Small class sizes are important to us. While there are times students work in larger groups, when it comes to academics, we believe small groups are best. Students receive ample amounts of adult support as we strive to meet each learner where they are in their academic journey. Our student-to-teacher ratio strives for 1:10 in our primary and intermediate grades and 1:15 in our middle school.

Class size is a big piece of what makes us different, along with our multi-age approach that allows students to work where they are in their learning progression. We are experts in our field and we have created a strong system of support for those students needing additional remediation in math and reading. We also have no limit to growth. For example, if a 2nd-grade student has mastered all of the 2nd-grade standards, they just keep working. There is no cap to the year. Continuous growth is what we expect from all of our students. In addition to academics, the CALE community allows students to be who they are in a safe, loving, and encouraging environment. Our students know and understand that all people, big and small, have things they are working to improve. Equally, because of our smaller environment, we are able to give ample time to social-emotional growth. This doesn't just mean a lesson once a week for 30 minutes. This means we practice these skills in real-time. If students are having a disagreement, they work through that with adults, or they work through it with each other as adults monitor the situation. This allows them to practice communication, learn empathy, and problem-solve in real-time.

We use strong research-based practices and excellent materials to ensure students are achieving at high levels. Our founder, Dr. Brown, has extensive knowledge of teaching children how to read. She is the author of the book, Matching Reading Data to Interventions: a simple tool for elementary educators. This tool in her book has been researched and found to be statistically significant for improving student achievement. She trains our teachers in reading, writing, and spelling and she personally sees students at our school. Math is also a focus for us as we ensure foundational skills are solid. Our founder, Dr. Deakins specializes in math and ensures our teachers have the best resources and training and she personally sees students as well to close learning gaps. We follow the Missouri Learning Standards and we share progress using a standards approach.

We are continuously working to expand our scholarship opportunities for students. We know cost can be a barrier and we will continue to strive to do all we can to ensure any student has access to our school. Our CALE School Foundation supports the needs for our school and assists in supporting financial aid to families.

We believe technology is a tool, not a teacher. Students use technology to complete research, supplement academic instruction, and use tools such as word processing and presentation design. We teach them how to utilize programs such as Canva for marketing design, AI for enhancement of work produced, and multiple other programs that teach them skills they will use in their lifetime. We believe in teaching children the power of technology and how it can enhance their brilliant minds. We do not believe in students spending countless hours on technology without purpose.

For children with complex reading difficulties and/or dyslexia, we meet their needs through our structured literacy approach. For students with these and other academic IEP needs, we meet with parents to discuss where children are currently performing and what their goals as parents are for their child. While we do not service IEP minutes as written in a plan, we will create a plan with parents to ensure students receive the support they need while also ensuring their student is part of all daily classroom instruction. We do not currently offer OT, PT, Speech, or medical support. We do partner with an organization in town that will come to our school to offer OT, PT, and speech support. This cost is the responsibility of the parent. We will provide space for services and work closely with this organization to ensure we are working as a team to meet the needs of the student.

This means we structure our school using 5 main targets. All that we do falls under these categories. Using these 5 areas as our guide, we ensure a more complete picture of child well-being that extends far beyond just test scores. These areas include, health, safety, strong student engagement, supporting needs that require remediation, and challenging students who work beyond grade-level standards. We ensure strong academics while also ensuring the emotional needs of children are met.

We ask our students to bring a lunch and snacks from home. By doing this, we ensure students have a lunch they enjoy, and if your child has a particular food allergy, you can meet that need without worrying they might eat something they shouldn't while at school. We do not require uniforms. We believe children should be comfortable while learning. As long as clothing is not used to demean or put others down, they are free to wear what they choose. In addition, they are free to wear hats and remove their shoes if they would like, so long as it does not become a distraction to them or others around them.