Individualized foundations
Reading, writing, and mathematics are taught at individualized levels so teachers can respond to each student's readiness and progress.
About Us
A school built around the whole child.
For more than 40 years, Progressive has combined rich content, small classes, and a genuine focus on each child's individual gifts.
Our Mission
Learning that becomes part of who you are.
Our mission is to go beyond teaching reading, writing, and mathematics. We teach children how to learn.
Progressive is not only preparing children for the next grade. The school helps them discover their unique potential and gain the confidence to share it with the world. Academic competence grows alongside resilience, compassion, creative problem-solving, and a sense of responsibility.
Our Method
Built for the child in front of us.
Individual attention is not an add-on. It shapes how the core academic work is taught.
Social studies from original sources
Progressive educators develop the curriculum in-house. Students work directly with firsthand accounts and primary-source documents rather than following a textbook-led sequence.
Science through investigation
Progressive's science curriculum is developed in-house and taught mainly through laboratory work, observation, and hands-on investigation.
What Makes Us Different?
Each child is known as an individual.
Small class sizes make room for a personal approach to teaching and a genuine family atmosphere.
The school works to understand each student, support their journey, and respond flexibly to their needs. When a child joins Progressive, the family becomes part of a diverse community that learns and works together.
Resilience
Setbacks become growth and opportunities to learn.
Deep Focus
Students develop the ability to stay with hard problems.
Ethical Clarity
Learning asks both “can I?” and “should I?”
Emotional Intelligence
Humility, kindness, and listening support leadership and community.
History
Five students and a bold idea.
In 1985, Eric and Evangelina Jacobson began a school that honored the whole child: physical, mental, and spiritual.
What began with a small group grew into a close-knit K-8 community. Through that growth, Progressive has worked to preserve the warm, intimate atmosphere that defined the school from the beginning.
The school begins
A shared vision and five students form the first Progressive community.
The purpose continues
Character, compassion, and the courage to put learning into practice remain central.
Achievements
A record built over time.
Progressive students and programs have earned recognition through academic competition, community service, university partnership, and performance.
These results grow from the same daily habit: staying with an idea, improving the work, and sharing it with confidence.
Hofstra University partnership
Progressive has partnered with Hofstra University's Graduate IT Department and received Hofstra funding to create BIG IDEAS, a seasonal series of advanced online courses.
Academic competition
School teams have won the Long Island MathCounts competition, placed first in New York State twice, and won the New York Stock Market Game twice.
Community service
The Nassau County Legislature honored Progressive for 25 years of community service.
Stage and screen
Progressive students have appeared or starred in Broadway productions and feature films.
