Students who are enrolled in ACCESS Academy, along with their families, must abide by the policies and procedures outlined below. If you have questions about any of these items, please contact the Director of Academy.
Cognia AccreditationThe ACCESS Academy school-aged program has earned its accreditation through Cognia™. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional learning, and improvement solutions to institutions and other education providers. As a global nonprofit working in 90+ countries, Cognia serves 36,000 institutions, nearly 25 million students, and five million educators every day. For more information on Cognia, visit www.cognia.org.
ACCESS Academy runs 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday with a shortened school day during the summer months. Students with learning differences need to attend school year-round in order to reach their full potential and not lose academic skills. ACCESS depends on student attendance for this reason, as well as to meet required funding reimbursement from state and federal agencies. Regular attendance is crucial and enforced.
During regular school days, students may arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. Morning care is offered 7:30-8 a.m. for no additional cost.
ACCESS Academy is a year-round program. The ACCESS Academy summer schedule is Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., with morning care offered 7:30-8:00 a.m. Students have the option to enroll in the ACCESS Adventure summer program as well, scheduled during the summer months from 12:00-4:00 pm for ACCESS Academy students, with extended care services offered from 4:00-5:30 pm.
ACCESS Academy students may arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. for school. Students may stay as late as 5:30 p.m. if they are enrolled in extended care, which is available 3:00-5:30 p.m. during the regular school year for working parents. This service is not part of the ACCESS educational day. Students must be enrolled in the extended care program to participate. Enrollment in this program is based on staff availability to ensure proper staff-to-student ratios. Please see the Tuition and Fees schedule on our Admissions page for the cost of the extended care program.
There is a drop-in policy for extended care in order to assist families in case of an emergency or a situation where parents need childcare on a given day. Parents must contact the front office for approval of drop-in services. Approval is based on staff availability to ensure proper staff-to-student ratios. Drop-in extended care is $30 per day.
All parents, guardians, or approved pickup persons must park and come inside to the front lobby to pick up your child from after care. In the lobby, you will be asked to scan your unique after care tag to sign your child out. The individual working at the front desk will then call the appropriate after care space to request your child be sent to the lobby for dismissal. Students will NOT be allowed to go straight to the car for dismissal.
Mornign drop-off begins at 7:30 am and runs through 8:00 am. Students should be dropped off at their designated drop-off location:
CLICK HERE TO SEE A MORNING DROP-OFF AND CAR RIDER MAP
Students who are leaving campus at 3:00 p.m. will wait for their ride in the car rider line. Afternoon car rider line for all students leaving at this time will take place at cafeteria door in the back of Building 3, located at the back of the south parking lot. Parents/guardians will line up in the south parking lot along the greenhouse side. Students will be called to load into cars a few at a time as their ride approaches the front of the line. Once your student has gotten into the car, the driver will continue past the cafeteria doors toward the tennis courts, make a U-turn and continue toward the exit by following along the southernmost lane of the parking lot (closest to Fellowship Bible Church - Midtown). Our parking lots are very busy during this time. Please be aware of people and cars at all times, and drive slowly and cautiously.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MORNING DROP-OFF AND CAR RIDER MAP
Please remember that the car rider line is not the place for conversations; if you need to talk to someone, please be considerate of other driver’s schedules and park.
Any student who is still in the car rider line at 3:15 p.m. is considered an extended care drop-in; subsequently, parents will be charged the $25 daily drop-in fee.
Lunches may be brought from home; however, they cannot be refrigerated or heated at school. Please make sure your child’s lunch is nutritional and well-balanced. Any needed utensils should also be sent daily with your child’s lunch.
Students in the Upper School run a school store as a function of their classroom curricula. The store is available for students to purchase drinks (water, juice, and caffeinated beverages), candy, and healthy snacks. Students interested in buying items at the school store will need to bring money.
It is strongly recommended that students do not wear flip-flops, crocs or any other type of shoes (bulky or strappy) that make it difficult for them to walk around campus and participate in school activities. Students must have a pair of athletic shoes each day to participate in physical fitness programs and other school activities. Tennis shoes or other close-toed shoes with a strap around the heel are the best choice. Students need to be able to participate fully in all activities in class and around campus.
Students may not wear shirts that have inappropriate characters or messages on them. It is not appropriate for undergarments to show or for students to wear extremely tight clothing. Student’s shorts need to be an appropriate length offering complete coverage while students stand, walk, and sit. Shorts must also be visible below the shirt line. All shirts must cover the chest, shoulder, and midsection without showing undergarments or cleavage.
