ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Strong Academics. Built-in Support
A common assumption about specialized schools is that smaller means easier, that choosing support means accepting a lower bar.
At The Craig School, the opposite is true.
TCS serves capable students whose academic potential has not shown up in a traditional setting. A smaller school does not mean smaller expectations. It means an environment built for how your child actually learns. When the environment fits, capable students perform.
THE ACADEMIC MODEL
Learning and Support in the Same Room
At most schools, academic challenge and meaningful support are treated as a trade-off. TCS is built on the premise that they are not.
Strong academics and built-in support happen in the same classroom, every day. Your child receives a rigorous, grade-level curriculum inside an environment engineered for how they learn. That is the design.
THE CURRICULUM
A Rigorous, Research-Based Curriculum
Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, TCS uses Amplify as its core curriculum partner across all grade levels. These programs are evidence-based, knowledge-rich, and built for deep thinking. They are not a modified or reduced version of grade-level content.
Amplify Literacy
Desmos Math
Amplify Science
mClass Assessments
THE 5:1 DIFFERENCE
What the 5:1 Ratio Makes Possible
High expectations require the support to meet them. TCS maintains an average ratio of one staff member for every five students. Class sizes are capped at 16.
Each classroom is led by a California credentialed teacher and supported by Program Coordinators who provide academic coaching throughout the day.
In practice, that means:
- Your child is known. Instruction fits the learner in front of the teacher, not a generic plan.
- Feedback arrives in the moment. Support comes when it is needed, not at the next scheduled meeting.
- A struggle is caught early. Small classes make it possible to identify a gap before it widens.
- Progress is recognized promptly. Confidence builds on consistent, real wins.
Support is built into the room. Students do not leave to receive it.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
Skills built into the school day.
Planning. Starting. Staying organized. These are teachable skills, not fixed traits.
At TCS, executive function instruction is part of the day. No pull-out. No add-on. Your child learns to plan, organize, track progress, and ask for what they need.
CLEAR PROGRESS
Progress you can actually see.
You have sat through enough meetings where progress was described but never shown.
At TCS, assessment is part of the model. For 2026–27, we are adding Student Growth Assessments from Amplify mCLASS so you know exactly how your child is doing.
- Ongoing check-ins built into daily instruction
- Regular progress monitoring to catch what is not working
- Student Growth Assessments, new for 2026–27
- Classroom work
- Curriculum assessments
- Standardized measures
- Teacher observation
- Student reflection
PREPARED FOR WHAT COMES NEXT
Students leave ready.
TCS is not a stepping stone. It is a launchpad.
Graduates return to traditional schools ready to learn, advocate, participate, and move forward with confidence.
A QUESTION WE HEAR A LOT
"Will my child be challenged here?"
Yes.
High expectations stay. What changes is an environment that finally works with your child, not against them.
ADMISSIONS
Let's Talk
No pressure. Just an honest conversation about your child and whether TCS is the right fit.
Financial aid is available, up to full tuition. Reach out before you rule us out.
