Despite several years of early childhood special education, Emma could not speak when she entered kindergarten at her well-regarded neighborhood school two years ago. Her diagnosis was "vague," according to her mother-possible autism, mental retardation. She spent hour after hour spinning in her front yard and, at age 6, was still in diapers.
Despite "everyone's best efforts-lots of IEP [individual education plan] meetings, pull-outs, a paraprofessional," Emma was not making discernable academic or social progress. "My husband and I were heartbroken to attend a class program after several months and see that she hadn't become integrated with the rest of the class," recalls her mother. "She was an outsider and so alone." They pulled Emma from the school (kindergarten attendance is not required in Minnesota) and began exploring alternatives.
It was then that Emma's parents learned of an inclusive elementary school being launched under the auspices of Minneapolis-based Fraser. The nationally renowned nonprofit organization founded in 1935 provides direct services, information, and support in education, housing, and health care for children of all abilities and adults with special needs. "For years, families who attended Fraser School, an inclusive early childhood center, had been so delighted with our services that they requested we expand into grade school," says Fraser President and CEO Diane Cross.
'What I would want for my own children'
When Fraser Academy opened last fall at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, Emma took her seat in a brightly decorated first-grade classroom with 12 students and four educators. Less than a year later, she is speaking and learning to read. She is a talented artist who has play dates with classmates. And the diapers are mostly gone.
"There are no barriers at Fraser Academy," says Emma's mother. "The kids are so important here. Emma laughs and runs into school every morning as she is greeted at the door. She's happy, and she's learning. Fraser Academy is making all the difference for her. For us."
But Fraser Academy isn't just for those with special needs. Parents throughout the metro area and beyond are catching on to the benefits that small class sizes, individual learning plans, and a continuous calendar can have for every child.
"I began by considering what I would want for my own children," says Director Marcy Doud, the mother of a first- and a third-grader. "First and foremost, the answer is a strong curriculum. We are using a thematic program at Fraser that helps build bridges from past experiences, develops a strong sense of community, and offers a shared base with remedial, main, and advanced tracks."
The school maintains "huge" personal portfolios that assess progress in accordance with curriculum and state standards. "There's a great deal of qualitative feedback for each child that feeds into individual learning plans," says Doud. "Our report cards contain a whole year's curriculum with benchmarks on every skill being taught. As a parent, I've found that a report stating my child meets or exceeds expectations in, say, reading doesn't tell me what I need to know. And we want to be sure we don't ignore a strength to focus on a weakness."
Each classroom team, which includes a mainstream teacher, special education teacher, and paraprofessionals, meets biweekly to assess student performance in core areas. The team conferences with parents at least three times during the school year.
"The focus is very much on the children and what needs to be done to help every one of them achieve all that they can," says Adam Hjerpe, whose typically developing 5-year-old will join a sibling with Down Syndrome at the school next month. "Fraser is results-oriented, more like a business model. Traditional public schools have been constrained by tough class sizes and archaic systems that tie the hands of well-meaning people. It's very difficult to innovate; they end up teaching to the middle, and kids who don't fall into that can get lost."
Filling a need
To help ensure its trademark "Bright Future" for every child, Fraser established the Academy as a charter school, an independent but public elementary program open to all children. Like all charter schools, it is tuition-free. "Target Corporation gave us a grant to do a feasibility study four years ago," says Chris Bentley, who has directed the startup. "We were originally talking about opening a private school, but a charter school made it possible for anyone to participate."
Minnesota passed the nation's first charter school legislation in 1991, providing a public alternative to neighborhood schools. As of last spring, some 17,500 students were enrolled in 104 charter schools throughout the state.
"It's important for families to have high-quality options," says Joe Nathan, director of the Humphrey Institute's Center for School Change, which offers a comprehensive listing of state charter schools on its website, www.centerforschoolchange.org. "The Legislature allocates money for the education of students, not for particular infrastructures. The money is for the children. There is no one best school for all kids, but the research is clear that smaller schools are safer and more effective. Fraser Academy is filling an important need."
