Innovative Christian non-denominational school helping your learners find a calling to change the world. We believe that all children are geniuses who just need to find their calling to change the world. Thus, children who are curious, self-motivated, and respectful will thrive at Acton Academy Falls Church. If your child has not succeeded in previous environments, we will discuss the circumstance
s and his/her needs with you, and further explain how our approach may or may not be an improvement for your child. Our environment is an accelerator for the innate learner who can tackle challenging questions, follow instructions and solve problems. Additionally, children who thrive at Acton Academy Falls Church have open-minded parents who fundamentally believe children are more capable than we think. How does Acton ensure a high-quality learning environment? Deep at the core of Acton Academy Falls Church is our commitment to serving those students and families in our community and receiving transparent feedback. Because of this, we ask families to participate in weekly (anonymous) Family Satisfaction Surveys, where we ask them to rate us 1-5 on how well we accomplished our promises. We then share the results with the community. These surveys are our most important metric to measure the success of the learning community. How does self-paced learning happen at Acton Academy Falls Church? We provide a 21st-century learning environment using the latest in educational technology for self-paced mastery of reading, writing, elective courses, and math skills. Students are placed according to ability so that our program can meet the student right where they are. Students move on to the next level only after the content has been mastered, which ensures there are no learning gaps. How much “screen time” do students have each day? Acton Academy Falls Church balances the advantages of tech-based learning while minimizing technology practices that isolate or disengage. Socratic discussions around this topic will take place regularly as we seek first and foremost to learn in community and from the natural world. Core skills learning takes place with high-quality online programs that equip students to better engage in the amazing project-based learning that happens at Acton Academy Falls Church. Students who go to an Acton affiliate are typically more equipped with interpersonal skills, the ability to critically think and problem solve with peers due to the Socratic discussions, studio self-governance, and quests that require daily teamwork. Our Montessori Primary students (3 to 6 year-olds) have limited screen time for educational purposes such as virtual field trips around the world. Discovery studio students (5/6 to 12 year-olds) use computers for core skills (reading, writing and math) work in the morning for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the week. Individualized learning goals are regularly established and tracked with peers and Guides. A student-created internet use policy ensures technology tools are used appropriately. If you have questions on this subject, please reach out to us. What is expected of me as an Acton Academy parent? Acton Academy Falls Church expects all parents to be actively involved in their child’s journey. Our approach works well for open-minded families who encourage and support their child’s learning and growth and who provide tools and support at home to make that happen. We offer training to our parents using the parenting method called Positive Discipline (www.positivediscipline.com). Positive Discipline is based on the Adlerian model of replacing the usual punishments and external rewards in favor of encouragement that addresses the basic needs of children to help them find belonging and significance in socially useful ways. A child’s behavior is like the tip of the iceberg. The hidden base of the iceberg represents the belief behind the behavior and the child’s deepest need for belonging and significance. Most parenting programs address only the behavior. Positive Discipline addresses both the behavior and the belief behind the behavior. This amazing program truly equips parents with the tools they need to succeed in helping their children become the best version of themselves. It also produces a synergistic effect with the Guides’ work at school by providing a consistent message and strategy for parenting and educating. We will do this hand-in-hand. Are you a franchise? We are not a franchise, but rather Acton Academy Falls Church is an independent private school, part of the affiliate network that 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 have agreed to protect a learner-driven environment. Each affiliate follows its own methods in keeping with these commitments and varies based on the leadership at each school and community they serve. Do you offer team sports? Although we do not offer formal team sports, we facilitate the creation of teams through Fairfax County or Falls Church City league sports. Our school embraces a deep commitment to physical activity and we encourage and organize outdoor activities as much as possible. What is your calendar? We follow the Falls Church city calendar. However, our flexible program allows families to travel together during the year, without sacrificing any learning. Are you accredited? Yes, we are accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools (https://ialds.org/). We are registered through the Virginia Department of Education as a private school. Does Acton serve special needs children? We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities or special needs. Often times children with ADHD and/or dyslexia thrive in non-traditional learning environments which can better adapt to different learning skills and styles. We'd be happy to discuss your child's uniqueness and whether we could meet her/his needs. Will students be grouped in grades? We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to an individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups. Since Acton doesn’t have grades, how will my children have a transcript when they go to high school or college? Although we don’t have grade levels or traditional courses with a final grade, all core curriculum work is tracked, managed, and saved in a format compatible with a transcript. We are always able to provide students with a transcript. What does my child need to bring with her/him to school? Your