learning profiles, including those with specific learning disabilities, ADHD, giftedness, twice-exceptional conditions, and students who need accessible educational environments.
What is the mission of the GOAL Program?
Our mission is to embrace and support particular learning needs by providing personalized academic and social-emotional assistance to help students thrive.
Who can enroll in the GOAL Program?
Enrolled USPA students in grades 6-12 who have a formal diagnosis as documented by a licensed professional. Please note that there is a capacity and waitlist for the program and acceptance is not guaranteed upon enrollment.
What types of accommodations does US Performance Academy offer for students?
US Performance Academy is committed to supporting every student’s unique learning needs by offering a wide range of accommodations. Asynchronously, we provide extended time on assignments, separate settings for assessments, and access to assistive technology. In our synchronous, one-on-one live sessions, students can benefit from scribing, verbal testing, and executive function coaching. We also help students develop essential study and executive function skills, including time management, organization, task initiation, sustained attention, and working memory. Additional supports such as body doubling, emotional and nervous system regulation, rewording and rephrasing, prompting, chunking information, and reformatting assessments are available to ensure every student can thrive. Specialized instruction, remediation, alternative learning options, and achievement testing accommodations are also offered. Our team works closely with parents, teachers, and outside providers to create a personalized learning experience that meets each student’s needs.
Does the program include achievement testing accommodations?
Yes, all GOAL levels include achievement testing accommodations.
Note: We cannot request accommodations on behalf of students who are not enrolled in the program due to a lack of history of use.
How is student support delivered?
Support is always available through Learning coaches and teacher meetings. For Goal Students, support is provided virtually through scheduled one-on-one sessions or through the Academic Learning Lab in small groups (3-5 students) in breakout rooms for individualized support. We have about four hours per week.
Next steps