One of Cornerstone’s significant academic achievements is its implementation of the PLATO program. PLATO is an individualized software program that helps tailor personalized instructional material to each student. This program empowers students from all grades to move at their own pace through the material and develop fundamental Reading and Math skills.

Cornerstone students use the program twice a week, and receive immediate feedback about their scores. The PLATO program then assigns differentiated class-work to each student according to his or her needs, focusing on the student’s weakest area. The student is then expected to master the given material before moving on to the next level.

The program intervenes early and often in areas where students may need increased support. These effective instructional practices have allowed students that have mastered the skill set at their current grade level to be challenged and progress to the next level of competencies. The program is especially vital to Cornerstone students who may arrive with a lower skill-set and require remedial work, as well as those Cornerstone scholars who are ahead of the curve. 

The PLATO program can tailor personalized work for the students to help them reach or exceed their grade-level. PLATO also allows Cornerstone educators to track the progress of both individual students and whole classes, allowing them to tailor their curriculum accordingly. Since the implementation of the program seven years ago, all grades have seen a marked increase in performance in all areas.  Generally, there is a 20 percent average increase per class. Impressively, Cornerstone students regularly perform a grade level above average. PLATO is just one of the many academic benefits Cornerstone has to offer.