Saved Schools

The Forest School

The Forest School, nominated by Mastery Transcript Consortium and Transcend, is an elementary/middle/high school in Fayetteville, Georgia, that describes itself as an independent (private) school serving learners from a primarily urban/suburban/rural area.

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Location Fayetteville, Georgia

Governance Independent (Private) School

Grades Pre-Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, High

Students 196

Locale Rural, Suburban, Urban

CEO & Head of School Tyler Thigpen

Demographics

Percentage of students*

5%

English Learners

—

Free/Reduced Lunch

16%

Students with Disabilities

African American or Black 50%

American Indian/Alaska Native —

Asian —

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —

Hispanic or Latino 7%

White 40%

2+ Races —

Why The Forest School was nominated

The Forest School is a micro-school that centers student agency and gives all learners opportunities to design their own learning journey. The school leverages hands-on "quests" in which students are at the center of their own Hero's Journey. They also utilize portfolios and exhibitions rather than grades, as well as mixed-age classrooms rather than industrial-style age-based cohorts., 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

At Forest, children flourish. They are enabled as young learners to safely explore and understand the world around them and how they can make it better. Each child will: He or she will: Begin a Hero's Journey; Learn to be curious, become an independent learner, and love lifelong learning; Discover his or her most precious gifts, along with the dedication it takes to develop real talent; Understand the importance of strong character; Cherish the arts, wonders of the physical world, & the mystery of life; and treasure economic, political, & religious freedom.

Core Practices

Core Practices Length of Use

Blended Learning
5+ years

All Courses Designed For Inclusion
5+ years

Individual Learning Paths
5+ years

Peer To Peer Support
5+ years

Self-paced Learning
5+ years

All Practices

Adaptive Learning Software

Advancement On Mastery

Student Advisories

AI For Learning Materials

AI For Teacher Productivity

AI-assisted Tutoring

Anti-racist Practices

Assessments For Agency And Self-directed Learning

Assessments For Career Readiness

Assessments For Deeper Learning

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Co-leadership

Community And Workforce Partnerships

Family And Community Support Services

Competency/mastery-based Education

Culturally Responsive Practices

Disaggregated Data On Student Participation

Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles

Grading Policies Focus On Mastery

Interoperable Data From Multiple Technologies

Individual Learner Profiles

Mental Health Services

1:1 Mentoring

Multi-age Classrooms

No Tracked Classes

Project-based Learning

Performance Based Assessment

High Quality Instructional Materials

Reallocation Of Resources For Students Most In Need

Restorative Practices

SEL Curriculum

SEL Integration School-wide

Student-led Conferences

Students Access Their Own Data

Student-led Goal Setting

Students Develop Projects

Tutoring

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.