Upper School
Upper School Overview
FRA’s upper school offers a rigorous academic experience with a deeply relational approach. Our talented faculty members challenge students in college-preparatory coursework while using the latest technology to enable students to think critically, collaborate, and creatively problem-solve. Small class sizes allow our teachers to provide detailed feedback and foster strong relationships with students, creating an environment that encourages them to strive for excellence.
The inclusive Christian environment at FRA prepares students to serve others and become leaders in their community. Students are encouraged to find their passion through co-curricular opportunities in athletics, the arts, and club activities. Students can participate in TSSAA sports, serve local partners as a Turner Fellow, hone leadership skills through Model UN or Youth in Government, and apply STEM skills in the state-of-the-art Innovation Lab and DNA Lab on campus.
From the first day of ninth grade through graduation, college counselors, advisors, and grade level chairs help each upper school student excel academically and set goals for the future through intentional programming and relationship building. All of our upper school community, both students and faculty, start each school year with an overnight retreat and grade level leadership training where relationships are forged and memories are made. This event, along with new student orientation, not only prepares incoming students, but also sets the tone for the school year.
Sample Schedule: The upper school has seven academic periods, six of which meet each day in a rotating order. The schedule ensures all students see their teachers at a variety of times throughout the week.
Advisory 12:15-12:40
Lunch 12:40-1:20
5th 1:25-2:15
6th 2:15-3:05
Tutorial 3:05 - 3:30
Unique Programs:
• Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership provides FRA students experiential and innovative learning opportunities which will develop the foundational skills required for success in entrepreneurial work. The curriculum and programs are designed to inspire students to pursue their passions while equipping them with the skills required to chart their own path. Students strengthen core competencies and skills in an incubator course, a rigorous year of project-based learning where they solve real-world problems by creating and testing their business model.
• Turner Fellowship: Sponsored by the Cal Turner Family Foundation, the Turner Fellowship program at Franklin Road Academy offers students who are committed to making a difference in the lives of others, the opportunity to serve with nonprofit organizations within the Nashville community. Each spring a selective application process is open to all rising seniors. Our Turner Fellows are recognized as exemplary FRA scholars with integrity, balance, and a strong commitment to community service. Each fellow completes a six-week paid internship and is eligible for a Turner Scholarship to the college of his/her choice. Each organization in which the fellows serve receives a financial contribution donated in honor of the Turner Fellow.
• AP Capstone: AP Capstone is an innovative diploma program that provides students with an opportunity to engage in rigorous scholarly practice of the core academic skills necessary for successful college completion. AP Capstone is built on the foundation of two courses – AP Seminar and AP Research – and is designed to complement and enhance the in-depth, discipline-specific study provided through AP courses. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical, evidence-based decisions.
• Global Online Academy: FRA offers an online database of virtually designed courses based on the student’s application and interest in elective offerings. Course offerings include, but are not limited to, Architecture, Bioethics, Business Problem Solving, Climate Change and Global Inequality, CSI: Computational Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Game Theory, Global Health, International Relations, Intro to Investments, and Intro to Legal Thinking.
• Interim: During our Interim week before spring break, upper school students participate in experiential learning opportunities and gain exposure to occupations while integrating meaningful, mission-appropriate service. Students participate in international mission trips, domestic travel opportunities, leadership skills development workshops, DIY workshops or job shadows at local corporations, and more.
• DNA Lab: The DNA Lab is a 500-square-foot space where students can learn and practice real-world lab techniques and procedures that are being used in the field of biotechnology. Stocked with PCR machines, gel electrophoresis, incubators, water baths, and a wide range of micro-pipets, the lab provides students access to the equipment needed to extract, replicate, and test genetic materials. FRA’s biotechnology courses meet daily in the lab, with other science courses using the lab regularly.
• Innovation Lab and Robotics: FRA’s 2,000-square-foot Innovation Lab is a unique area for students to receive individualized attention and gain hands-on experience in STEM. The lab features 3D printers and carvers, a laser cutter, a fully functional machine shop, state-of-the-art laptops and an HD projector system, a robotics arena, and modular seating and storage. Upper school technology and robotics classes utilize the space on a daily basis, while other classes utilize it for specific projects. The lab is also home to the VEX State Champion robotics team that competes in state, national, and world competitions.
