I wrote this blog post to clarify the curriculum at Ace, and how students in Northern Virginia can use the Ace Learning curriculum to really gain an edge in learning and education.
Initially, we were finding some issues in group-based classes. For instance, many students had a lot of trouble incorporating extra work into their already busy class schedule (it’s no secret that middle and high schools in Northern VA are tough). In addition, many students would have trouble completing homework for the week when the curriculum was standard. Students would be at different places in their learning journeys, and they would have different goals – some wanted to get more help to get an A in geometry, some wanted to study for TJ admissions, some wanted to write better essays, some wanted to prepare for the SAT, and some wanted college admissions help.
A lot of positive psychology literature points to good feelings and encouragement coming from 1) having an aim and goal and 2) having some positive reinforcement every time that you approach that goal. We wanted to develop a curriculum that really emphasized this learning process, making sure that students were all moving towards their goal, and would always have the opportunity for help while they were getting educated.
It’s a very interesting model, and you can have a look at many screenshots of student scores and testimonials as evidence that it’s been working for the past five or six years. It’s a model that worked very well for my brother and I when we had been studying for admissions, standardized exams, and difficult tests.
So here’s how the curriculum works. We do a long preliminary conversation and assessment of each student’s goals. My dad will talk to students and their parents for several hours, and check in with them about grades, scores, goals, and books. He then customizes a study plan that involves several textbooks and homework sets that will uniquely address the student and parent learning goals. The conversation is actually really fun, probably because my dad is one of the friendliest and knowledgeable instructor you could meet 😊
All students are added in a WhatsApp group chat with one of their own parents and my dad, who runs all the classes. At any moment of any day, they have the opportunity to ask questions or schedule a phone call through that WhatsApp group, so they can ask questions about anything in their class or outside that’s causing frustration. If they forgot the homework for the week, or they need additional practice, or they have a class homework question, they just take a picture and send it in the WhatsApp group. My dad will give a call or send a written explanation as soon as possible. He also checks in with parents every few weeks, to ensure that everything is going according to plan and the student has been having no troubles with following study plans.
All students will also attend class once or twice a week. In each class, there are several tutors available (usually a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio), who attend to all student needs and questions. Each student follows their study plan, and whenever they have a question, they can ask any of the tutors for help. The tutors have all scored perfect or near-perfect scores on the SAT and ACTs and attend top colleges, and we make sure that they are very professional and kind to all students.
By monitoring student progress, we can really pinpoint all the areas of improvement over just a few weeks. This is why students start doing really well on their SATs when they follow the plans because above all, it’s the need to have a goal and a pathway and help whenever you need it that really allows for immense progress. And if there’s ever any frustration or need to change the study plan, it happens immediately. Every step of the way is outlined for the student, so all the student needs to do is show up to the class and learn.
It’s a great model that’s been working for several years. If you would like to join our classes or have a free initial consultation, fill out the form on the website and we’ll get back to you in less than a day. I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any questions. I can try to answer it in an email or in another blog post. Thank you so much for reading through, and hope you have a wonderful rest of your day! – Naman
I really loved reading your blog. I also found your posts very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he enjoyed it as well!)
I really loved reading your blog. I also found your posts very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he enjoyed it as well!)