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St. Paul Academy and Summit School (commonly known as SPA) is a college preparatory independent day school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, for students in grades K–12.The school was established through a merger in 1969 of St. Paul Academy, a school for boys, and Summit School, a school for girls. St. Paul Academy was founded in 1900 and Summit School in 1917. The school celebrated its centennial in 2000. Accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, SPA is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Cum Laude Society, and The College Board.Recent commencement speakers have included Al Franken, Wilhelmina Wright, Coretta Scott King, and Garrison Keillor.AcademicsIn the Upper School, SPA has a college-preparatory liberal arts curriculum. SPA teaches an independent curriculum that does not follow either the AP or IB curriculum models, though individual students may opt to take AP tests. Courses have been taught using Harkness tables, distinctive elliptical wooden tables that seat 12 - 15 students, since 2005. Each year, the school sends several juniors to semester-away programs including CITYterm in New York, Oxbow School in California, Maine Coast Semester in Maine, and Rocky Mountain Semester in Colorado.
