Star Prep Academy

I can't say much here, but what I have to say can be summed up in this- This school is the best thing that happened to me. Thanks to the environment it provides, I am graduating at the age of 16 and attending a good four year university in the fall. Without Star Prep I wouldn't have graduated by now, and I might not have graduated a year from now if I continued at public school.
—Submitted by a student

Overall I am very happy with STAR Prep Academy. The individualized attention my child recieves here is much greater than that of other school programs in the area. They follow through on what they say and actually provide the real-world and hands-on education that they promise. Well rounded program with solid support from administration and teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Great program, great staff, great kids. The demand is high and yet they keep on delivering!
—Submitted by a parent

This is the school of our dreams. Passionate and caring staff, rigorous and cutting-edge curriclum, small classes, wide variety of elective offerings, and a uniqueness found nowhere else. Their recent facility renovations are outstanding! All of my children will attend this school. Worth every penny (yet their tuition is less than most other private schools)!
—Submitted by a parent

STAR Prep is exactly the nurturing environment I was looking for for my daughter. Not only has she grown academically, but also as an individual.
—Submitted by a parent

Star prep is supposed to be for the gifted and talented my child was hardly challenged here.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent creative arts program,small classes with nice teacher:student ratio, great staff, gr8 principal. Excellent Science teacher from Africa the best. Nice to be able to work with the animals in the Ecostation. Would have liked the school to have used a better, more enriched curriculum. Hope that they find a curriculum that can be blended with the many projects that were meant to offer real world learning experiences. Skills child learned well before attending, not maintained well at all-especially in Math/Pre-Alg, Grammar, vocab and Language Arts-they all suffered. Spanish class no work books. Expensive school that does not use textbooks? Utilized copied papers. Your child may be distracted by other students with behavior probs.The school has potential-but not willing to return.
—Submitted by a parent

Good school. Small setting. Creative and unique learning enviornment if your child is one who beats to a different drummer.
—Submitted by a teacher

STAR Prep Academy provides students with an opportunity to take hold of their education in a small, familial environment. The Academy provides students with unique opportunities to work with animals on a daily basis as part of their regular school day, while pursuing a college-prep course load. Instruction is differentiated to student level and needs, while the wide variety of elective options keep students engaged in their curriculum.
—Submitted by an administrator

STAR_Prep is the middle/high school of my dreams. Many schools advertise accelerated learning, individualized instruction, and a student-centered approach to education. STAR_Prep actually provides all that and more. My son wants to go to school again! Backed by STAR Education (award winning organization with a 20 year track record), STAR_Prep (in its fourth year) has hit the ground running: computer lab, laptops, state-of-the-art music lab, amazing elective courses, AP classes, 4 foreign languages, WASC affiliation (read accreditation ), and more. In addition to all that, STAR_Prep is partnered with STAR Eco Station (a non-profit exotic animal rescue/sanctuary). Students can work directly (and I mean hands-on) with the animals on a daily basis. Downside? The school is looking for larger facilities. No big team sports yet, big-school proms, and such. Flipside? No gangs, cliques, or drugs. Teachers know each student; are accessible; and focus on student success, not fundraising and tenure.
—Submitted by Jane Wishon, a parent

Star Prep Academy is unbelievable. Our son has always been a very good student, but has absolutely blossomed in this environment. He started middle school here in Fall 2006, and he not only enjoys going to school every day, but doing his homework! (We'll be here through high school.) The principal and teachers are the most wonderful we have ever experienced: enthusiastic, dedicated, hard-working, talented, warm, friendly and innovative. They honestly care for each student as an individual and do everything possible to help them succeed. Creative and critical thinking is encouraged instead of rote memorization. The small school size allows for very personalized instruction and attention. Art, music, film, fashion design, Japanese, and Brazilian capoeira are just some of the extras available to the students, and they can also work with rescued animals at the adjacent Ecostation. Parent involvement with special events and daily activities are highly encouraged and promoted.
—Submitted by Earle, a parent

My son came to live with me when he was about to enter his junior year. We quickly had to find a school, and it had to meet two requirements: 1)flexibility to work with him as an indenpendent study student for extended absences while he competed in sports tournaments 2) good college prepration and counseling (to make for the lack in his previous school). STAR Prep has far exceeded our expectations on both counts. He has small classes; extraordinary, stimulating teahers; a range of extracurricular activities that has transformed his ho-hum attitude toward school into dedicated enthusiasm; and a small, suppportive student body. Several mothers of his long-time friends have recently commented to me that they've never seen him so happy. Colleges that he previously dismissed out of hand as being too rigorous he is now sending for applications. I am thrilled with his transformation in just one year.
—Submitted by a parent

STAR Prep really does an amazing job individualizing and gearing the program to gifted and talented kids. Excellent teaching, truly amazing leadership and extraordinary enthusiasm on the part of staff make this an incredible school, especially for kids who enjoy more than just textbook learning and testing at a set pace. Offers an incredible array of classes with experienced teachers who like bright kids and are willing to go the extra mile -- or 10 -- to help students learn what they can do. Small and new, so it still has to establish its reputation and build the student body. It will, because it is on the cutting edge of educating teens for a world where creativity, flexibility, analytical thinking and producing quality work will be most valued. Although the program exceeds all classic college entrance requirements, kids here have to go beyond by setting their own high standards...and meeting them.
—Submitted by a parent