Is My Child Actually Learning?

Parents often worry about their children being stressed over grades in traditional school. The idea of no homework, no tests, and no report cards can sound like a relief at first, but when exploring learner-driven schools like Acton Marietta, parents often wonder, “How will I know if my child is learning without a report card and tests?”.

Acton schools offer a wealth of ways to assess learning; they simply look different from traditional tests and grades.

• Acton schools are mastery-based rather than grades-based. If you’re unfamiliar with mastery, check out the video below.
• The adaptive software used by Acton Schools provides a wealth of data on your child’s learning which you can access at any time, and we encourage families to do so during their regular family meetings.
• Badges are awarded for completion of a major block of work (i.e., finishing a 4th-grade language arts course or mastering Algebra I). Badges are only awarded when a subject is mastered. 
• Acton Marietta uses specialized tracking software for learners to submit work and track their overall progress with badge plans.

Acton’s Exhibitions of Learning take place at the end of four- to seven-week sprints that make up a session. Much like an agile software sprint, sessions have a real-world deliverable at the end and are presented to a live studio audience made up of more than parents. Exhibitions are performances with stakes as high as possible and we encourage parents and guests to attend and give real-time feedback to the learners.

Additionally, learners receive 360 feedback from their peers weekly that reflects their character development and contributions to the studio.

Learners meet with guides one-on-one regularly to discuss progress, troubleshoot issues with learning content, or problem-solve dynamics with other learners. Notes from these meetings are accessible to parents, and we encourage parents to discuss these with their learners.

The reality is that learner-driven models are more efficient and meaningful than traditional models. Acton learners master more content in less time than their peers and have dramatically more personal satisfaction with their learning and school experience.

Want to learn more? Check out this article on how the “old” is new again with the return of the one-room schoolhouse model that Acton employs. Watch the video below to learn more about why mastery is so important. 

Want to take a deep dive? Watch this video with Acton founder Laura Sandefer about the origins of the Acton schools and how the model works.

Do you have questions, or are you ready to schedule a tour? Click here to schedule a discovery call today!