Why Franklin Academy?

American teenagers typically attend their public high school and some attend private day schools close to home.  Unfortunately, many local schooling options are not appropriate for students with Nonverbal Learning Differences, including those with Asperger’s Syndrome.  Lacking a nurturing environment, good friends, a thoughtfully delivered curriculum, and appropriate support services, these children often face tremendous difficulties.  As academic and social pressures increase, frustration and anxiety often follow for students with NLD.  Without the right intervention, these bright, talented, and creative boys and girls with tremendous potential will be marginalized by their educational experiences and their future prospects might be seriously compromised.  This is why Franklin Academy was created.

We hope that you will carefully review all the information about our school on this website.  If it seems that your child fits the profile of students we serve, we encourage you to consider the combination of factors that make it possible for Franklin Academy to offer an unprecedented educational opportunity to students with NLD and Asperger’s Syndrome.   Here are ten reasons to consider Franklin Academy

1.  Our Distinctive Mission

Franklin Academy was founded with a very specific mission – namely, to provide students with nonverbal learning differences the academic and social skills to become life-long learners, to pursue college and career goals, and to enjoy fulfilling lives.  We believe that by focusing solely on the NLD population we have the opportunity to bring together students who possess similar strengths, share common interests, and face comparable challenges.

2.  Experienced Administrators and Teachers

No other group of professional educators has logged as many hours with NLD students as the Franklin Academy faculty.  Teachers are organized by teams that are led by learning specialists, counselors, and residential deans, and the school invests significant time over the summer and during the school year for on-going professional development and programmatic improvement that builds on an ever-stronger foundation of practical experience.

3.  The Boarding School Advantage

We believe that a boarding school is a superior setting for improving social skills.  What is learned in the classroom about human interactions is practiced and honed in many different venues across campus.  With one adult for every two students on campus, there are many opportunities to seize the "teachable moment."  The goal?  We expect our students to become responsible and independent young adults.

4.  A Safe Environment

The highest priority from the very beginning has been to create a school community where every student feels safe, connected, understood, and supported.  And, if the school environment is right, then the prospects for academic success in the classroom improve dramatically.  This is why we expect every teacher and student to live by the Franklin Academy Code of Conduct.  This Code inspires and sustains a community that is both physically and psychologically safe.

5.  Skills-Based Curriculum

Franklin Academy's academic program is designed for students who exhibit an auditory learning style preference.  The curriculum is project-based, utilizing a teaching methodology that incorporates hands-on, real world applications, and we strive to personalize and to match teaching strategies with each student's learning needs.  Although course content is fairly traditional, the emphasis is on the mastery of skill sets that target important academic and life tasks.

6.  A Thoughtful Schedule

We deliberately structure the academic day, the weekends, and the school year to give our students the time they need to develop and practice important life skills while maintaining focus and coping with change.  Features of the Franklin Academy schedule include a later start to the academic day, predictable transitions, frequent breaks to address fatigue, classes on Saturday morning, special intersession courses and travel options, and timely vacations to relax and reconnect with family.

7.  Cherished Friendships

Our students identify with each other and enjoy the solidarity of belonging to a natural peer group. They live and learn together, and friendships blossom.  The positive impact of this transformative experience should not be underestimated.  Simply stated, having friends helps to build self-esteem, and feeling good about oneself becomes a key to unlocking the potential of every student with nonverbal learning differences.

8.  Successful College Admissions

We expect that most of our graduates will go to college.  Thus, we employ a full-time college counselor.  Our sophomores and juniors take the PSAT, and Franklin Academy is a test center for SAT and ACT examinations.  Our parents share impressions about individual colleges that they visit with their son or daughter, and alumni provide feedback regarding their college experiences.  To date, Franklin seniors have gained admission to more than one hundred different colleges and universities.

9.  NEASC Accreditation

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges granted Franklin Academy accredited status in September of 2007.  Accreditation means that our school meets the criteria for those standards of excellence by which the "educational community assures the high quality of each member school."  NEASC commends Franklin Academy for creating an academic program and residential community that completely matches its mission. 

10. Continuing Innovation

Franklin Academy offers a model program to serve students with nonverbal learning differences. An on-going assessment of student performance parallels a continuing critique of curriculum, teaching strategies, and college admissions in a never-ending quest to serve our students more effectively.  As a consequence of our comprehensive self-study for accreditation, we forged an ambitious institutional action plan that we are now implementing.  

We are proud of the school that we have created.  What follows is a link to the initial impressions of visitors to campus and a growing collection of observations and testimonials from parents, students, and graduates who know us best.