As a public charter school of choice, our vision is at the heart of what we do. Our vision statement is as follows, Ina A. Colen Academy strives to be a model school, offering a broad and rigorous, technology-rich educational program to students from diverse backgrounds. Within a caring and respectful multicultural environment, the school is committed to instilling in each student a desire to learn, to take appropriate risks, and to overcome challenges. The school community is committed to developing students who are life-long learners and responsible citizens who will succeed in the 21st century.

The mission of the Ina A. Colen Academy (IACA) is to use the principles of the academy to:

• BUILD an empowered and inclusive community of students, parents, and educators
• ENGAGE the whole child—intellectually, social-emotionally, and physically
• HELP all students to know themselves and to be known well by their community
• CHALLENGE each student to take an active role as an informed citizen in a global society
• COLLABORATE with the larger community to advocate for student-centered schools

In carrying out our mission, we are guided by the following values and principles that are important to IACA:

• Individual & Collective Responsibility to our School Family – At IACA, our guiding principles describe who we are and how we are to behave as members of the IACA school family.
• Guiding Principles – These guiding principles help us as a school family—students and adults alike—to create a tone of decency and trust within our school.
• Hands-On, Personalized Learning & Performance-Based Assessment – IACA is affiliated with the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES), a national network of schools focused on creating schools that are intellectually challenging, personalized, and democratic.
• Academic Progress – IACA’s academic and organizational innovations—including performance-based portfolio assessment, interdisciplinary teaching, comprehensive sustainability initiatives, an advisory program, and extensive support for teachers’ professional development—reflect the CES Common Principles, and these innovations benefit students during the critical years that begin in kindergarten and extend through middle school.
  
• Diversity & Equity – IACA believes in the power that comes from students learning with and from classmates of different backgrounds.