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Science & Arts Academy (SAA) (Des Plaines, IL)

• Website

  http://www.scienceandartsacademy.org/

• Topics

  • Educational Options: Day Schools
  • Grade Level: Elementary School
  • Grade Level: Middle School
  • Grade Level: Preschool

Comments

Parent on 12/3/2015

My PG daughter will graduate from Science & Arts Academy this spring, and it has been a phenomenal experience for her. The teachers have been fabulous about getting to know her and challenging her in a supportive environment. And the opportunity to have a group of true peers has been vital. The scope and breadth of the curriculum and the extra curricular activities helped her find passions and get to know herself.

Educator on 10/23/2014

We have been really thrilled with SAA since transferring our child to fifth grade at the academy. Everything the school promised us has happened, our student is challenged. They enjoy their peers and relate well to the great teachers. Extra curricular activities emphasize academics (with successful Science Olympiad and math teams) but include sports. Teachers and administration are responsive and caring. I'd say the school's strengths are science, differentiation especially in math, and critical thinking skills.

Parent on 4/13/2011

My PG daughter is in her fourth year at SAA, and it is the best year yet. The school has been supportive, flexible, and creative in meeting her needs, both academic and social/emotional. The teachers are beyond fabulous, and the curriculum is deep, engaging, and broad all at the same time. The ability to have such high caliber art, music, drama, and foreign language and also offer in-depth and accelerated math, science and language arts provides so many rich experiences and learning opportunities. Each child is an individual at SAA, and each is accepted and nurtured.

Parent on 4/11/2011

My daughter spent 5 1/2 great years in SAA. She graduated in 2008 and is a college sophomore now. Before choosing SAA we have looked at all possible options of meeting my PG daughter's needs. Looking back. I know SAA was the right place for us - great teachers, understanding the needs of gifted students. I hope this has not changed. No school is perfect, and SAA is not for everyone. It was a great experience for my daughter and I know she learned much more than academics.

Parent on 4/11/2011

My son was at SAA from the equivalent of K thru 5th grade. Loved it! He got to be who he was, w/out back-stabbing competition or snobbiness. It was great they moved from room to room, teacher to teacher, to get the expertise of instructors at an early age. Moved public middle school to make the adjustment to HS easier & have a gym (SAA had none then). Fall 2011 is Senior HS yr and he'll be in all AP or honors courses where no AP is offered. SAA rocked our world - he loved learning & was respected. Our college expectation is a place like SAA where he can be who he is, learn and love it, and not be teased or looked on enviously for being gifted.

Parent on 5/19/2008

Our son is concluding his his first year at Science and Arts Academy (SAA) in the baccalaureate program. I can't emphasize enough what a fabulous enriching experience it has been for him. The curriculum is deep, and the faculty is wonderful. He felt included and supported from day one.

Parent on 3/22/2008

We had high hopes for this school, and while the concept is great, we just didn't feel that it translated into reality. This was our first year at this school and we will be pulling out our child before the end of the year. We are concerned that the lack of a co-ordinated curriculum will have a negative effect at the high school level.

Parent on 1/30/2008

From our experience, SAA has a great mission statement but poor follow through in providing educational and healthy social growth for all students. Up through 1st/2nd grade is great, then quality diminished for us. We could not find an effective PTA or formal forum for parents to have concerns met in a professional and effective way. My advice would be to interview several parents and students before deciding!

Other on 12/8/2007

In our experience, we have found this school to be excellent for small kids, preK to 3rd grade. The instruction is flexible, kids can change academic grouping if necessary. These were really good years for my Davidson Young Scholar. However, in our experience, we have found that the school gets stricter and stricter about age limits. Going to "baccalaureate" (which essentially is middle school) is possible only for kids aged 10 - as a written policy. Subject acceleration through this "barrier" is impossible. Kids often are placed by age not by their ability and it can cost some advocacy to rectify placements like this. Academic placement according to subject ability was abandoned for placement in mostly age based groups. Again, from our perspective, the small and flexible school seems to develop into a larger and more rigid school which is sad because it betrays the school's original concept and understanding of gifted children.