• Writing Center and Math Lab: The writing center and math labs provide a supportive, collaborative environment focused on developing students’ ability to communicate effectively as writers and solve accurately as problem solvers. In addition to serving as a resource to help coach students in grades 5-12 in each skill set, each center provides ACT/SAT preparation and instruction. Writing center faculty help students craft strong thesis statements, utilize evidence effectively, organize papers coherently, improve sentence structure, and learn to use language more successfully, while the math lab teaches techniques to improve problem solving, logic, and reasoning skills.
2023-24
Upper School Curriculum Offerings
Students are required to take a minimum of six classes each semester, five of which must be core academic courses. Students must earn a total of 24 credits for graduation: four in both English and mathematics; three in the sciences and social studies; two in world language; one each in the fine arts, physical education, and religious studies. The remaining units may be taken in any department. Honors options are denoted with (H).
FRA Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
ENGLISH (4 years required)
9th Grade
English I: Genres in World Literature
English I: Genres in World Literature (H)
10th Grade
English II: The American Experience
English II: The American Experience (H)
11th Grade
English III: British Literature
AP English Language & Composition
12th Grade (* Fulfills English IV requirement)
English IV: Critical Thinking & Writing
AP English Literature & Composition
*Shakespeare Sampling
*Creative Writing
*WWI Modernism and Mental Health
*Fictional Worlds: Tolkien Studies
MATH (4 years required)
9th Grade
Algebra I
Geometry or Geometry (H)
10th Grade
Algebra II or Algebra II (H)
Geometry or Geometry (H)
11th Grade
Algebra II or Algebra II (H)
Geometry or Geometry (H)
Pre-Calculus or Pre-Calculus (H)
Calculus or AP Calculus (AB and BC)
AP Statistics
12th Grade
Pre-Calculus or Pre-Calculus (H)
Calculus or AP Calculus (AB and BC)
AP Statistics
Trigonometry & Analysis
SOCIAL STUDIES (3 years required)
9th Grade
World History: Ancient World History: Ancient (H)
AP Human Geography
10th Grade
AP World History: Modern
United States History
11th Grade
AP United States History
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP Art History
AP Psychology
American Government Economics
Psychology
Sociology: American Social Issues
The Holocaust: Meanings & Implications
12th Grade
AP European History
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP Art History
AP Psychology
American Government Economics
Psychology
Sociology: American Social Issues
The Holocaust: Meanings & Implications
African American History
War & Peace: Conflict in the Middle East
SCIENCE (3 years required; 4 recommended)
9th Grade
Biology or Biology (H)
10th Grade
Chemistry or Chemistry (H)
11th Grade
Anatomy & Physiology
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Physics or Physics (H)
AP Physics I
Science of Innovation
AP Environmental Science
Robotics
Engineering
12th Grade
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy & Physiology
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Physics or Physics (H)
AP PhysicsI
Science & Technology
AP Environmental Science
Robotics
Engineering
Biotechnology
WORLD LANGUAGE (2 years required; 3 recommended)
Latin
Latin I
Latin II
Latin III
Latin IV
Latin V/VI (H)
AP Latin
French
French I
French II
French III
French IV (H)
French V/VI (H)
AP French Language
French through Film, Literature & Music
Spanish
Spanish I
Spanish II
Spanish III or Spanish III
Spanish V/VI (H)
AP Spanish Language
Contemporary Spanish Language & Music
Spanish Culture through Film
TECHNOLOGY
AP Computer Science Principles
Digital Media
Digital Publications: Yearbook
Graphic Design
Innovations
Intro to Technology
Technology & Design Thinking
Technology: Gaming & Simulation
RELIGIOUS STUDIES (1 year required)
Old Testament
New Testament
Life of Christ
World Religions
Faith & Film
Christian Leadership
Advanced Placement Programs
FRA offers AP courses in all major disciplines and does not limit the number a student may take. Though not limited, students are advised to take a maximum of three per year. Enrollment in AP courses is based upon departmental approval, and all students enrolled in AP courses are required to sit for the AP exam. Courses Offered:
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (1 year required)
Wellness & Physical Education
Performance Fitness
Dance
FINE & PERFORMING ARTS (1 year required)
Music
Intro to Guitar
Intro to Band
Jazz Band
Vocal Ensemble
Concert Choir
Studio Rock Band
Theater
Dramatic Arts I
Dramatic Arts II
Theater Tech
Studio
Art I: Drawing
Art II: Color Theory
Art III: Advanced Art
Ceramics I
Ceramics II
AP Studio Art: Drawing
AP Studio Art: 3D Design
ACADEMIC ELECTIVES
Broadcast Journalism • Broadcast Journalism II • Criminology • Global Language: Writing & Linguistics • AP Capstone: Seminar • AP Capstone: Research • Classical Mythology •
Global Language Acquisition • Business Communication • Exceptional Learners • Entrepreneurial Leadership and Finance • Entrepreneurial Incubator and Accelerator •
Public Speaking • Photography
College Acceptances 2019-2023
Over the past five years, FRA students have been admitted to nearly 400 unique colleges and institutions. Eighty one students from the class of 2023 are attending colleges in 23 states and two countries.