School attendance is vital to student progress. ACCESS staff members have gone to great measures to ensure we are available to perform therapy and classroom activities that are necessary for maximum progress. Therefore, it is very important that the administrative office is notified about a student’s absence because of the level of individualized teaching/learning that is done on a daily basis. Absenteeism greatly affects therapy schedules as well.
Knowing and following these attendance guidelines benefits your student and makes scheduling easier for the ACCESS team:
ACCESS Academy students must have consistent attendance throughout the school year. Excessive unexcused absences will be reported to the abuse hotline for educational neglect as part of compliance with state truancy laws. If this occurs, the student in question may be in jeopardy of being dismissed from ACCESS.
Parents are given the opportunity to review and discuss their children’s academic performance two times a year during parent-teacher conferences. There will be four report card periods with two face-to-face conferences. It is important to note that a conference can be scheduled for either one of the other report card periods upon request. Please consult your monthly school calendar for the schedule of conferences for your student’s classroom.
Each student in possession of any electronic device (cell phone, Apple watch, AirPods, etc.) will receive a Yondr pouch upon arrival at school. Students will be required to place all their electronic devices in their designated pouch and keep them locked throughout the school day. Electronic devices that are too large to fit in the Yondr pouch (gaming devices, headphones, personal iPads, computers, etc.) will not be allowed to be brought on campus without express written permission from the Academy Director. If these devices are brought on campus, they will be confiscated and will require parental retrieval from the office.
Electronic devices will not be accessible to students during school hours. This includes during class, study periods, lunch, and recess. The goal is to minimize distractions and maximize student engagement.
We understand the importance of communication between students and parents. Students will be allowed access to their electronic devices in designated areas during morning care and aftercare. If a parent/guardian needs to deliver a message to a student during school hours, he/she may call the front desk at 501-217-8600. If a parent/guardian needs to speak directly to a student, he/she can call the front desk and the student will be allowed to call his/her parent/guardian from an office phone.
By limiting access to cell phones, we aim to create a focused and productive atmosphere where students can fully participate in classroom activities without distractions.
Promotion of Social Interaction: Removing cell phones during school hours encourages face-to-face interactions and strengthens interpersonal skills.
This policy also addresses concerns related to cyberbullying, inappropriate use of technology, and potential distractions that can impact student safety and well-being.
Students are expected to adhere to the honor system by securely placing all electronic devices in Yondr bags when requested. If a student is found using an electronic device during school hours, the following consequences will be implemented:
First Violation: Confiscation of the device, requiring parental retrieval from the office.
Second Violation: The student will not be permitted to bring any electronic devices to school for a specified period.
Additional Violations: Further violations may lead to escalated consequences, such as:
These consequences are intended to reinforce the importance of compliance with the school's policy on electronic devices and to maintain a focused learning environment for all students.
We kindly request your support in reinforcing this policy at home by encouraging your child to comply with the guidelines and discussing the benefits of minimizing cell phone use during school hours. Please ensure that your child’s cell phone is fully charged and ready for use before arriving at school each day to facilitate effective communication during designated times.
The ACCESS community shows respect and dignity through the following:
Students are expected to treat other members of the ACCESS community with respect and courtesy by using appropriate language, utilizing constructive actions, and observing the rights of others. Whether on or off campus, all students should live by the ideals and rules of the school. Through respect, consideration, and kindness, students not only improve ACCESS as a caring community, but themselves as contributing individuals within the community.
The vast majority of parents, caregivers, and others visiting our school are keen to work with us and are supportive of the school. However, on the rare occasions when negative attitudes or actions towards the school are expressed, this can result in aggression, either verbal and/or physical, towards members of school staff and/or the wider school community.
We expect students, parents and other visitors to behave in a reasonable way towards members of school faculty and student body. This policy outlines the steps that will be taken when behavior is unacceptable.
The following types of behavior towards a staff member or student are considered serious and unacceptable and will not be tolerated:
This is not an exhaustive list but seeks to provide illustrations of such behavior. Any and all behaviors will fall on a continuum of severity. The level of severity and the number of occurrences of the behavior will determine the decision as to what recourse will be taken regarding discipline of the student.
Depending on the severity of the situation, staff may or may not attend the parent meeting. For situations that the faculty feels we can quickly or systematically modify the behavior to an acceptable outcome, staff will join the Director in meeting with the family to develop a written plan including the action steps, time frame and consequences should the behavior continue or escalate.
If the behavior is severe in nature, the Director of the program will have follow-up with the family in regard to the final outcome for the student.
