Fall is always a very busy time at A Grade Ahead and 2018 is no exception. We pride ourselves in keeping our curriculum current and are proud to have recently added a new high level math program for high schoolers, as well as online testing for all A Grade Ahead students. Our central Ohio staff attended a large India Festival where we mingled with our existing and prospective students and A Grade Ahead of Des Moines hosted a fun, interactive math competition. Some of our staff members performed on camera as we developed a new video to help train our teachers in our academies. Headquarters staff participated in some important trainings to help keep our students across the county safe. And we launched a brand new website!
Here are some more details about the exciting things happening at A Grade Ahead:
High School Math Combines Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus
Based on feedback from parents and recommendations from franchisees and partners, A Grade Ahead has built upon our Algebra 2 curriculum to create a year-long program designed for students who have completed Geometry. The program allows students to complete Algebra 2 in 6-months and then learn Pre-Calculus topics for the remainder of the year. This program is available currently in select enrichment academies and will be expanded to Enrichment at Home students and more academies soon.
Online Testing Now Available for All
After a successful trial period in central Ohio and for Enrichment at Home students, A Grade Ahead’s curriculum testing is now available online for all students. The new approach allows for students to take the test in their homes on a computer or tablet and provides immediate feedback and scoring. All the tests and results are available by logging in to our proprietary Parent Portal. Students seem to enjoy the new format and parents love the instant grading that online testing allows.
Central Ohio India Festival
Staff members from A Grade Ahead’s central Ohio locations attended a full day festival celebrating India culture and food. We had a large booth at the India Festival at the Ohio Expo Center with a prize wheel, candy, stickers, and flyers with discounts. It was enjoyable to mingle with our current students and their families as well as meet many new faces who hopefully will join our classes in the near future.
Math Bee Hosted in Des Moines
On June 23rd, A Grade Ahead of Des Moines hosted its first ever Math Bee for students of all age levels to celebrate their first anniversary. The free competition was a hit and registrations sold out! Every participant received a green A Grade Ahead t-shirt and took a one hour exam. With four age categories (Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Super Senior,) competition was fierce. Award winners were announced on Facebook and there were so many strong performers, they had to call a tie in several contents. Congratulations to all the students who participated.
New Teaching Video Filmed
Some of our headquarters staff members showed new skills as we tapped them to appear in a new training video. Shot in August, this video will help new teachers understand A Grade Ahead’s classroom approach and allow them to receive tips and guidance on how to manage their classes. We had a fun time filming with a mock classroom full of real AGA students. The video is being edited now and should be ready for distribution soon.
Safety First at A Grade Ahead
Staff members based in Columbus participated in two important training seminars to ensure that we are always keeping the children in our care safe. The first was abuse prevention provided by Darkness to Light. Participants learned to look for warning signs and how to address potential issues as our role as mandatory reporters requires.
We also invited the City of Dublin Police Department to present active shooter training based on A.L.I.C.E. principles. The eye-opening seminar included watching videos of various scenarios and acting out strategies in our classrooms. We learned the basic concepts that can help save lives: Run. Hide. Fight. Our employees are now better prepared to address any potential threat.
New Website Launched
On July 17th, A Grade Ahead launched a new website to better serve our customers. The new site can still be found at https://agradeahead.com/ but from there a zip code search allows prospective customers to go directly to the program for which they are eligible: Enrichment at Home or a local academy.
Each of our 34 enrichment academies also have updated home pages and we have added features about the history of our owners’ journey, testimonials from our parents, success stories of our students, videos explaining EAH and academies, and much more. Check it out when you have a chance!
What’s going on in your local A Grade Ahead academy? Did we miss any news?
Author: Amy Daniels, Marketing Manager, A Grade Ahead
