Intellectual Virtues Academy of Long Beach, Long Beach | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

If you are looking for a big Middle School experience with bands, choirs, musicals, and big sporting events this might not be the school for you.

That… is the only criticism I have of IVA. And it’s not even criticism. My son wasn’t looking for that. We were looking for a small school that would challenge our kid and give him an education… not a test score. And IVA has clubs and sports (soccer, basketball, track… and a bunch of fun clubs that change based on student interest) on a smaller level. That can be nice for kids who want to try them for the first time!

I can’t say enough wonderful things about IVA. The school is small for a middle school and while that isn’t for every child… it’s been amazing for ours. The academics are challenging and they teach the kids to think deeply, critically, and from many perspectives. They value individuality, creative thinking, and respect the students voices and ideas. Pre-pandemic this school was everything i could hope for in a middle school… and they seamlessly transitioned to organized, meaningful at-home learning… and by that I mean they have provided predictable, engaging lessons, and a safe and meaningful connection to their school community while acknowledging regularly that while school and academics are important, the students’ health and well-being are their highest priority.

Their staff and teachers are thoughtful and are always considering the whole student.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend IVA to anyone looking for this type of school for their child.

This school is amazing! Their vision is centered around “intellectual virtues” such as tenacity, humility, curiosity, etc. They don’t just put a list of virtues up on a wall and forget about them, though. They actually encourage their students to think deeply about their own learning process and structure classes and assignments to guide students toward that deeper understanding. Everyone at the school seems to care for my child, knows him by name, knows his strengths and challenges. It’s a true community! The class sizes are small, which is great for learning and social bonding. In the first few months of attending, my son actually thanked me for sending him there several times. He told me he was happy to be in a place that values kindness, and I’m happy for him.

More practical matters: block scheduling reduces number of transitions needed during the day, class size is just 23, test scores seem to be good and thankfully don’t seem to be a focus of but rather a happy side effect of their approach.

Some things to consider: small class size means no choice in electives, fewer clubs (as all clubs are student organized and conducted), no big sports focus but I believe they have some teams, no music program. For our family, these drawbacks are minor compared to the benefits of this wonderful school.