Communication is a vital component of our program. Parent conferences provide information two times a year regarding programming, but these meetings are not frequent enough to be considered the sole avenue for parent- teacher communication. ACCESS® has several ways for teachers and therapists to send and receive information on a regular basis:
Teachers are not available to take phone calls during class time. The administrative office gladly connects parents to teacher voicemail; teachers may return calls during a break time. If you have an emergency, the administrative staff will assist you in whatever way they can. Please remember your child’s teacher must utilize available time before and after class for classroom preparation. Therapists may not receive phone calls during therapy sessions. Please feel free to send them an email or contact them via ParentSquare.
In case of inclement weather or emergency closing, parents of ACCESS Academy students should listen to local broadcastings for school closings, late arrivals or early dismissals. The broadcasting will be listed as ACCESS. ACCESS will also post this information on the ACCESS Facebook and Instagram pages: @accessgroupinc, as well as on ParentSquare; and an email and text message will be sent to all families to the contact information on record. When ACCESS Academy is closed for inclement weather, all related services including therapy and evaluations are canceled.
If at any time a parent has cause for concern of feels an issue needs to be discussed regarding their child's experience at ACCESS Academy, parents should follow our Grievance Policy by contacting the appropriate person as follows:
No student is to attend school if:
A student must be free from fever for a 24-hour period of time (without the use of Tylenol or Ibuprofen) in order to return to school. A student should be free of diarrhea and/or vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school.
If your student gets sick at school the administrative office will:
If your student has been absent for an extended period of time or has a contagious condition, ACCESS® requires a note from the physician clearing your student to return to school.
If a student is in need of oral medication during school hours, the ACCESS school nurse will administer the medication with written permission from parents and with a doctor’s order. All prescription medication must be in a blister pack with the original prescription label attached. All parents must complete and sign a medication form. A medication log containing these forms is kept in a central location to document medication administration. ACCESS staff members are unable to accept prescriptions to administer medication “as needed,” with the exception of an Epi-Pen, glucose, diastat, and updraft albuterol.
All information regarding medication is confidential. Medication is kept in a locked box with the individual medication reports. Parents may not have access to this area; staff members assist parents by placing student’s medications in the appropriate place and documenting activity in the log. Parents may ask to see student medical reports or to receive copies of their reports at any time.
If there is a medication change for your student, and it involves being part of a controlled medical study, you must contact Cheri Stevenson, Becky Terbrack, or Janice Edmonson at 501-217-8600 or cheri@accessgroupinc.org, becky.terbrack@accessgroupinc.org, or janice@accessgroupinc.org.
In case of a serious medical emergency, the administrative office will contact 911 first and then parents. A copy of the medical release form and the daily medication log will be ready when emergency medical personnel arrive.
Incident/injury reports are completed regardless of severity levels. Staff members are responsible for completing reports and having parents sign them for the following situations:
The form is completed on the day of the incident or injury. ACCESS Academy teachers and coordinators initial the report, a copy is filed, and a copy is given to parents.
Parents are charged a flat monthly tuition fee regardless of a student’s attendance. Payments are due via bank draft by date selected at the time of enrollment.
By enrolling in ACCESS Academy, parents are committing to a full year’s tuition. If parents choose to discharge their student from ACCESS Academy, they must give 30 days notice and a $300 withdrawal fee will be assessed. Parents will be responsible for paying the remaining tuition for that academic year or until the slot can be filled by another student. ACCESS Academy will aggressively seek payment, with legal assistance if necessary, for the balance of the unpaid tuition. If a student is dismissed based on an administrative decision, no fees will be assessed.
ACCESS Academy is committed to offering tuition assistance. Our goal is to help eliminate finances as a barrier to accessing our services. Interested parents must fill out a tuition assistance application by January before the new school year. Applications can be obtained in the administrative office. Each tuition assistance application is reviewed by a committee. Grants are based on availability of funds and financial need.
All tuition assistance recipients must adhere to all school policies, including arriving to school on time, attending 90 percent of all classroom and therapy sessions, completing work, and meeting all other financial obligations to ACCESS. Failure to follow these and other school policies will result in termination of the tuition assistance opportunity.
ACCESS is also an approved school through the Arkansas LEARNS Act. Students may apply to receive tuition funds through the Educational Freedom Account (EFA) or the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK). Learn more at https://thereformalliance.org/k-12-scholarship-programs/.
ACCESS staff members and students follow monthly tornado and fire drills. These emergency plans of action stay posted in the school building. The documentation of these drills is kept in a file in the administration office. Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and emergency backup lighting are checked on a regular basis.
