At SPA, students are challenged by what we believe is the best
academic curriculum in Minnesota. They are supported by the
individual attention that is made possible by the lowest average
class size of comparable independent schools in the state: Lower
School classes average 13 students; Middle School classes average
15 students; and Upper School classes average 14 students. Across
all three divisions, our student/teacher ratio is 8:1.
In the Lower School, these small classes, each led by a
teaching team of two homeroom teachers, allow for a thorough and
age-appropriate introduction to intellectual inquiry. The careful
use of differentiation--grouping students into small learning
cohorts--allows master teachers to offer plenty of attention and
indivdiualized guidance to our youngest students. Academic
technology is introduced in Kindergarten and is integrated
into learning in both the homerooms and specialists classes.
In the Middle School, an increasingly rigorous curriculum
is supported by Developmental Designs for Middle School, a
social-emotional pedagogy in which teachers push students
intellectually while still offering them the support they need to
navigate young adolescence. The advisory system is a
fundamental component of this support, as is the continued use
of academic technology with an emphasis on digital
citizenship and online safety.
By the time they enter Upper School, students are ready
for SPA's challenging and innovative college
preparatory program that emphasizes discussion-based learning,
advanced inquiry, lively discussion around Harkness seminar
tables, and deep engagement with ideas. As students prepare for
life after SPA, our extenstive College Counseling
program begins, with each student assigned one of three
full-time College Counselors in Grade 10.
Grades: 9-12 | 1,220 students0.7 miles 550 Albert St S Saint Paul, MN 55116 (651) 690-2443
0.7
9-12
1,220
School Reviews
57/24/2015
Spent 10 years in the system as an unwilling participant. Learned more there than anywhere else since. Excellent school and if the student accepts it will create a sense of purpose.
- Posted by Student/Alumni - mbene
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The average private school tuition in Saint Paul, MN is $10,098 for elementary schools and $17,705 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
