Our Mission and Core Beliefs

Mission

To provide students with a challenging and exciting education and graduate students exceptionally prepared for any college and career of their choice.

Our Core Beliefs

Core Belief 1 – Every Child has Gifts

Every child has great learning potential, and all children have unique talents and abilities. Our staff at ACES will work to implement a well-rounded educational program which seeks to identify and nurture each students’ abilities and gifts. Our program will be delivered utilizing a variety of methods in order to accommodate the multiple learning styles of students. In addition to rigorous instruction in the core academic areas such as math, science, the humanities, and computer science, there will be opportunities to explore music, fine and visual arts, and athletic pursuits. Throughout the delivery of a mix of approaches and opportunities, staff will always be looking to identify and encourage the development of both the innate and the interest-based talents that students display along their educational journey.

Core Belief 2 – High Expectations for ALL Students

For decades, maintaining high expectations for all students has been defined as a precursor for student success. Having and maintaining high expectations is evidence that staff and teachers believe in the unlimited potential of their students and desire to motivate those students to meet and exceed college ready standards. In one study on student achievement entitled The Opportunity Myth, teacher expectations for student success “demonstrated the strongest relationship to student growth” among the key factors that they identified.¹ ACES recruits and hires only staff and teachers who can express their high expectations for all students. This requirement is necessary given the range of student achievement levels that exist in our population. Our goal is to increase every student’s achievement level to the point of exceeding grade level expectations in all academic areas.

Core Belief 3 – Data Must Drive Decisions and Instruction

Our staff obtain and analyze a variety of data which inform our decisions for operating the school and providing resources to our students. Data regarding enrollment and demographics, academic achievement levels, attendance, and disciplinary concerns are all collected per state compliance requirements. ACES staff and teachers develop custom internal reports for these data indicators, and others such as culture and climate, as a means of monitoring student progress and outcomes on a recurring basis.

Core Belief 4 – Healthy People and Relationships are Keys to Success

We strive to provide an educational environment where staff, students, and community feel welcome, safe, and inspired each and every day. We place a concerted effort on providing services and supports to all students and their families. This includes health and wellness activities and programs, excellent nutrition options, and social emotional growth and support initiatives. Parents are invited and encouraged to provide support and leadership in partnership with the school. Proactive approaches such as practicing mindfulness to promote self-control and positive decision making are important components for building healthy relationships and a great school culture.

Core Belief 5 – Every Scholar Needs a Skill

Throughout the world, there are increasing opportunities in areas such as technology, energy, and healthcare. Thus, there is a need for students to gain the technical education and skills needed to be prepared for these opportunities. We have a Community Advisory Board made up of community professionals who have agreed to support the school and our students. The Advisory Board assists in creating real world projects aligned to the curriculum, provide mentoring to students with interests in various professional areas, and propose and implement out of school experiences for students. ACES develops partnerships with two year and four-year colleges to offer dual enrollment courses, and local businesses to offer internships, certificate programs, and apprenticeship opportunities for our students. The goal of these efforts is to ensure that our students leave high school having obtained at least one career and technical skill to complement their scholarly preparedness.

¹ The Opportunity Myth - Tntp.org. TNTP, 2018, tntp.org/assets/documents/TNTP_The-Opportunity-Myth_Web.pdf.