For all children
Having started with 55 students in kindergarten through second grade, Fraser Academy expects 90 in K-3 when its second academic year begins in July. Another grade will be added at the start of each of the next two years. Busing is provided for those in the Minneapolis school district, with additional pick-ups in Richfield and on University Avenue. Others drive in from as far away as Farmington and Stillwater.
They come for a singular educational experience. "We are excited about the unique quality model of education that Fraser Academy brings to our community," Cross says. "Its vision fits with Fraser's mission and the legacy." Adds Bentley, "Fraser brought in a whole lot of expertise and support to develop this program. The school is very much in the Fraser model, with smaller class sizes-no more than 15 per room-and a high level of family involvement."
"My family has been involved with Fraser for nine years," says Marchel Lea, whose son and daughter "spent all their young years" at Fraser School and were among the first to enroll in the Academy. "We love the unbelievably supportive Fraser environment and the caring nature of the staff. Their level of communication is threefold what we experienced in our (neighborhood) public school. My kids are 'typical needs,' but the diversity has been invaluable for them. There's a great deal of sensitivity that comes with being there. And they are highly challenged. My son is gifted, and he is being supported to work to his potential."
"The philosophy here for all children is, 'We know you can do great things,'" says Hjerpe. "People care about you and want to push you, in a good way. Whatever your goals are, add 20 percent. Stretch! There's a lot of reinforcement and little wins. Everyone has development opportunities; the key is to find a baseline that fits you, regardless of grade levels."
The year-round calendar is another significant draw. Although Fraser Academy has the same number of schooldays as a traditional program, vacation time is distributed throughout the year. (Off-peak travel rates, anyone?!) Childcare is available during breaks (as well as before and after the regular school day).
"The kids aren't struggling to get back into a routine in September or relearning material forgotten during the summer months," says Bentley. "This is especially important for special needs kids who thrive on schedules and who may not have access to quality programs during the summer. Our continuous calendar is the most educationally sound for all kids, and it's also the most cost-effective."
Community effort
St. Cloud State University through its College of Education supervises the fully licensed teaching staff and integrated curriculum. Music and art therapy programs benefit all students, as do other strategies that originated in special education settings. "Tools we've used in special needs classrooms such as picture schedules and word labels help our beginning readers," notes Doud, who created South St. Paul's autism program. Fraser Academy also offers on-site physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
"Lead Champion" Fraser has provided startup administrative and financial assistance for the Academy, which is an independent entity. The Basilica of St. Mary bolsters the endeavor as an embodiment of its Jeremiah-inspired mission "to seek the well being of the city."
Family members volunteer at least 30 hours per year. "Parents have been willing to go the extra mile," says Lea, who chaired the parent council last year. "We have people willing to provide everything from reading help to cleaning the bathrooms. There are take-home opportunities for those who are not available during the day. We have had a lot of grandparents and friends get involved; it's a broader idea of family."
The parent council plans regular social activities for those families and also leads fundraising initiatives. Its current Chair, Hjerpe, says, "Everybody gets involved and gives a great deal of heart, soul, and time. You're not just dropping your kids off. There's a level of commitment and caring you don't find elsewhere."
Further support has come from such area corporations as Minnetonka-based Metris Companies, which donated much-needed playground equipment. "This is a great fit with our foundation's mandate of supporting children and families," says Tom Gottwalt, a Metris vice president who added a personal gift. Wells Fargo, Mann Theatres, Fox 29, and Citywide Service Corporation have made contributions as well.
The ultimate results are beyond measure. "There is such great joy in developing a program where I see happiness in the faces of the kids," Doud says. "We're helping them experience things that they may have thought were impossible. Everyone feels part of a community here."
Hjerpe lauds Doud and her entire staff for that achievement. "Fraser Academy is a meritocracy staffed with a fantastic group of people who really want to make a difference with their teaching," he says. "In private industry, when we do performance reviews, we identify strengths and development opportunities and customize a plan. It makes sense to do the same for children. This school thinks in terms of parachutes, not barriers."
Fraser Academy is located at 1601 Laurel Avenue in Minneapolis. To learn more, visit www.fraseracademy.org or call 612-465-8600.
Carol Ratelle Leach is Editor in Chief of Women's Business Minnesota magazine www.womensbizmn.com.