ACCESS also provides active shooter/intruder training for our employees. Intruder drills will occur with students periodically throughout the school year.
In order for ACCESS to offer field trip activities, parent participation may be needed. The law regulating car seat usage requires any child aged 6 or younger or 60 pounds or less to be in a car seat. Parent participation is handled on a case-by-case basis per class.
Upon enrollment, we ask all families to sign a release form allowing ACCESS to photograph and videotape students involved in school activities on and off campus. We use this media for classroom activities and projects, teaching demonstration, marketing, and other media-related activities.
For families who DO NOT sign the photo release form, your child will most likely be excluded from the activity that is occurring during the photo shoot. If you would like to change the status of your child's Photo and Video Release, you may do so by contacting the front office at 501-217-8600.
Visits to our campus by prospective ACCESS parents, residents of the community, and interested educators are welcomed. To protect programs from undue disturbance, ACCESS requires visitors to make appointments on designated visitor days. All visitors must register at the administrative office at the front entrance.
Public tours occur on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. The Admission Coordinator schedules these tours, and a tour must be scheduled ahead of time as space is limited for each week's tour.
Confidential student files are kept in the administrative office in a locked room or are stored in our electronic records system.
ACCESS is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your child’s individual health information as protected by law, including the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In conducting business, we create records regarding your student and the treatment and services we provide to him or her. We are required by law to maintain the confidentiality of health information that identifies your student. We also are required by law to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices that we maintain at ACCESS concerning your student’s protected health information (PHI). By federal and state law, we must follow the terms of the notice of privacy practices that we have in effect at the time.
Confidentiality of all information found in a student’s record shall be protected.
Proper authorization to release information from a student’s records shall be identified as a written document containing all the following information:
When parents are divorced, ACCESS requires that a custody statement be on file in the administrative office specifying whether or not the school may release a student or release that student’s information to the non-custodial parent. No student will be released to a person other than the custodial parent, legal guardian, designee of the legal guardian, or anyone identified by the legal guardian.
To accommodate busy staff schedules, student conferences are limited to one per set of parents or guardians. In other words, only one conference meeting per appropriate meeting period is scheduled per student, even when parents are divorced or separated.
All parents must identify and authorize approved designees who are permitted to pick up their students through their FACTS account or by contacting the front desk. ACCESS refers to your account to identify approved pickup persons if anyone other than a parent comes to pick up a student. Designees must be prepared to show picture identification (i.e. a driver’s license or state ID).
Any ACCESS employee is considered a mandated reporter of any suspected child mistreatment. Staff members who have reasonable cause to suspect a child is being abused or neglected shall immediately report this to the Child Maltreatment Hotline: 1-800-482-5964. This number is also posted in the campus entrance hallway.
A written report follows a call to the hotline and is kept in a confidential file accessed by Cheri Stevenson, Director of Academy. These reports are not placed in a student’s personal file.
The Department of Human Services requests you be notified when possible that your child may be subject to interviews at any time by Division of Provider Services and Quality Assurance (DPSQA) or the Department of Children and Family Services, special investigations, and law enforcement for investigative purposes and/or for determining compliance with licensing regulations.
A student can be discharged from ACCESS for any of the following reasons:
Please indicate on the Letter of Intent that goes out in December of your intent to transition or your desire to discuss the possibility of transitioning your student from ACCESS Academy. When a transition is planned, meetings with the receiving school or agency are necessary to facilitate a smooth transition.
We graduate students as early as age 18. If a student stays past age 18, it has to be upon recommendation by the team. All students that attend receive a certificate of completion for their education. Those students that pass the GED will also receive an Arkansas High School Diploma.
ACCESS Academy greatly welcomes parent help with raising money, receiving in-kind donations from individuals and corporations, and raising awareness of our programs and services. However, with multiple special events, niche fundraisers, annual giving campaign activities, media buys and numerous media pitches throughout the year, there is a need to coordinate all fundraising and media relations efforts through the ACCESS team. Ultimately, ACCESS Executive Director, Tammy Simmons, M.S., CCC-SLP, or ACCESS Development Director, Kellie Wilhite, must approve all fundraising activities, solicitation of gifts, and media outreach.
The parent fundraising process is as follows:
Kroger Cards: Register your Kroger Plus card at www.kroger.com/community and assign ACCESS as the beneficiary! The more you use your Kroger card, the more money ACCESS receives. You can even use your Kroger card at Kroger gas stations!
Before approaching a media organization about advertising or news stories and before using the ACCESS service mark and related logos, parents should consult the ACCESS Director of Development or ACCESS Marketing Manager.