What is Forest City Academy?
Forest City Academy is an elementary school located at the Stonebrook Building, 975 East Boulevard. The school serves students from all communities. FCA is mastery-based, meaning that learners advance and progress when they are ready and is intentionally small so that each child gets the individualized attention they need and is able to develop life skills alongside academics. The school’s model is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values to accomplish great things in a safe, nurturing environment.
What grades does Forest City Academy serve?
Forest City Academy currently serves learners in grades K-2, and will add a grade level each year through 5th grade. Influenced by the Montessori model, learners are in mixed-age classes, allowing teachers to focus on providing each child with instruction tailored to what they need.
Why did Forest City Academy launch?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for education for every child. While we are proponents of great public schools, traditional schools don’t work well for every child. We believe that a family who needs something different for their child - whether because of safety, academics, values or any other reason should have options. These alternatives should not be limited just to those with financial means. While every child and family has a unique story, many of our founding families have expressed appreciation for small class-sizes, opportunities to be active, moving, and engaging in hands-on learning throughout the day, and character formation.
Is Forest City Academy a public or private school?
Forest City Academy is a non-religious private school.
How much is tuition?
Ohio’s EdChoice Expansion and the Cleveland Scholarship provide families a scholarship towards private school tuition. Tuition is sliding scale based on income; for many of our families, these scholarships cover full tuition. Others pay between $250 and $5,000 out of pocket depending on income and discounts.
What is the process to enroll my child?
You can begin the application process by completing inquiring here. Someone will follow up to schedule a discovery conversation. We require this conversation to make sure you understand our model and approach - we are different by design- and so we have a chance to understand your child and how to best serve them.
What are the school hours?
The school day runs from 8:20AM - 3:20PM
How do you measure academic progress?
Student progress is measured through formative assessments, rubrics for values, and growth on the NWEA MAP test. Teachers work with students and parents to align around current performance, ambitious academic growth goals, and the steps needed to achieve them.
What sets Forest City Academy apart from other schools?
Forest City Academy takes a mastery-based approach, has daily signature learning experiences around core values (Growth, Ownership, Agency, Thankfulness), approaches learning from a holistic lens (time for students to learn through play, exploration, and exploring their interests), in an environment relentlessly focused on growth and helping each child unlock their potential.
What schools have inspired Forest City Academy’s model?
Forest City Academy’s model is designed to take the best practices and approaches from innovative schools and adapt them to serve the Greater Cleveland community. Some of the schools that have influenced our model include: The Forest School, Khan Lab School, Urban Community School, Red Bridge, The Oaks, and Weaver Child Development Center.