Can High School Be Holistic?

Fitting In AND Staying on Track at a School Tailored for Neurodivergent Students

High school can be hard — and not just the academics. In a Pew Research study, 48% of teachers said anxiety was an issue for their students, and 1 in 5 cited bullying. 

Now multiply those struggles if you’re neurodivergent. That could be ADHD, sensory sensitivity, being on the spectrum, or a host of other differences that make it hard to learn in a traditional school setting. And for some, even when academic progress is fine, fitting in is hard. They may not have many friends or be included in any groups. 

As a parent of a student approaching high school, you may be asking “is high school going to work? Will they fit in, will they be able to keep up with the faster pace and heavier homework loads?”

Each person is different, as is each school and classroom. But for those who know that traditional schools might not meet their needs, Franklin Academy offers an alternative.

Holistic, Whole Person Learning

Franklin Academy is a K-12 accredited school co-located with other programs (including Franklin Therapy, Camp Franklin, and a post-secondary program) for neurodivergent people ages 4 to 28. The Academy focuses on regulation before education in the younger years. Meaning quite simply, you need to be calm and focused in order to function well – which is true for neurotypical children, too.

As children get older, and enter upper grades, the emphasis shifts to regulation integrated into education.

“We have a strong pipeline from the lower and middle schools to our Upper School, or high school,” says Sarah Makarem, Academy Program Manager. “We also attract students who know their uniqueness might make the academics of high school more difficult than they need to be, so they join us either in high school, or right before it.” (Read more about a high schooler who joined before 9th grade and then was able to return to his former school.)

In addition to academics, “we do quite a bit of social-emotional education,” says Makarem. “We do it in a formal, curriculum-based way, as many schools do, and we also do it via social-emotional groups, where students can work on topics together.”

For example, a new addition to the upper school (9-12th grades) is a seminar course focusing on executive function and transition. The Academy has also integrated project-based learning into each class, while continuing to focus on the core curriculum common to all Minnesota high schools.

Flexibility and Core Curriculum: You Can Have Both

“Anyone who comes to Franklin Academy for high school will be learning the same subjects as they would in any other high school,” said principal Kimberly Strandemo. “If you come for a year and then go back to a public or private school, you’ll be on track. We accommodate the learning to each student. And that gives the teachers and the students creative control – what works best for one child may not be the same for another, or what worked one day might not work another day. We work as a team to tailor the teaching for maximum learning.”

A prime example is how Franklin Academy teaches science. Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), teachers can organize the standards by grade level, by subject (chemistry, physics, biology, etc.), or by disciplinary core idea (DCI). 

The Academy uses the DCI organizational approach to teaching science. DCIs are “the fundamental ideas that are necessary for understanding a given science discipline” or as science and technology teacher Thyme Masters explains: “Focusing on DCI helps us to better focus our attention on what students can do in science, rather than what they can memorize about science. DCI gives us a framework to evaluate how a student has progressed in a topic over many years, and aligns with practices found among scientists in their respective disciplines. 

In every unit we ask ourselves the same questions: How does the energy function in the system? What patterns can I recognize? What has remained stable and what has changed? What structures, corresponding functions, and cause-and-effect relationships affect the system as we progress through time and consider proportion and quantity? Ultimately we’re helping students to build their own systems and models to reference for the rest of their lives.”

Woven throughout the science classes, both what’s required (biology) and electives (like electrical engineering), “we teach students the scientific methods starting with inquiry. What am I curious about? How can I conduct background research and lead myself towards eventually writing an experiment on my own?”

The integrated teaching model helps students build the ability to ask high quality questions and work with small groups to develop their ideas. “That’s something we’re always striving to develop further,” said Masters. “I’m building a network of supports to enhance student independence as they develop their understanding of the disciplinary core ideas and make cross-curricular connections. We have students actively working towards discovery.”

While the curriculum follows state standards for the core subjects (English Language Arts, Math, Science, and History), the Academy has moved away from standardized testing and now uses a continuum model. 

“The continuum allows us to measure learning without measuring the ability to take standardized tests,” said Makarem. “We evaluate skills, deficits, growth, progression. Some students may plateau in math, but skyrocket in English. A continuum allows us to get a more comprehensive picture so we can adapt the learning to the learner.”

No Need to Suffer Through High School

An additional benefit for all grades at Franklin Academy is the “one-stop shop” approach. Meaning, from classes at the Academy, to mental, behavioral, physical, occupational, and speech therapy at Franklin Therapy, to sports through the partnership with Breck school, to after-school activities with Franklin Enrichment and summer programs through Camp Franklin, a student can be connected to friends, learning, and receiving therapy all at the same place through the same team.

This collaborative, ongoing communication is huge for parents, who don’t have to repeat themselves to each different provider. And minimizing transitions is a benefit for both parents and students.

Makarem shared an example of a prospective student who came in for a shadow day (a full or half day where prospective students can go to classes and interact with both teachers and students to get a feel for the Franklin way). This family is seeking an alternative setting for their child due to the fact that their private school cannot provide the educational services needed for their son. Currently, they attend their private school in the morning, are bussed to a public school in the afternoon and then bussed back to their private school for clubs and sports. This creates many transitions and disruptions throughout his day. 

“Our goal is to eliminate some of those barriers,” said Makarem, “because that’s tiring. After all that back-and-forth they’re spent, then the homework isn’t getting done, so they’re falling behind in class. Transitions are tough for neurodivergent learners. Here, it’s all integrated. Saves the parents time, too!”

A Sense of Belonging

The biggest benefit of Franklin Academy for neurodivergent students/ The sense of belonging. 

“Kids don’t have to suffer in school anymore,” said Makarem. “Children do well when they can. They learn best when they feel cared about and valued. When students feel a sense of belonging, when they feel emotionally, physically, mentally safe, that’s when the magic happens. As a small school with small classes, we know and we care about you.”

If you’d like to learn more about Franklin Academy, please reach out to us. We’d love to learn more about you and invite you in for a tour.