Tilden Preparatory School

1231 Solano Avenue

Albany, CA 94706

10 Reviews

School District
Grade

6-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 28, 2022

My son has really blossomed at Tilden Preparatory School. He had difficulty with executive function issues in his public high school but is a very smart kid. Tilden allowed him the flexibility to move quickly in the subject matters he excelled in and gave him additional support in the areas where he struggled. He was able to take AP physics and calculus in 9th grade which his public high school would not allow due to their philosophy of not accelerating bright students. It made a huge difference to him as he could progress more deeply into his areas of interest in high school and not be bored in those subject areas. Writing essays was harder for him, but he was able to work with a teacher to choose books to read and write about that he had a personal interest in, and with ongoing personal support from the teacher which made a big difference. He is a much more confident writer now than he used to be. They are also very flexible about in person or online instruction which was very helpful during the pandemic. I really feel he has been given the support he needs to be able to do well in a college environment.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2022

My child was struggling with high school. It was a combination of remote learning, lack of engagement and motivation. He started at Tilden after being in two different high schools that were not a good fit. Tilden has been a game changer. He is taking responsibility for his work and getting it in on time, he is engaged and challenged. With the one on one instruction the students build a relationship with each of their teachers and that builds confidence. My child is in a completely different place than he was a few months ago and that is mostly from the teachers, administration and environment at Tilden. I highly recommend Tilden!
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2022

My child was struggling with learning issues as well as social/emotional challenges in a regular public middle school. Tilden Prep's small size and one-to-one teaching model was a game changer for her. She has found friends, is doing well in her classes and has a positive attitude about school now. I have mostly been very happy with the teachers at Tilden who seem to really try to meet my child where she's at and to look for specific ways to help her engage with the material. I really appreciate the daily feedback about homework and class progress so I know in real-time how she's doing. In this past year, I have been especially happy that the new administration has been very communicative with parents and has greatly improved the opportunities for socializing for the students outside of class.
Submitted by other on February 25, 2022

I worked at Tilden Prep for three years and I saw hard working teachers all around be undone by the administration. Teachers are given inadequate prep time to teach a wide variety of subjects, which have little to no curriculum planned. Students have no requirement to complete homework, and teachers are told to then just let the students use class time to complete it. Because Tilden "teaches to mastery" all students get at least a B- in every class. This sounds fine, but the administration pressures teachers to fudge test scores or allow students to plagerize on papers. While Tilden accepts students with learning difficulties, teachers are not adequately trained to deal with those issues, oftentimes coming straight from college with no teaching experience, let alone Special Ed experience.
Submitted by parent on November 09, 2021

My daughter attended Tilden Prep for three years and loved it! She had fabulous teachers who really connected well with her and adapted their teaching style to her needs -- she struggled with reading comprehension and writing, and she made huge strides in both. Most importantly, the anxiety she used to have in school was completely resolved -- her teachers helped her see that she was smart and just had a different way of learning, and she had the time she needed to really understand the course material in depth. The Heads of School and Directors are extremely knowledgeable about learning differences and emotional issues that come up for teens, and were right in there with the teachers making sure my daughter was doing well. Plus my daughter, who is super social, made friends at Tilden while keeping friends she'd known from the previous high school she attended. My daughter became a much better student, raised her GPA and was accepted at all the colleges where she applied, plus many gave her merit scholarships because of her high grades. I can't say enough good things about Tilden Prep, everyone there is so competent and caring, and they go the distance to make sure the students succeed.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2017

This is an outstanding school for my son who found it impossible to access the curriculum in public school. Tilden does a competent job matching each teacher to the student's needs (e.g., working with an advanced student, a student with a disability, a student challenged by ______, etc.). The improvement in our son's academic performance was impressive in his first few weeks there and very significant over two years. There are a good number of AP and Honors courses for those who desire the extra challenge. Despite being a "small" school, there are clubs and other social activities that allow for personal growth. Tilden is not inexpensive, but it delivers on the promises made.
Submitted by parent on August 05, 2014

I too wish I had discovered Tilden Prep earlier. What a relief, when you have a very sensitive child or a child who simply needs more attention to specific needs! Our education system at large tends to work only if you fit into one particular mold, so it does not meet the needs of a very large percentage of the population. Tilden is a great alternative for the rest of us, who need a little more attention and flexibility, and need to go at our own pace, slower or much faster than the rest. A great school for a child who is seriously into extracurricular activities, has a busy performance schedule, etc. as well, for the school administration is great at tailoring the schedule to your child's specific needs, without compromising on academic quality. By the way, the quality of academics will be far superior than anything you can get in any public school around. You do need to supplement your child's social life however. Individualized learning is great, but does not promote an active social life at school. They do have clubs and social groups that you can elect to join, but you probably want your child engaged in activities outside of school.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2012

I am glad to sing the praises of Tilden School so that other parents are aware of this wonderful alternative to more traditional schools. After several years of bad experiences with public school and even Montessori school, my son (8th grade) had developed anxieties around attending school. The staff at Tilden were very willing to work with us to meet my son's specific needs and were very patient, understanding and caring in working with us through difficult times. The teachers we have had are uniformly excellent, but if, for whatever reason, we needed a change, the staff were always accommodating and flexible. I have never seen such responsiveness to student/parent needs in a school. It also is very well-run administratively; everything runs smoothly. One-on-one teaching is available, or teaching in small groups, and electives (such as digital photography) are available. And it is accredited. I wish I had been aware of Tilden sooner!
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2010

We highly recommend SIL/Albany, now called Tilden Prep. Our child attends full time, taking UC-approved, college preparatory classes . The school's co-directors are caring, compassionate, competent, and highly experienced. Close proximity to UC Berkeley gives Tilden an edge in recruiting top, young teachers, and our child's teachers have generally been excellent. Students may enroll part time, for example to complete a course not offered at their regular high school, or full time. The full time program draws students for various reasons: Some are seeking individualized learning or scheduling flexibility; others have had academic or mild behavioral issues in a prior school setting. The latter could be a drawback, except that most courses are conducted in tutorial style -- one teacher to one student -- so one student's issues have little impact on others. Tilden's individualized learning environment is unique in our area and has been a definite 'plus' for our child.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2010

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