Atlanta Classical Academy: A Gateway to College and Beyond
Atlanta Classical Academy (ACA) stands as a beacon of classical education within the Atlanta Public School District. As a tuition-free K-12 public charter school, ACA is committed to developing students in mind and character through a classical, content-rich curriculum. This approach emphasizes virtuous living, traditional learning, and civic responsibility, shaping well-rounded individuals prepared for college and beyond.
A Classical Education for the Modern World
The classical model at Atlanta Classical Academy enriches a young person’s heart and mind by leading them toward moral and intellectual virtue. It offers students the accumulated wisdom of the “best which has been thought and said,” and liberates them to learn what is true, do what is good, and love what is beautiful. By teaching students to cultivate virtue, classical education leads them toward lives of freedom and moral responsibility. ACA students develop critical thinking skills, a strong sense of citizenship, and a commitment to character formation.
College Acceptance and Preparation
Atlanta Classical Academy boasts a 100% college acceptance rate among its graduates. This impressive statistic reflects the school's commitment to preparing students for higher education. The college advising team at ACA believes the college search process should be enriching and expansive, full of opportunities for personal discovery.
ACA's small class sizes allow them to start the college counseling process as early as freshman year. The college counseling team brings a combined experience to the ACA community. They provide a holistic counseling program that aims to help students both identify their strengths and to find a place where they will flourish after ACA. The team strives to know the students well and divide up the college counseling work in a way that allows them to get to know the students and to support the full timeline of the application process.
Atlanta Classical Academy students received more than $5 million in scholarships and were admitted to more than 60 colleges and universities.
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Academic Excellence and Rankings
Atlanta Classical Academy consistently receives state and national recognition for academic excellence. U.S. News & World Report ranks Atlanta Classical Academy #539 in the National Rankings. The school also holds high positions within Georgia, the Atlanta metro area, and among charter high schools. These rankings are based on student performance on state-required tests, graduation rates, and college preparation metrics.
Specifically, U.S. News & World Report considers factors such as:
- College Readiness: This measures student participation and performance on AP® exams and IB exams. At Atlanta Classical Academy, 69% of 12th-grade students took at least one AP® exam, and 50% passed at least one.
- Subject Proficiency: This assesses student performance on state exams, such as the Georgia Milestones Assessment System.
- Underserved Student Performance: This measures the proficiency on state exams among typically underperforming subgroups.
The school's graduation rate is 100%, significantly higher than the state median.
A Look Back at the Class of 2019
Atlanta Classical Academy seniors received their diplomas on Saturday, May 18 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.
Facilities and Future Growth
Despite its success, Atlanta Classical Academy faces challenges related to its facilities. The high school is currently housed in temporary modular buildings, and science labs and bathrooms are limited. To address these issues, the ACA Board of Directors approved a strategic plan in 2023 to make major improvements to the current facilities. The school embarked on a $12,000,000 capital campaign called Cavaliers Build: The Campaign for Atlanta Classical Academy.
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Lottery and Enrollment
Atlanta Classical Academy is a public, open-enrollment school that serves students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. Students must reside within the City of Atlanta to attend. Enrollment Lottery for 2026-2027 School Year NOW OPEN. To the extent that demand exceeds the number of available seats for any given grade, the administration will conduct a public, system-generated, grade-level lottery.
Atlanta Classical Academy participates in Apply APS Charter, the unified enrollment platform for schools chartered by the Atlanta Public School District. Sibling preference refers to giving preference in the lottery to students who already have a sibling enrolled at the school. In accordance with O.C.G.A. 20-2-2066(a)(1)(A), and as required based on the terms of the charter agreement, ACA employs a weighted lottery for economically disadvantaged students. To facilitate the weighted lottery, applicants will indicate their economically disadvantaged status on the application. Applicants who receive offers will be required to provide documentation of the economically disadvantaged status. The weight shall be calculated annually with the formula: W = (PA - PE) / (E - PE) and consistent with the charter agreement.
Hillsdale College Partnership
Atlanta Classical Academy is a Hillsdale College Member School, a distinction that offers the school access to curriculum and training from the Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office. Each year complimentary trainings are offered at Hillsdale College for the board, leadership, and teachers at ACA, and representatives from Hillsdale visit the school regularly to advise and observe. Hillsdale College provides a variety of supports to Member Schools like Atlanta Classical Academy, including training for school leadership, on-site professional development for new teachers, classroom observations and coaching for teachers, an online library of resources, and free training opportunities for boards, leaders, and teachers.
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