What age ranges do you accept?

We currently are accepting applications for learners between the ages of 5 and 14 years old.

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What is a "micro-school"?

As a micro-school, we limit our enrollment to no more than 25 mixed-age learners in each of our three studios.

This means that, even at full capacity, AABC has fewer than 100 learners. 

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Are you a Montessori school?

While we are not an official Montessori school, we are Montessori-based. We greatly respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophies into our learning.

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Are you a religious school?

While we expose children to the importance of mindfulness, ethical principles, and the significance of religion in history and the development of society, we are not a religious school. We value and respect individual beliefs and are open to Believers, Searchers, and Non-Believers alike. 

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Are you part of a chain or franchise?

AABC is an independent school that is part of an affiliate network from which it finds its inspiration and receives mentorship from the founding Acton Academy in Austin, Texas. Our network of affiliates is passionate about revolutionizing education, pursuing best practices, and protecting a learner-driven environment. Each affiliate follows their own methods in keeping with these commitments and varies based on the leadership at each school and community they serve.

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Are you accredited?

Yes. We are accredited by the International Association of Learner-Driven Schools (IALDS)

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What is the tuition?

Tuition for the 2021 school year is $9,500 per learner. Payments may be made in monthly installments. A yearly non-refundable registration fee of $400/learner is required to reserve a spot in the school. 

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When are you in session?

We operate on nearly the same academic calendar as most public and private schools, running from early September through early July; however, our calendar is designed somewhat uniquely in comparison to other schools. We operate in a pattern of six-week sessions, during which we dive deep into a particular subject matter (called a “Quest”), end each session with a student-led exhibition, and then take off for approximately one week before the next session starts. These one-week breaks often coincide with neighboring schools’ time off (e.g., winter break, spring break). For parents who wish to apply for bus services to be provided to AABC by their home school district, there is a reasonable degree of overlap with most public-school calendars. Our hours are 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. with drop-off from 8:10 a.m. We do not currently offer before/after-school extended care hours.

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How do you assess and monitor learning progress?

Learners at AABC take part in mastery-based learning and work toward goals specified on their personalized learning plans. Their SMART goals and academic progress are tracked and fully accessible to parents. Individualized self-reflections are shared with parents in multiple “journey meetings” throughout the year and include the learner, his/her Guide, and the learner’s parents.

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Learners use the following to track their progress:

1. A daily/weekly goal tracker

2. A badge system (to track mastery and progression of skills)

3. A digital portfolio

4. Presentations to classmates and/or family/community members

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Parents can review their child’s academic progress by accessing our “Journey Tracker”, which is the application through which our learners track their goals and progress. In addition, exhibitions at the end of most Quests allow young heroes to present their work to parents.

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How much time is spent on computers?

Our blended learning model allows each child to spend a small portion of the school day working on core academic work that is matched to his or her ability. This equates to approximately 100 minutes, or less, per day, for most learners. A personalized learning plan along with weekly and daily goal setting helps direct this time. Additionally, learners may access their computers in order to conduct research or to write during group and individual projects.

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What is the homework policy?

We do not require homework. However, many of our learners set their own ambitious goals and, in turn, may choose to supplement their classroom learning with learning or work on a project about which they are passionate at home. Reading for pleasure is always encouraged!

 

Do you offer services and/or behavioral support for children with special needs?

We do not offer special services for learners with learning disabilities or behavioral challenges. We will determine our ability to serve learners on an individual basis.

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How involved are your families?

Attending Acton is not just a new path for the learner, but for the learner’s family, as well. The Acton mindset is one of open-mindedness, fearlessness, and the ability to own failures and celebrate successes. Being part of the Acton community means committing to a growth mindset: one that cherishes mistakes as learning opportunities. It also means embracing being part of our community. As a parent to a learner, each academic year you will be required to attend approximately two parents’ nights and 2-4 Journey Meetings with your learner; you will also be invited to attend each session’s last-day exhibition. While volunteering is not a requirement, many of our learners’ families enjoy sharing their talents with our community (e.g., teaching woodworking, assisting with social media, coaching, teaching yoga, helping with fundraising, painting our studios, etc.).

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May I visit your campus for a tour?

In order to protect our learning environment, we do not offer tours or have meetings on campus during the school day; after-hour tours can be arranged on a limited basis. We also host two Open Houses each year, and we encourage anyone interested in meeting our guides or seeing our studios to follow us on social media, so that you can see announcements for these events, and attend.