Each family is unique, though there are some similarities we've seen between the families who are happiest and most successful in this model. For more specifics, take a look at the details on our admissions page. We encourage Springfield families to be intentional about their decision to apply to Acton. Please explore our site, dive into the recommended resources, and attend events as the opportunities arise.

Young people who love to learn, are curious, self-motivated, and respectful. Our environment is an accelerator for the independent learner who can tackle challenging questions, follow instructions, and solve problems independently.

Our learning environment is a mixed-age studio, one-room schoolhouse for the 21st century. In addition to individualized learning, young learners work together in groups in order to maximize peer-to-peer mentoring and teaching.

We serve families with elementary-aged learners. Our vision is for this to become a K-12 school serving all of Springfield, and we’ll add additional studios as this founding group of learners gets older.

An independent learner is a young person who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems, participate in discussions, and strive for mastery. This includes the ability to admit they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help.

At Acton, we believe in learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be. An important part of these core values is encouraging young learners to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn’t working, we equip our students to work together to solve the problem, rather than looking to an adult for the solution. This creates a sense of independence and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life.

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. Young learners will work at their own pace and move on to the next level only after the content has been mastered, which ensures there are no learning gaps.

Here, we believe in the power of balance and in utilizing technology as a tool, not a toy. Using incredible, self-paced eLearning tools, this environment provides the rigor needed for learning math, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar, all in about 90-120 minutes each day. The remainder of the day is spent participating in engaging, project-based learning. The combination of these two learning day parts is highly complementary and very effective.

We take our commitment seriously when we promise to deliver a transformative education experience for young people at Acton in Springfield. Since we’re a small school, we make sure we have the resources necessary to keep this promise for each family that joins us. We are not currently equipped to serve young people with other specific learning or behavioral needs.

We are part of the network of more than 250+ Acton Academies around the world, and is the first Acton Academy in Springfield, Missouri. We follow the exact same learning design (curriculum) and learning model that Jeff and Laura Sandefer helped create at the original Acton Academy campus more than a decade ago.

Yes the school is accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools.

Students celebrate the mastery of tools, skills, and character by earning badges, assembling portfolios, and taking part in public exhibitions. Public exhibitions allow students to present work to experts, customers, or the public, for a real-world test. Parents use our online platform (called JourneyTracker) and school app to monitor progress in core skills like reading, writing, math, and character development. Electronic and hard copy portfolios capture rough drafts, photos, videos, and other creative work. Once a year, we offer standardized testing for our young learners and their families to gauge progress.

We operate on a FOUR-DAY school week, holding classes Monday through Thursday. Each day begins at 8:30 am and finishes by 3:15 pm. Fridays are for family time or the occasional field trip.

We operate on a ten-month calendar, and our flexible program allows families to travel together during the year, without sacrificing learning. There are seven, four-to-six week sessions throughout the year. Every new session has its own group of "Quests", each with a theme, like Entrepreneurship, Community Garden, Medical Biology, or Detective Chemistry. Each Quest is a grand adventure, culminating in a high-stakes public exhibition for family, friends, and the community.