child will need to bring her/his own laptop and snack/lunch daily. All other supplies and materials are provided as needed. If you have financial difficulty obtaining a laptop, please let us know. Do you include a “specials curriculum” at your school (i.e. art, music, and athletics)? The arts and physical activity are a regular part of our week. The same methodology of learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be are also applied to arts and athletics. Do you offer before or after school care? Our school day begins at 8 am and we offer after-school from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. What grades do you offer? Our Acton Discovery studio is for children 6 to 12 years of age our full Montessori Primary studio is for children 3 to 6 years of age. We plan to add a middle school in 2023 and a high school a few years after that. How many students will you have? Our Montessori Primary studio (for ages 3 to 6) has a Guide for every 13 children enrolled. In our Acton Discovery studio (for ages 6 to 12), following the Acton model, will not exceed 36 students with two Guides. Our model breaks students up into small groups and there is no plenary lecturing, so your child will never be “in the last row”. Is Acton Academy Falls Church a faith-based school? Yes, we are a Christian non-denominational school. Some of our Guides are Catholic and some Christian. We believe there is incredible beauty in the love expressed by an Ecumenical approach, which can become a model for honest dialogue and reaching common ground. Thus, we have agreed to focus on everything we have in common as Christians. Additionally, we will be offering optional religious education programs including the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which is Montessori based. What is your statement of faith? We believe God is the Creator of all that is in this universe. And this God uniquely created each human being to know Him and through Him to find purpose in life. We believe God became one of us as Jesus Christ, who seeks to bring us into a spiritual relationship with our Creator. We are apolitical and non-denominational, and we seek to maintain a simple, respectful, and loving learning environment for each hero to seek, question, discuss, and struggle in their spiritual journey. We respect each hero’s gift of free will from God and will only act as a guide and support for each hero in their unique and personal journey to know God. We seek a fair and balanced platform for all learning so each hero can experience and relate to other religious beliefs and practices, cultures, ideas, and peoples. Our mission is for each hero to grow to respect, appreciate, and love one another. We envision each hero to build their own spiritual convictions, to know their self-worth, to discover their gifts, to gain confidence through struggles, failures, and successes, and to find their calling to change the world. Why a learner-driven classroom? At Acton Academy Falls Church, we believe in learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be! An important part of this is encouraging kids to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn’t working, we want our students to work together to solve the problem, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of independence and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life. Is Acton Academy like Montessori? We actually implement the full Montessori philosophy and method in our Montessori Primary Studio (for ages 3 to 6) and we use the Acton model for our Discovery Studio (for ages 6 to 12). The Acton model implements the best of the Montessori method, including mixed-age classrooms, student choice with clear boundaries, large blocks of work time, learning through “discovery” and freedom of movement in the classroom. Then we go three important steps further by using the best 21st-century e-Learning tools, immersing learners in real-world projects, and adhering to the Socratic method of instruction, which emphasizes asking and answering questions to cultivate critical thinking. Our learners don’t regurgitate facts; they learn how to learn, learn how to do, learn how to be, and learn how to live together. Who was Lord Acton? Lord John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton (1834-1902) was a Victorian scholar of Freedom who saw liberty not as a license, but as the freedom to do what was right. He was suspicious of power for the sake of power which led to his most famous quote: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." At Acton Academy, we celebrate his defense of economic, political and religious freedom. Because of this, we ask families to participate in weekly Family Satisfaction Surveys, where we ask them to rate us 1-5 on how well we accomplished our promises. What do you mean by “every child can change the world”? We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. Do you offer character education? Yes. We believe students become confident, independent learners, and good citizens when they embrace the following character qualities: integrity, resilience, self-reflection, and empathy. We believe in personal responsibility and high accountability standards. Acton students are encouraged to take responsibility for their choices and actions as we think developing a strong moral compass will help students lead joyful and successful lives. Character learning is woven into all aspects of learning at Acton and modeled by all staff. What is an independent learner? Someone who can research questions, follow instructions and solve problems. Someone who can admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help. Our learners participate in discussions and strive for mastery. Acton Academy Falls Church prepares students for success in a modern world. What do you mean by “a hero’s journey”? We believe that each of us has a special calling in life and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey. Approach FAQs
