What Makes AEF Schools Different?

What makes AEF Schools Different?

The population we serve

AEF is NOT a special needs program.  Instead, we cater to students who have specific needs.  These needs fall into the category of remediation and strengthening in cognitive and executive functioning skills including focus, attention, time management, independent work, decision-making, conflict resolution, making/keeping friends, coping with change, dealing with anxiety, compromising, following multi-step instructions, auditory processing, visual memory, sequencing, part-whole relationships, study skills, test taking skills, and more.

Many of our students do NOT have a diagnosis or IEP.  They simply function better in a smaller, more nurturing, and structured environment which provides a quiet and safe classroom experience.

What makes AEF Schools Different?   We are NOT a behavioral program and do NOT work with students who are aggressive, a danger to themselves or others, emotionally disturbed, mentally handicapped, or who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.  AEF sends a request for background information to every applicant’s prior school.  This combined with an in-person interview assures we are selecting the appropriate candidates for our programs.

AEF is a smaller, more structured school environment.

• Lower Campus (Grades K-7) Max Enrollment 100 students
• Upper Campus (Grades 8-12) Max Enrollment 85 students
• Academy Campus (Grades 5-12) Max Enrollment 40 students
• AEF Summer Program (Ages 5 – 18) Max Enrollment 60 Campers
• Student to staff ration is 8:1
• Average Class size is 15

 

What makes AEF Schools Different? Our Daily Schedule.

After each academic period our students are given a 20-to-25-minute break.  This gives them a chance to socialize, have something to eat, go outside, walk around, or take a moment in their own way to reset and get ready for the next academic period.  These breaks teach our students to focus for set increments of time and allow the learning process to be effective throughout the entire day and not just in the morning.

What makes AEF Schools Different?  We are effectively a No Homework Policy School *     **

Many of our new students do NOT have the ability to complete homework independently.  Instead, homework becomes a tutoring session for mom, dad, grandmother, or in some cases an actual tutor.  Homework should not be a tutoring session but rather reinforce time management, independence, organization, and build academic confidence.  It usually takes 3 to 6 months for us to build these skills to a point where a student is ready for homework.  Once they are, we will send home a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes of homework a night.  The homework may not be on grade level and is NOT designed to teach new concepts.  It is specifically designed to address and strengthen the skills above.

• *HS students complete their homework at school and only bring home the work they have not completed
• **Parents may request homework or additional homework

 

What makes AEF Schools Different?  We do NOT use standardized testing for promotion and do not require the FSA *    **

AEF does administer a national standardized test each year.  This is required both for accreditation purposes and to teach our students how to take tests and reduce test taking anxiety.  The results of the testing are also used to improve our focus of instruction and to measure the progress our students are making year to year (but NOT used for promotion).

• *Parents may request that their child does take the FSA and AEF is authorized to administer it.
• ** Students in grades 9 to 12 may elect to take the PSAT, ACT, or SAT.