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Acton Academy Venice Beach
Acton Academy Venice Beach, nominated by Mastery Transcript Consortium, is an elementary/middle/high school in Venice, California, that describes itself as an independent (private) school serving learners from a primarily urban area.
Location Venice, California
Governance Independent (Private) School
Grades Elementary, Middle, High
Students 14
Locale Urban
Acton Academy Venice Beach Dani Foltz-Smith
Demographics
Percentage of students*
—
English Learners
—
Free/Reduced Lunch
—
Students with Disabilities
African American or Black —
American Indian/Alaska Native —
Asian 20%
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —
Hispanic or Latino —
White 70%
2+ Races —
Why Acton Academy Venice Beach was nominated
This school has a fully implemented mastery-based learning system and uses the Mastery Transcript as the official summative record for some or all graduates., This school has implemented a competency-based learning model and is or will soon be publishing Mastery Transcripts or MTC Learning Records as summative records for some or all graduates., The school has implemented mastery-based learning system and uses the Mastery Transcript as the official summative record for some or all graduates or supplements the legacy transcript with the MTC Learning Record reporting on "durable skills) (aka "portrait of a gradudate" competencies).
Student experience design
Our project-based approach with a narrative format allows for the learners to apply knowledge across subjects and disciplines allowing for deeper learning and understanding. The daily learning objective is for each student to learn how to learn, learn how to do, and learn how to be. Through personal empowerment, agency, and responsibility, character growth drives our curriculum with students taking charge of managing and governing their own learning path and school community. Each graduate will be equipped to lead an organization, create curriculum, and inspire others to follow a Hero’s Journey.
Core Practices
| Core Practices | Length of Use |
|---|---|
|
Apprenticeships |
5+ years
|
|
Individual Learning Paths |
5+ years
|
|
Project-based Learning |
5+ years
|
|
Peer To Peer Support |
5+ years
|
|
Students Access Their Own Data |
5+ years
|
All Practices
Adaptive Learning Software
Advancement On Mastery
Student Advisories
AI Literacy
AI For Learning Materials
AI For Teacher Productivity
Anti-racist Practices
Assessments For Agency And Self-directed Learning
Assessments For Deeper Learning
Assessments For Social-emotional Skills
Blended Learning
Career Exploration
Co-leadership
Community And Workforce Partnerships
Competency/mastery-based Education
Early College High School
Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles
Grading Policies Focus On Mastery
Internships
Interoperable Data From Multiple Technologies
Individual Learner Profiles
1:1 Mentoring
Multi-age Classrooms
Industry Networking
No Tracked Classes
Performance Based Assessment
Restorative Practices
School-based Enterprises
SEL Curriculum
SEL Integration School-wide
Student-led Conferences
Student-led Goal Setting
Self-paced Learning
Students Develop Projects
Universal Design For Learning
key reasons for innovating
Demonstrate what’s possible for other schools
Improve school culture
Increase student agency
Date Updated: 4/1/2026
*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.