Igniting the spark in every student
“Every morning I know I’m going to learn something important.”
“My son is successful in school now, thanks to his teacher’s ongoing optimism, professionalism, communication, relentless energy, and commitment. She cared enough to stick with him when he was frustrated, and she knew enough to figure out what the real problem was and show him how to overcome it.”
Groves also reaches out beyond the school. The Learning Center at Groves Academy serves children and young adults in the community who aren’t enrolled at Groves but can benefit from the expertise and experience of our teachers and staff. Professional learning programs at Groves share advances in research-based instruction and strategies proven successful at Groves with other teachers so these can be applied in schools everywhere.
For over 45 years GROVES ACADEMY has provided exemplary full-day and outreach programs for students who have strong ability and desire to learn along with dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning challenges. We help close the gap between academic potential and achievement.
Our school is accredited through ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) and enrolls over 280 students in grades 1-12. Average class sizes of eight, research-based instruction, and a supportive, personalized environment enable each student to have a positive school experience and achieve academic success. Some students graduate from Groves; others stay at Groves for several years before transitioning to a school where they can successfully apply the skills and strategies they learned at Groves.
We strive to make learning a joyful experience.
To redefine the way our nation is taught, one student, one teacher, and one school at a time.
OUR MISSION is to build confidence, success, and purpose through transformative learning experiences.
At the heart of Groves Academy is a community where students, families, faculty, and staff are engaged with a sense of belonging, sharing, and support. As a community, integrity and respect are intrinsic in everything we do.
“When I read with my son now he is fearless, and proud of his ability. The reading ability itself is incredible, but it has impacted my little boy in a much bigger way. He is more confident, more compassionate, and more independent than ever before.”
OUR VALUES
WE VALUE
Authenticity · Collaboration · Compassion · Discovery · Tenacity
OUR VISION
We believe that self-confidence grows as students experience success.
Groves Academy believes in the importance of education as a positive force in the lives of people who have learning and attention disorders.
We believe that research-based teaching is essential in developing academic competence. We are committed to helping individuals recognize and develop their strengths, build effective learning strategies, and ultimately become stronger self-advocates.
WE BELIEVE that individuals with learning difficulties along with average intelligence and a desire to learn can reach their potential. We believe they can confidently face their challenges and achieve greater success when the educational environment is designed to build independence and individual identity.
We believe in the importance of peer support and understanding in a community based on strong and caring relationships.
“Everybody makes everyone feel included in everything we do here.”
One core component of the curriculum is the Wilson Reading System®, an Orton-Gillingham-based approach that provides direct, systematic, interactive, and multi-sensory instruction. It emphasizes word study and provides the skills necessary to decode (read) words and passages accurately and fluently, and to encode (spell) with ease. The Writing Revolution®: Strategies for Effective Writing Instruction is a curriculum designed to help students of all ages develop expository writing skills. The primary goals of this program are to raise the linguistic complexity of students’ sentences and to improve the organization of their compositions. Singapore Math® is an instructional approach that develops mathematical reasoning and logical thinking through problem solving.
“At Groves, they don’t just understand my learning disability. They also understand my abilities.”
Various assistive technologies help some students narrow the gap between their considerable potential and their academic challenges. While remediation is important, accommodation can also be a necessary tool.
All students receive daily instruction in core academic areas, executive functioning, and electives. Extracurricular opportunities allow students to explore their interests and build their talents in art, engineering, sports, and theater.
The CURRICULUM at Groves is designed to support students who are capable of learning but need a different way to learn. In some cases a specialized curriculum is warranted; at other times a traditional course of study, taught by uniquely talented teachers who have a deep understanding of learning challenges, is the key to students’ success.
“All my teachers know me and believe in me.”
are highly trained and use a diagnosticprescriptive approach that continually assesses a child’s learning. Published materials and textbooks do not drive lesson planning. Rather, teachers create lesson plans based on the rate and style of learning. Homework also plays a significant role in the pace and delivery of instruction. Because homework is assigned at a level where students can work independently, it is an important indicator of how a student is progressing.