Why a learner-driven classroom? At Acton Academy Falls Church, we believe in learning to learn, learning to do, learning to be. An important aspect of this is encouraging kids to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. What is “a learner-driven classroom” exactly? At Acton Academy Falls Church Academy, the students run the studio by agreeing together on their behavior rules and how they should treat one another. These are called “Studio Contract” and “Rules of Engagement” and they are provided with appropriate guidance throughout this process. These rules and covenants are prominently displayed in the studio and revisited frequently. Often, these are revised by the students as they work through challenges and discover better ways of interacting with one another. Students also budget their time, choose their areas of focus for the day and adjust these based on their performance. We believe strongly that students achieve more when they have control of their learning. How do you measure how a learner is progressing at Acton Academy? We measure student progress in several ways:
Learners set daily, weekly and session goals and share those with Guides, peers, and their parents. We utilize robust real-time data for each of our online learning tools to measure progress on core skills (reading, writing, and math). At any given time both parents and Guides can find out exactly what their learner is learning and how he/she is progressing. Our online programs easily allow us to track progress, identify areas of struggle and close any learning gaps. The web-based programs allow the student to move on to the next skill only when the previous skill has been mastered. Our Guides receive training in helping kids get unstuck, embrace a growth mindset and develop and encourage grit. We utilize individual portfolios where each student showcases and adds their best work. We can measure their growth in areas such as History, Writer’s Workshops, and any Quest using projects we have completed. Why Guides instead of teachers? We believe self-directed learners with strong character will be the leaders of the next generation. Our Guides are exceptional storytellers who model kindness and grit, and who will help our students learn to fish instead of giving them the fish. Will Acton Academy help my child get into college? Universities are changing so rapidly that it’s difficult to imagine what a college education will look like in ten years. Students within the Acton model are performing extremely well from the perspective of college acceptance and scholarships. Our promise is that your children will have had the opportunity to prepare themselves to attend any selective university where they can score high enough on a standardized test to gain admittance. Once they get over the test-taking barrier at the university of their choice, their portfolio, and critical thinking skills will be a big boost during the application and interview process. Most importantly, they’ll be well prepared to shine in the real world whatever career path they choose. How do students in the Acton model typically compare to students in the traditional model? Anecdotal evidence from our over 250 affiliates around the world is showing that the average Acton student progresses two and a half grade levels in their first 10 months, and they are typically five grade levels ahead by middle school. The combination of self-paced core skills learning and critical thinking coupled with encouragement to pursue their dreams seems to be a critical component of the model’s success. How is Acton different from other private schools? Acton Academy Falls Church’s mission is to inspire each child who enters our doors to find a calling that will change the world. Acton Academy provides an alternative to traditional education by following the approach of the Acton Academy founded in Austin, Texas in 2009 which emphasizes a learner-driven curriculum focused on learning to learn, exploring who to be, and discovering through doing. Acton Academy Falls Church operates under the premise that children are far more capable than we think. Our commitment to families is to provide a framework and environment that prioritizes mastery of foundational curriculum while providing children with the freedom to make their own decisions, problem solve using the resources around them, and explore at their will. Do you assign homework? We do not assign homework. Our students start every week with time to set goals and develop a plan to achieve those goals while at school. We believe the school day provides an ample amount of time for our students to make the progress they desire and achieve their goals. Sometimes students choose to work from home on projects, research, and quests but it is never required. There is already enough to manage as a family with limited time together so our belief is that students should be able to leave school work at school. We encourage quality family time and family trips, which expose children to meaningful and memorable experiences with their loved ones. If the students govern the school, how does anything get done? On one end of the spectrum, there is a philosophy of hierarchical control and strict adherence to a top-down plan. This philosophy treats members of an organization, including students in a school, like widgets; it is demoralizing, it stifles creativity and innovation and it is very inefficient. On the other end of the spectrum is the idealistic utopia where everyone does what they want and things just magically get done. This often results in anarchy and is also very ineffective. In the middle is the philosophy referred to as the “levers of control.” The Acton Academy Falls Church model is built on this philosophy. Students are given tremendous freedom, but there are clear boundaries; boundaries they themselves will help tailor and enforce. There is a clear belief system, work performed is meaningful and tied to student personal goals, and there is a clear diagnostic system in place to showcase effort. Admissions FAQs
How does the rolling admissions work? The Acton model is very flexible, allowing students to join our studio every month. Students simply begin their self-paced learning journey on core skills and they start new quests with their peers. They are assigned a fellow classmate for accountability, and their journey begins! Our students are explicitly trained in the compassionate art of welcoming and embracing new students, parents, and staff. How competitive is the application process? Acton Academy Falls Church uses a modern non-traditional approach to education which is a fit for many but not all families. Through our application process, we can get to know each other and determine if our model is a good fit for your family and your child. Currently, we have space in our inaugural 2022-23 class and we encourage you to reach out to us through our Contact Us.
