Frequently Asked QuestionsQuestion: Is New England Academy Department of Education Approved?Answer: Yes, New England Academy has “Full Approval” status from The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Question: How many students in a class? Answer: We average 7 to 8 students per class. Question: How are students grouped in their classes? Answer: Students typically enroll in either Honors or College Prep. courses. When grouping students, all factors are taken into consideration such as the student’s learning style, age, grade, and ability level. We do multi-age, multi-grade grouping for the sole purpose of enabling students to find the right academic fit in their courses. Question: Are your teachers and staff licensed? Answer: Yes, all New England Academy staff are licensed either clinically or as teachers. New England Academy only hires licensed individuals so that students can receive a high level of instruction and clinical expertise. Additionally, most of our teachers are licensed both in their specialty area as well as in special education. Question: Do girls attend New England Academy? Answer:Yes, 40% of our student population is made up of girls. In every class, there are 2 to 3 girls. Question: Do you think that you have and educate a diverse group of students based on their diagnosis? Answer: No, we believe that there is more commonality amongst our students than differences. Although students do have various social and emotional diagnosis, most of our students have similar academic, cognitive and personal profiles. Question: You state that New England Academy is a “non-behavioral” school, what does that mean and how do you define behavior. Answer: Most of New England Academy’s students are described as kind, caring and gentle students who are fragile. We define behavior as students who are physically aggressive towards others (i.e. hitting, kicking, throwing objects) and verbally aggressive (yelling, swearing, threatening). Question: Do you believe in a certain philosophy or model of schooling? Answer: New England Academy was founded with the goal of joining the fields of Psychology and Education to meet the needs of our students. Many of the core values that we have stem from the “Small Schools Initiative” which emphasizes small teacher to student ratios, a rigorous curriculum and nurturing teachers and staff. Question: Do you accept “unilaterally” placed students? Answer: No. New England Academy believes that working with the child’s public school is vital to the students long term growth and achievement. Ninety- percent of our students are publicly funded students and the public schools are a close part of the child’s team. Question: Can I place my child privately at New England Academy? Answer: Yes, parents have the choice of privately placing their child at New England Academy if the parent agrees not to pursue their public school for tuition costs. Question: Can I come and visit New England Academy to see if it is appropriate for my child? Answer: Yes, we allow parents to visit and tour New England Academy throughout the school year. |
