November 14, 2022 | Hali Schaefer
As more and more families nationwide turn to flexible, alternative education programs for their K-12 students (according to a report released in October 2022 by Tyton Partners), you might be asking yourself if Acceleration Academies is the right option for you.
“Coming out of the pandemic, when most parents had more exposure to their child’s education than ever before, many families have begun to reevaluate where and how their children learn.” the report states. “As it turns out, parents prioritize their child’s happiness over any other outcome. What this tells us is striking: While parents have several expectations for their child’s education, ultimately its impact on their child’s emotional state — their happiness — is what matters most.”
Whether you landed on our program through a web-based search or through word of mouth in your community, we’re glad you’re exploring all of your options for you or your student’s high school education.
Now, with the Choose To Learn 2022 report in mind, let’s dive into how Acceleration Academies works to provide an ideal alternative learning environment for students in cities across the country.
A Personalized Education Experience
According to the report, parents highly value education programs that provide personalized academic support. With us, each Graduation Candidate (GC) — that’s what we call our students — receives a learning plan that is tailored to their unique needs and schedule.
Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) are established during orientation on Day 1 and are regularly updated throughout the GC’s lifecycle at Acceleration Academies. The constant re-evaluation and updating of PLPs keeps students and their support team of Content Coaches (teachers) and Graduation Candidate Advocates (counselors) focused and on track for graduation.
How Personalized Learning Works >>
Education is not one size fits all, and working together with students and their families to create a Personalized Learning Plan that takes their life outside of school into account makes for a smoother journey to a diploma.
Flexibility In Scheduling and Learning Environments
We understand that the traditional school schedule and setting doesn’t work for a lot of high school students, and flexibility in these areas is valued by many families (Choose To Learn, Page 15).
That’s why flexibility is a foundation for our program.
Our hybrid learning model utilizes in-person support and a web-based curriculum. While there are requirements for time spent on site at each Academy, students are able to complete coursework wherever and whenever (basically, whatever works with their work schedule and life circumstances).
Our Flexible Approach to Learning >>
Highly skilled, experienced educators and counselors are on site to work one-on-one with GCs from the moment they walk through the door. They’re also available when a student isn’t in the building but has questions or needs assistance as they complete coursework remotely.
Our approach takes each individual learner’s needs into account and allows them to work at their own pace. The expectation is that GCs work on one class at a time and spend no more than 3 weeks in a course. However, we know that some students are eager to finish high school early. Those GCs are able to work on more than one course at a time to accelerate (see what we did there) their path to graduation.
Exposure to Career Pathways
To ensure that our Graduation Candidates are successful after receiving their high school diploma — another flexible education program feature valued by parents (Choose To Learn, Page 15) — our on-site career counselors help each GC prepare for their next steps after graduation.
HERE’S HOW WE DO THAT:
- By working with community business partners who visit the Academy to share their journeys and talk about hiring opportunities
- By exposing students to careers they may want to pursue before they graduate
- By providing students access to certification programs
- By partnering with local community colleges to offer dual-credit opportunities
- By navigating access to postsecondary opportunities and funding such as applying for student aid, joining the military, applying for free career programs, and more
Free for Enrolled Students
While many families are interested in exploring alternative education experiences for their K-12 students, access and affordability are often barriers (Choose To Learn, Page 18). At Acceleration Academies, though, we work in partnership with public school districts to provide a flexible and personalized learning environment at no cost to students and families who apply for our program and are enrolled at their school district’s approval.
Enrollment criteria varies by location, so be sure to check with your local Acceleration Academies team to see if you qualify.
Are you ready to start the enrollment process? Head to our application now! Our enrollment counselors are also available if you have any questions. Give them a call Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST at 872-529-5115 or email info@accelerationacademy.org.