The needs of today’s students have changed dramatically even though the model for education is almost the same as it was 120 years ago. There is one obvious change, and it’s not positive: the traditional model for school is supposed to serve larger and larger student populations with more diverse needs than ever before. It’s no surprise that it can’t.
That’s why Xceed Preparatory Academy was founded. You can see the difference between the traditional school model and Xceed’s flexible, personalized approach at a glance:
| Traditional School Model | Xceed Preparatory Academy’s Education Model |
|---|---|
| One-size-fits-all schedule and classes | Schedule and classes are based on individual student needs |
| Hundreds of students in each grade level | We keep the traditional grade-level structure, but each campus is small by design, creating a tight-knit learning community |
| All students take 45- or 75-minute block classes on the same bell-and-lunch structure | Students study courses as long as they need and switch to other courses when they are ready |
| Fixed school day hours and school year breaks | Parents and students create a daily, weekly, and yearly schedule that meets their priorities |
| Curriculum is designed generically for the “typical” student on a bell curve average | Every student creates a Personalized learning plan with their Head of School that is tailored to their learning needs and future goals — and refined with their teachers as they make progress |
| Many students compete for a fraction of one teacher’s attention during limited class time | Students always have access to teachers who know them personally and clearly understand their learning needs and goals |
| Athletes and performing arts students are under more pressure or need to work harder to make up time spent practicing or traveling for competition | Athletics, performing arts, and all kinds of extracurricular priorities outside of school fit seamlessly into the structure for studying that students and parents choose and agree on with their teachers |
| Communication between teachers and parents is very limited and often non-existent | Parents have personal, frequent, open, and direct communication with the teachers and Head of School |
| Thousands of students share a very limited number of school and college counselor resources | Every high school student receives monthly one-on-one college counseling from the very first meeting with Xceed until graduation |
PERSONALIZED LEARNING PLANS
The center of Xceed’s approach to education is what we call Personalized learning plans (PLPs). Every student creates a PLP with their Head of School and parents before they begin classes at Xceed. Think of the PLP as a plan we establish and agree upon together to get students on the best path to where they want to end up in college or a career. We adjust the PLP throughout the year to make sure each student is truly getting what they need to succeed.
Creating Your Student’s Personalized Learning Plan
Step 1: Review and Assess
At this stage, students and parents meet with the Head of School to review basic academic and personal information. We cover things such as:
- Completed classes
- Graduation trajectory (early/accelerated, standard timeline, or extended study)
- Any issues, struggles, or concerns you or your student is currently facing
- Applicable NCAA eligibility status
Step 2: Select Specific Goals
Once we have established where your child is academically, we start talking about the future. This is where things really start to take shape and get exciting for students. We cover questions like:
- If you could go to college anywhere, where would you go, and why?
- What are your long-term athletic, performance, and other goals?
- How about personal and emotional development — is there something you want to work on?
- What other priorities might you have for middle school, high school, and college?
Step 3: Align and Agree
At this point, we know your child and understand their specific needs. So this is where we bring it all together and spell out the details of how to help you or your child get to where they want to be. In this step, we:
- Select the right classes in the right order for your student
- Build a schedule that accommodates all of your priorities
- Select a date for their first day at Xceed
- Cover what they will need to bring to school
- Plan logistics such as:
- When to expect your student on campus
- Drop-off/pick-up details
- Ensure everyone agrees on the same plan
Step 4: Refine Over Time
The flexibility of our education model becomes even more clear as time goes on. After a student begins classes at Xceed, the Head of School and teachers check in with them and their parents frequently. After three to four weeks, we do a comprehensive evaluation so we can make any adjustments to the initial PLP. We’ll work together to answer questions like:
- How is the plan we made working?
- Do they need more help in an area?
- How are they socializing and doing at home?
- Are the daily schedule, start, and stop times working for everyone?
- Where should we make adjustments?