Instruction at Groves emphasizes executive functioning skills and self-advocacy as well as academic skills. We believe that learning how to learn is just as important as learning content.
We believe students learn best when INSTRUCTION is explicit, structured, multi-sensory, and addresses individual strengths and challenges. To support this belief, Groves provides the resources necessary to accommodate diverse learning styles and skill levels.
To ensure that every student works towards his/her potential, each student’s cognitive and academic strengths and challenges are identified, and an individual educational program is designed. Instruction for each student begins at the level where the student has experienced success and then moves forward in small sequential steps. Students are grouped into purposefully designed classes of eight students, methods and materials are geared toward individual needs, and students are actively engaged in learning through multi-sensory, relationship-based Grovesinstruction.teachers
Students learn best when instruction addresses individual strengths and challenges.
As part of the application process, families are required to send school records such as report cards and Individual Education Plans (if applicable), recent individual psychological/educational testing, and teacher recommendation forms. Prospective students are invited for a full-day visit after these materials have been Acceptancereviewed.isbased
Groves Academy is committed to providing financial aid to families who qualify for this support. Each year nearly a third of the families at Groves receive scholarships based on financial need and available dollars in the Groves Scholarship Fund.
on Groves Academy’s ability to meet a child’s needs. Most students at Groves have a learning disability or attention disorder, demonstrating average or above average intelligence with unexpected low achievement in the classroom. Groves does not admit students whose primary area of disability is related to social, emotional or behavioral issues.
“Groves fosters respect for self, respect for other people’s abilities and talents, and respect for their differences.”
The ADMISSIONS process for our school focuses on providing guidance, supporting parents, and determining whether Groves is a good fit for a student’s needs. Parents and the admissions office start the process by sharing information, and parents are encouraged to visit the school.
“Groves got our daughter back on track, renewed her hope, rebuilt her curiosity, supported her intelligence, and opened additional pathways to learning.”
We understand that proven reading instruction benefits all learners. We beleive we have a moral obligation to democratize effective literacy instruction.
Our Institute for Professional Learning shares the evidencebased teaching methods from our school to advance literacy instruction with other teachers, schools, and organizations in the community. Our programs and partnerships provide professional development for teachers in public and private schools throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. We help educators close the achievement gap in their own schools by integrating the evidenced-based approaches and best practices they learned at Groves. Additionally, we offer educators unique teaching, tutoring, and training opportunities within our organization.
Students who don’t attend our school can still benefit from the expertise of Groves teachers and staff. The Learning Center offers diagnostic testing, tutoring, summer programs, assistive technology training, speech and language services, educational consulting, and career and postsecondary coaching.
“I wish I had learned in my teacher prep classes what I took away from this workshop.”
Groves also offers community education workshops, conferences, and resource materials for families, educators, and other professionals. We are committed to supporting children who learn differently and their families wherever they are on their journey.
Groves reaches out to the COMMUNITY to provide resources and services to students, families, educators, and other professionals.
“Groves is a unique school because all of us share something in common–learning differences. It is much easier to learn at Groves, and much easier to fit in.”
Groves Academy is the leading school in the Midwest for students who have learning disabilities and attention disorders, as well as a center for literacy instruction, education, and advocacy. We are a beacon for students who want to learn but are challenged with a learning disability that affects academic achievement.
Who We Serve
Groves Academy and the Groves Learning Center help students who want to learn but struggle with a learning disability or attention disorder that affects achievement. These programs are not designed to help students with autism spectrum disorder, students with developmental or cognitive disabilities, disruptive or oppositional students, or students with emotional disabilities unrelated to a learning disability or attention disorder.
AboutGrovesAcademy
St. Louis Park, MN
952.920.2068952.920.637755416MAIN FAX groveslearning.org
At GLO, we work to understand a student’s diverse learning style and skill level, and then provide the resources they need to succeed. We offer individualized support, whether that means a specialized curriculum, a holistic array of services, or the guidance of a uniquely talented teacher or tutor with a deep understanding of learning disabilities and attention disorders.
3200 Highway 100 South
