Learn about the ACE Approach

Change, THE MAGAZINE OF HIGHER LEARNING published an article called “Supporting the Students of the Future” by Diego Navarro, the Director of the Academy for College Excellence–in the January/February 2012 issue. In his article, Diego describes the model developed by the Academy for College Excellence to identify and understand vulnerable students and to provide interventions that meet the needs of these under-prepared students from diverse backgrounds. Diego will be conducting a new series of free webinars further exploring the ideas he outlined in the article; to learn about the webinar, go to www.my-ace.org/change-webinar.

ACE has gained extensive experience and developed strategies that can help community colleges identify the ways that they currently work with vulnerable students, assess their existing approaches, and support changes to increase effectiveness with these students.

Rapid Results

Academy for College Excellence (ACE) is a full-time, first-semester community college program with proven results. ACE targets the needs of underprepared students, while equipping them to succeed in the technology-driven, 21st-century economy. A highly collaborative enterprise that teaches teamwork and personal responsibility, the ACE approach also promotes individual self-exploration, self-improvement, and persistence. The result is a transformational learning experience unlike what is currently available at community colleges.

Meeting the Demand for Knowledge Professionals

The world’s economy is increasingly driven by digital technologies and there is a growing demand for knowledge professionals with college degrees or certificates. The ACE curriculum addresses this need by teaching effective communication skills and basic computer skills, as well as leadership and management techniques.  ACE students leave community college equipped with the essential knowledge, technical skills, and credentials needed for a professional career.

Lighting the Fire for Learning

Typically, underprepared students did not thrive in traditional classrooms and have a history of low academic achievement. ACE’s transformative learning environment allows students to reclaim their educational experience and create a new vision of what learning can be. The ACE methodology & curriculum facilitates a deeper connection between educators and students, while awakening students' desires to learn. 

Creating Effective Students

The behaviors that are needed for success are front and center in an ACE classroom, and are made explicit to students. ACE builds student potential by teaching:

• accurate self-efficacy
• self-motivation
• mature behavior
• self-awareness
• personal goal setting

Increasing Student Success & Retention

With higher retention rates than the average community college student population and improved academic success for students, ACE has proven remarkably effective. To learn more about the effectiveness of ACE, read a summary of a study published by Columbia University’s Community College Research Center.