About Us

Building Bright Futures

Welcome to Alliance Charter Academy, where school, community, and home learning combine to give your child the learning experience that meets their needs. Alliance Charter Academy (ACA) believes that learning best occurs when teaching is focused on:

Instruction tailored to each individual student’s needs and learning styles.
One-on-one time with a licensed teacher.
Real-life, context-based learning.
Enrichment through field trips, apprenticeships, cooperative classes, technology, etc.
Schooling that combines both academic instruction and life experiences.
Intrinsically motivating students—providing interesting learning opportunities to stimulate individual interests.

ACA blends the values of the homeschool community with the strengths of an accredited, public K-12 charter school. At Alliance every student receives a personalized learning experience. Our school community is comprised of families from homeschooling and traditional schooling backgrounds. Partnerships among teachers, staff, students, and parents ensure every student has the learning opportunities they need. Students at ACA combine school, community, and home learning to create a custom schedule that allows their academic and creative strengths to flourish. ACA is also a nationally-accredited charter school, so students are taught to the state content standards that will allow them to succeed beyond our walls.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to personalize learning through a collaboration of family, community and school; to nurture the innate curiosity of our students; ignite their passion for learning; and prepare them for lifelong success.

Information for Prospective Families

Personalized Learning

ACA offers a blend of the values of the homeschool community with the strengths of an accredited charter school. We develop a personalized learning experience for each student based on their educational needs and interests. Each student is assessed at enrollment for academic levels in math and reading. Parents and students work with licensed Education Specialists (ES) to develop Personalized Learning Plans that address individual learning needs, styles, and preferences, with the goal of working toward mastery of the Oregon State Content Standards. Teachers are trained in teaching to a variety of learning styles, and to help facilitate learning and guide instruction.

Our foundational belief is that it is critical for education to create freedom of choice within a given structure. In addition, there are multiple choices regarding methods of study and the types of curriculum materials used. A cornerstone of the educational approach is the concept of “a classroom without walls”—in other words, the world as a classroom. Personalized educational options include traditional classroom instruction, independent study, credit for proficiency, small group instruction, home school, community-partnership-based learning, service learning, tutoring, multimedia, internships, online classes, apprenticeships, and college courses.

Parent Involvement

At ACA, you will play an active part in your child’s education. Our community of teachers, staff, and parents partner to create the right learning environment for your child. ACA was founded by parents, and parents participate in our school at every level—from board member to administrator. From Education Specialist to classroom volunteer. Parents help set the vision for the school, engage in instructional activity, and volunteer in the daily operations of the building.

As a parent, you will be involved in the life of ACA in many ways:

As an educator: At ACA, parents take personal responsibility for implementing curriculum for the home-study portion of a student’s Personal Learning Plan.
Be present in the classroom: Parents are often in the classrooms of ACA’s onsite classes. Parents of younger children (grades K-3) are required to attend all onsite classes with their children. Parents of children in grades 4-5 are required to remain on school property while their children attend onsite classes.
Join the Parent Team: The Parent Team, or PTO, meets monthly to coordinate the fundraising, event planning, and volunteer needs of the school.

Education Specialists

ACA supports our students by providing them with an Education Specialist (ES). Together with the ES, parents and students identify each student’s unique learning style, create individualized educational goals and objectives, and select a curriculum that will support the Personalized Learning Plan. The ES meets with the student weekly and documents the student’s progress in a monthly learning record.

The most important role of the ES is to offer guidance to parents and students regarding an appropriate course of study that will enable students to meet the educational standards for each grade level. The ES provides support for the student’s academic journey by:

Completing the required paperwork and documentation for each student.
Advising and offering guidance to both parents and students regarding academic issues.
Facilitating the ordering of materials and monitoring material check-out and check-in.
Researching academic resources a family may need.
Evaluating student progress
Communicating with families concerning school policies and procedures.
Monitoring assignments and evaluating student progress.
Completing progress reports for high school students.

Learning Records

The ES is responsible for compiling required documentation of the student’s progress on a weekly basis, including verifying that work is aligned to the State Standards and the completed work is equal to, and representative of, a complete body of work for a student’s particular grade level. A monthly learning record includes corresponding work samples, state standards met, curriculum materials used, method of instructional delivery, and assessments.

Weekly Meetings

The ES schedules one hour per week for a face-to-face ES/student meeting. Time spent with the student and parent during face-to-face meetings provides an opportunity for the student and parent to ask questions and for the ES to share different teaching strategies, suggest activities and resources, offer support and encouragement, give help with assignments, review work samples, and assess the student’s progress in meeting state content standards.
During the meeting, each ES will view work completed during that learning period and interview the student to ascertain/verify learning for that period. The ES may read examples of the student’s work, listen to the student’s explanation of a concept learned, or watch while a student demonstrates an activity.

On-site Program

ACA operates a site-based program to support students who benefit from group instruction. Our optional site classes run Monday through Thursday, with Fridays designated as applied learning days for studies at home or in the community. Classes are offered in a variety of subjects and feature mixed-age student groupings that reflect skill level rather than grade level.
Our site-based class offerings are determined by student need and interest, annual surveys, school improvement goals, and staff recommendations.

Enrollment in on-site classes is not guaranteed. Parents should be prepared to homeschool at any time.

Instruction that supports diverse, personalized approaches towards learning:

Student-centered, authentic, flexible and creative.
Meets diverse educational needs and learning styles (tutors, inquiry-based, field trips, hands-on, mentors).
Delivered by positive and enthusiastic teachers who are knowledgeable about their subjects.
Student-driven, wherein a student assumes responsibility and ownership for his or her education.

Assessment that supports diverse and personalized approaches:

Ongoing and formative.
Assumes high expectations for students.
Respects different learning styles by providing a variety of assessment methods.
Involves students in goal planning and reflective self-assessment.

Curriculum that supports families with educational resources, guidance and opportunities:

Comprehensive and state standards based.
Supports diverse educational needs and learning styles.
Focuses on student-centered, individualized learning.
Incorporates challenging and engaging learning materials and activities.

Environment is a safe and nurturing learning environment for all community members:

Provides opportunities for all students to learn positive academic, social, and life skills.
Respects diversity while valuing community goals and partnerships.
Safe, fun, and respectful.
Inclusive and encouraging of open and honest communication among all students, parents, and staff.
Small class sizes and warm, welcoming spaces.
Students, parents, and staff work to promote the culture of ACA.