Frequently Asked Questions

Who thrives at Aspire Savannah?

People who love to learn, are curious, self-motivated and respectful. Our environment is an accelerator for learners who tackle difficult questions, enjoy real-world challenges and strive for true understanding and growth.

Children who love to learn and like school LOVE Aspire Savannah. Children who do not like following a school schedule, learning and working in a traditional school generally also do not like the schedule and work required at Aspire Savannah. 

Our program requires showing competency, which is significantly more challenging than a traditional school but is more engaging and rewarding.

How is Aspire Savannah different?

Aspire Savannah is a learner-centered community. At Aspire Savannah, learners have agency over their learning experiences and share these experinces with their peers. When all learners in the studio are engaged and active in learning, it creates a thriving community where everyone works to raise each other up. We focus on cultivating a love of learning, a growth mindset and being actively involved in the learning process.

Ways we are different:

• Learner-centered
• The freedom to work ahead in individual Core Skills such as math and reading
• Real-world projects and apprenticeships 
• Multi-age and multi-level studio environment, instead of classrooms organized by age and assigned a grade level
• Learners help manage their studio 
• Exploration and assessment of skill levels, aptitudes and interests 
• Guides rather than teachers 
• Socratic discussions rather than lectures 
• No teaching to a test
• Competency learning (mastery learning) instead of seat time
  
  Competency-based learning shifts the focus from time spent in a classroom to actual learning outcomes. In this environment, learners progress based on their understanding and competency. This is in contrast to traditional seat-time-based systems that promote learners based on having spent a year in a class. Competency-based or mastery-based learning prioritizes genuine understanding and proficiency. A competency-based learning system offers self-motivated learners the flexibility to progress at their own pace and reach their individual potential for excellence.

• No practice homework is assigned in Elementary.
  
  This does not mean there are not things parents need to do to help keep their learners on track. Parent involvement is essential. Parents need to check in to see progress on schoolwork and coach/encourage their child to meet goals. Parental involvement, knowing where your child is in their journey, and reading to emergent readers is very important.
  
  Sometimes, our elementary learners do work at home. They may get swept away by a project and want to continue working on it after school ends. Working from home may also be needed if they are behind in their academic competencies and want to progress to the next studio with their peer group or meet an advancement deadline.
  
  Middle School requires regular work outside of school unless a learner has excellent time management skills during school hours.
  
  

What age range does Aspire Savannah serve?

We will serve learners ages 5.5 to 13 for the 2024-25 school year. We will grow organically up to age 18 each year. 

How do you measure progress if you don't have grade levels or give grades?

• Learners set goals for study habits and academics. (Or guides set goals for them if they are not ready to set goals.) These goals are tracked and reflected on. The final objective is for the learner to set goals, manage time and understand the most efficient/effective learning approach for them.
• The progress achieved through goals and projects leads to proving competency. Achievement of competencies is recorded along with evidence. 
• Projects and writing assignments showcase holistic growth. 
• A standardized test is given each year for benchmark data. We do not teach to this test, nor does it affect any learner's journey within Aspire Savannah. It is simply a data point for us to continually monitor and improve our studio.

What learning philosophy do you follow?

We look to the teaching of Maria Montessori to build a base for our studios. Introducing the concrete before the conceptual, respecting the child as their own inner teacher, seeking peace as a goal of education, aiming to give learners serious work that they take seriously, using the environment to reach education goals, and the use of observation to adjust the environment all come from Montessori.

We use research from Joseph Renzulli's Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness and the Autonomous Learner Model of Giftedness to help guide our learners in developing their personal gifts. 

Are you a Montessori school? A gifted school?

While we respect and incorporate Maria Montessori's philosophy and some of her materials, we are not a Montessori school. 

Our curriculum and competency-based learning follow gifted and talented education models. There is debate on what defines "gifted and talented" and how it is identified. Here is what we can tell you about learning within our education model with competency-based learning. Rapid learners are comfortable and at home in a competency-based model where they can move ahead and learn as quickly as their minds desire. High levels of curiosity are also a sign that a learner will enjoy this kind of education model.

Do you serve learners with special needs?

We are not trained or staffed to serve learners with learning differences, behavioral disorders, or who need specialized attention. 

Keep in mind the studio is a highly dynamic environment that puts a focus on cooperation, group projects and driving your own learning. Anyone who struggles to self-regulate, has anxiety and/or has sensory issues can easily find the program overly stimulating and excessively frustrating. 

It also requires learners to hold conflict resolutions, manage projects together and run many aspects of their own studio. Anyone who cannot regulate emotions during difficult conversations, failure, and frustration will have difficulty using our studio systems and tools if they do not seek and achieve growth in those areas. Growth in this area may require seeking therapy. Aspire Savannah is not a therapeutic school and does not offer therapy services. 

If you are interested in Aspire Savannah and believe it is an excellent fit for your family, please inquire, and we will assess your unique situation together.

Are you part of a chain or franchise?

We are not part of a franchise or chain. Aspire Savannah is an independent school.

Tools we enthusiastically use to support our competency-based learner-led environment: