Curriculum

ACE Academy combines the global perspectives of the International Baccalaureate Organization's Primary Years Programme (IBO-PYP) and Middle Years Program (IBO-MYP) with proven educational strategies that challenge and support gifted learners. Hands-on learning and guided inquiry allow students to explore areas of interest in depth and satisfy their need for discovery and mastery. Working in multiage classrooms, students acquire a strong foundation in core academics while building corollary skills in information gathering, critical thinking, research and independent study, teamwork, communication, and presentation.

ACE follows several guidelines for its curriculum offerings, beginning with the general guidelines of the IBO-PYP and MYP. After verifying that we have also covered the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards in that process, we then enlarge the scope of our offerings according to the interests and abilities of our students. Creativity and the flexibility of being an independent school allow us to be open to new content and approaches.

As a private school, ACE is not required to administer state achievement tests. We do, however, offer a standard achievement test annually to measure each student's progress and to assess the effectiveness of the learning environment.

What makes ACE special? Flexibility and sensitivity to student passions mark the great teacher and the great classroom. The inquiry-based International Baccalaureate approach begins with students' questions about what they want to know. Flexible teachers guide those inquiries but also allow for meaningful deviations. In our first few weeks as a school, tremendous student response to a particular novel led to an 11-book exploration of the author and his works. The reading detour was unexpected but highly productive. Students researched the author's life, compared themes and characters among novels, and wrote critical comparisons of a body of work: not the usual work of an elementary class.

More Curriculum Information: Placement | Subjects Taught | Character Traits