Education Solutions
We collaborate with K-12 districts to provide high-quality, credit-bearing continuous learning solutions to build and sustain a quality talent pipeline.
Identifying the Issue
It’s estimated that school districts across the United States will be facing an annual shortage of over 300,000 teachers by 2025 if current trends continue. However, our schools are dealing with shortages of quality teachers as well as quantity. Decades of research definitively show principal and teacher excellence as the top indicator of student achievement. Yet we often overlook educators in the race for innovation. The landscape of education is constantly shifting and retaining exceptional educators is a growing challenge.
District leaders need support to develop and sustain high-quality teachers. ACE partners with districts to provide competency-based, credit-bearing professional learning tailored to teacher preparation and strategic talent development goals. We help districts implement human-centered talent development models for teachers and leaders focused on igniting passion, fostering creative confidence, deepening subject expertise and elevating inclusive mindsets.
Our Approach
To develop ongoing induction and onboarding support for new and returning educators, ACE can tailor credit-bearing professional learning solutions that are unique to your district’s goals, needs and initiatives. Our programs equip teachers with knowledge that is immediately applicable and skills relevant to today’s evolving instructional opportunities. We believe in offering high-quality teacher preparation in tandem with pathways for educational growth.
Solving for Financial Challenges
High tuition costs are exacerbating the teacher shortage by prohibiting access to necessary and high-quality teacher preparation programs. Additionally, districts spend billions on professional development, yet fail to fundamentally shift everyday teaching.
This is why ACE partners with districts to maximize professional development funding in a way that provides a return on investment. Your investment means improving skill and human capital gaps in your district. We address such gaps with affordable, high-quality and flexible options for districts and their employees. Further, we approach our collaboration with your needs as the top priority.
Our Education Solutions division utilizes data-driven approaches to address some of the most pressing issues facing today’s teachers:
- Teacher shortages stemming from enrollment declines, attrition and increasing student populations
- High turnover in districts can cost billions of dollars annually
- Teacher prep programs often fail to prepare graduates
- Teachers constantly need to adapt and respond to the growing changes in instructional practices
- Demand for educators keeps growing, but the supply isn’t there
Intentional Design
At ACE, we recognize that a district’s strongest asset is its people, and our goal is to build clear pathways for professional development for educators of all levels. We collaborate to build ecosystems for advancement, so your team is continuously growing, and teachers who feel invested in their growth stay engaged long-term. We accomplish this through:
- Targeted programs that help paraprofessionals gain the competencies needed to become certified teachers and fill critical shortages.
- Specialized skills training with the latest practices in literacy, mathematics, STEM, personalized learning and cultural competence
- Leadership development programs that prepare talented teachers to step into mentor, coach, curriculum specialist and administration roles.
- Affordable bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral-level degree programs that allow educators to refine their expertise while optimizing existing professional development budgets.
The Blueprint for Success
Every district has its own unique needs. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, we offer an array of targeted partnership models to allow districts to create a blueprint toward their success. We’ll work with you to create sustainable pipelines of skilled educators that aligns to your strategic vision, allowing aspiring and veteran educator leaders to deepen their understanding of the vital elements of quality instructional practices and processes. Below are just a few samples of what we can build with you.
Competitive Teacher Training Programs
Subject Matter Expertise and Leadership
Principal and Site Leadership Retainment
Cabinet-Level District Leadership
*This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program credit hours, the receipt of, or eligibility for, institutional or non-institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, and adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section.
A Message for Superintendents
American College of Education is an higher education institution that K-12 districts and superintendents can partner with to create custom, affordable education pathways for their staff, teachers and leaders. With master’s degrees under $10K that can be completed fully online, we can put credentialing, upskilling and career advancement within reach for today’s educators.
Quintin Sheperd, Superintendent Victoria ISD
“The scale and implications of this impending crisis can’t be overstated. Current estimates from the Learning Policy Institute indicate an annual teacher shortage of over 300,000 by 2025 if current trends persist. This presents an alarming picture transcending individual classrooms and schools, significantly impacting the entire educational landscape and, by extension, our nation’s future.”
Dr. Deborah Jewell-Sherman
“Teachers leave the profession within their initial one to three years, primarily because they are not equipped to start.”
ACE Mission
Our aim is to open doors for students by crafting creative solutions and opportunities available to all, regardless of circumstances. We do this not only through our own programs but, importantly, by collaborating with school districts to help develop targeted offerings that speak to their unique requirements and student populations. When schools succeed, students succeed.
80+
Online Degree Programs
34,000+
Degrees Awarded
All 50
States and 70+ Countries
No. 3
in the Nation for Most Master’s Degrees Conferred in Education*
2,700+
Certificates & Micro-credentials Awarded
10,000+
Active
Students
Enrolled
*All Education Master’s Degrees (CIP 13.00) Source: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data
The ACE Effect
ACE empowers districts to provide their educators and aspiring leaders with extensive opportunities to upskill, develop and effectively lead a classroom. This is accomplished through three key elements of our commitment to district leaders:
Next Steps
The time is now to invest in solutions that work long-term.
Let ACE help craft your blueprint for sustainable success.
Shannon Penrose, M.S.Ed
Senior Vice President and Head of Education Solutions
[email protected]