Agnes Scott College
Alabama A & M University
American University
Appalachian State University
Arizona State University
Auburn University
Baldwin Wallace University
Ball State University
Bard College
Baylor University
Bellarmine University
Belmont University
Berea College
Berry College
Birmingham Southern College
Boston College
Boston University
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
Butler University
California Polytechnic State University
Carson-Newman University
Case Western Reserve University
Centre College
Chapman University
Claremont McKenna College
Clark Atlanta University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
Colgate University
College of Charleston
College of the Holy Cross
Colorado College
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia University in the City of
New York
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Culver-Stockton College
Cumberland University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Denison University
DePaul University
DePauw University
Drexel University
Duke University
Earlham College
Eckerd College
Elon University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Emerson College
Emory University
Fairfield University
Fisk University
Flagler College
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida Polytechnic University
Florida Southern College
Florida State University
Fordham University
Franklin and Marshall College
Furman University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
Gonzaga University
Guilford College
Hampshire College
Hampton University
Haverford College
Hawaii Pacific University
High Point University
Hofstra University
Howard University
Indiana State University
Indiana University-Bloomington
Iowa State University
Ithaca College
Jacksonville University
James Madison University
Kansas State University
Kennesaw State University
Kenyon College
Knox College
Lake Forest College
Lipscomb University
Long Island University
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University New Orleans
Lynn University
Macalester College
Marshall University
Marymount Manhattan College
Mercer University
Miami University, Oxford
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middlebury College
Millikin University
Millsaps College
Mississippi State University
Missouri Western State University
Montana State University
Mount Holyoke College
Muhlenberg College
Murray State University
New York University
North Carolina A & T State University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Notre Dame College
Nova Southeastern University
Oglethorpe University
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Oklahoma State University
Otterbein University
Pace University, New York City Campus
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Point Loma Nazarene University
Point Park University
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Randolph College
Reed College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhodes College
Rice University
Rider University
Roanoke College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rollins College
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Saint Edward’s University
Saint Louis University
Sam Houston State University
Samford University
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
Santa Clara University
Sarah Lawrence College
Savannah College of Art & Design - SCAD
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle University
Seton Hall University
Shenandoah University
Skidmore College
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Southeastern University
Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale
Southern Methodist University
Southwestern University
Spelman College
Spring Hill College
St Olaf College
St. Ambrose University
St. Francis College
St. John’s University-New York
Stetson University
Stony Brook University
Syracuse University
Temple University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University
Texas A & M University-College Station
Texas Christian University
The College of Wooster
The New School
The University of Alabama
The University of Montana
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of Tampa
The University of TennesseeChattanooga
The University of TennesseeKnoxville
The University of Tennessee-Martin
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Dallas
The University of the Arts
The University of the South
Toronto Metropolitan University
Transylvania University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Trinity College
Trinity University
Troy University
Tufts University
Tulane University of Louisiana
Tuskegee University
Union College (NY)
Union University
United States Naval Academy
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of California-Davis
University of California-Irvine
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-Riverside
University of California-San Diego
University of California-Santa Barbara
University of California-Santa Cruz
University of Central Florida
University of Central Missouri
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Dallas
University of Dayton
University of Delaware
University of Denver
University of Evansville
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Hartford
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Houston
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Indianapolis
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisville
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Memphis
University of Miami
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of North Alabama
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh
University of Puget Sound
University of Redlands
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of South Alabama
University of South Carolina
University of South Dakota
University of South Florida
University of the Arts London
University of the Pacific
University of Toronto
University of Tulsa
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ursinus College
Valdosta State University
Valparaiso University
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wagner College
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St Louis
Webster University
Wellesley College
West Virginia University
Western Kentucky University
Westmont College
Wheaton College
Whittier College
William & Mary
Wittenberg University
Wofford College
Xavier University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Yale University