Parent on 10/26/2007

This school is very flexible. Instruction is tailored based on the student's level. A six year old can learn 4th grade math with eight year olds. I can see my kids improve everyday.

Parent on 12/19/2005

I evaluated Quest and Science and Arts Academy for my gifted son. Quest offered nothing more than the already inadequate "gifted" program offered by my public school (move him up one grade level in same tired math book). SAA really differentiates and I am so glad we chose it over Quest. At SAA each child works as fast as they can with no limits. My son is now working almost 3 grade levels ahead and gaining every day. Quest calls its curriculum "gifted", but at best it is mildly accelerated and costs 30% more than SAA.

Parent of Davidson Young Scholar on 1/10/2005

I highly recommend the Science and Arts Academy for profoundly gifted students. I sent my son there when he started sight-reading in preschool and the his teacher recommended SAA. I had him in the Early School at 4 and 5, where as noted above, they do not require testing. That IN NO WAY interfered with my son's learning. In fact, his teacher as a five-year-old (they do not have formal grade levels) realized during the sixth week of school that my son took extreme interest in a lesson about bodies of water. Within two weeks they arranged for his having a one-on-one weekly geography class with the middle school social studies teacher. Later that year he took third place in their National Geographic Bee. My point is that they go out of their way to create individualized curriculum. We now attend the St. Louis Regional Program for Exceptionally Gifted Students (PEGS) because of a job transfer and I regret that my four-year-old will not have the same amazing introduction to learning as a kindergartener (PEGS starts in 1st grade) that my older son had at SAA.

Parent on 7/7/2004

It is a great place for pg children to be. Unfortunately the girl quota is quite low so finding other girls to play and learn with is difficult. Math could be a bit faster paced and more individualized in the lower grades. The policy of having children in age classes is not ideal in my opinion but the school is flexible enough to change placement if necessary. This is the biggest plus: the school is as flexible as one can dream of. If necessary changes are made quickly. Hopefully the plan to expand will not affect this flexibility.

Parent on 5/30/2004

This is our son's 6th year at Sciene & Arts Academy. We enrolled him in the half-day preschool when he was four years old, because the small class sizes appealled to us. Imagine my surprise (and delight) when, at fall conferences, his teacher said she would be working one-on-one with each student daily. I was a product of the public school system, and can count on one hand (with fingers left) how many times I spoke with my teacher one-on-one. Each year has brought new growth for our son, and I am continually impressed by the commitment and dedication to gifted education that these teachers have. As for the facilities, there is a certain magic that happens within those walls that amazes me. We have been very happy, every step of the way.

Member of the SAA Community on 5/29/2004

As a member of the Science & Arts community I feel compelled to point out that the preschool/kindergarten program is not exclusively for gifted children and the school does not require IQ testing until age 6. The small class sizes and high expectations set by the faculty and parents in the Early School, allow every child to succeed regardless of inherent ability. The students are placed in small groups based on where the student is academically for the core subjects. This allows the children to work at their own pace. In my experience, the school has gone above and beyond the standard to assure that the students' best interests are OF the utmost importance.They have been exceptionally cooperative IN trying TO ease the challenges that accompany families IN UNIQUE situations, such AS issues WITH custody AND visitation.The Science & Arts Academy IS a one OF a kind school that works hard TO insure the success OF ALL the students AND their families.I would highly recommend it TO anyone WITH an elementary OR junior high age student who IS gifted AS well AS ANY child ages 3 TO 5.

Parent on 5/27/2004

Just yesterday, someone at the library marveled how my five-year-old could read at the level she does. My wife and SAA are the answer. I love the school. Facilities aren't so hot, but that's the least important factor. Besides, they are in process of relocating so even that will soon be irelevant. I like the "individualism" of the school. Kids aren't in uniforms nor in boxes.

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