ACE Academy in Austin | Military Town Advisor

Posted: December 2, 2025

We're in our 5th year at Ace. The experience is like no other in Central Texas. Our kiddo has been supported in being the bright, sweet, insightful child they are without ever having to have had the experience of a school "failing to meet needs". While there are amazing supports for 2e learners, 1e learners, like ours really need Ace to make friends with like-minded peers. Imagine a loud, fun recess with deep conversations about any topic imaginable. Kids benefit from the SEL - they can work at their level (including RADICAL academic acceleration) while making '6/7' jokes with other kids their own age. No need to grade skip. Come for the academics, stay for the love, friendship and connections.
As a parent, I don't worry. Kids get what they need because the teachers here care, are experts in teaching these kids, and WANT to be there. No need to worry about making sure kids are challenged appropriately or isolated socially. The formative yeras matter - kids need to belong in school and Ace does that.
In short, if yoy want a school that meets kids where they are and let's them be kids - come check out an info session.

Posted: December 2, 2025

As an ACE teacher, I can confidently say that ACE Academy is a truly special place. It serves gifted children in ways that are both intentional and deeply impactful, meeting not only their academic needs but also supporting their social and emotional development.

The administration is incredibly supportive, responsive, and genuinely invested in the success and well-being of every student. Its clear that teachers at ACE dont just work here we care deeply about the children and the community.

The passion for gifted education and commitment to nurturing the whole child make ACE stand out. It's a place where gifted learners are seen, understood, and supported.

Posted: December 2, 2025

Posted: November 8, 2024

I've been working at ACE Academy for 5 years, 3 of them as a teacher and the last 2 in the administration department, and I can confidently say its an extraordinary place. The community here is unparalleled: committed families, motivated students, and an incredibly professional and dedicated team of educators. ACE Academy goes beyond academic education; it fosters an environment of growth and respect where every student feels valued and supported. Seeing the positive impact it has on the lives of students and their families is incredibly rewarding, and it makes me proud to be part of this institution. I wholeheartedly recommend ACE Academy; its truly a special place

Posted: November 8, 2024

Posted: October 24, 2024

My son was in the public school system at a highly-rated school for three years (K-2) before we switched to ACE. While the public school was doing its best, my son, who was tested as Gifted, was not learning much and, due to the funding shortages, was not getting specialized attention. In the Fall of his 2nd year in the public school, I talked to his teacher, and she told me that while she would love to feed my son with more advanced materials, she did not have the time or resources with 22 kids in the class. She was the one who told us that if we had the means, we should move our son to a private school. That is when we started our search among the private schools in Austin and decided on ACE after visiting five private schools in the area. We decided on ACE because of its individualized approach to each kid academically and its main emphasis on social-emotional learning. My son is gifted but is not neurodivergent and does not present any specific social-emotional issues. At first, we were concerned whether the small classes (there are 11 in my son's class) would be socially limiting and whether having some 2E children in the school would take attention away from "not neurodivergent kids" like my son to more neurodivergent kids but it has been three months since we started at ACE and we could not be happier. My son is happy every morning and is excited about school. We love how they have been listening to us as parents, adjusting their approaches to each kid when they deem changes necessary, and how they are fully supporting each kid in terms of social-emotional learning. I am only disappointed that we did not make this change to ACE any earlier!

Posted: October 24, 2024

Posted: October 23, 2024

Wonderful school for gifted 1E and 2E learners. Great supports in place for neurodivergent kiddos who might be otherwise unsuccessful in a traditional school environment. Appropriately challenging and nurturing. There is a true understanding of neurodivergence here. We feel seen.

Posted: October 23, 2024

Posted: November 6, 2023

ACE has been a fabulous school for my children. WIth small class sizes, supportive teachers and engaging content, my children have really loved their experience at ACE.

Posted: November 6, 2023

Posted: October 12, 2023

My son was hesitant to switch schools in 3rd grade. But now we're two years in and we found community, camaraderie, and passion for learning. He's so happy at ACE and they can accommodate him academically 2+ years accelerated. Yes, it's a school for smart kids, but they offer an advanced curriculum in a super nurturing environment.

ACE has a great SEL program and school counselor. I love that they're a small school but they also have foreign languages, art, theater, PE, electives and lots of extras to round out the school experience. The teachers understand how gifted kids' brains work, and that they may need extra support with executive function, stress management, and building life-long learning routines. They even helped us find a way to keep him from losing his water bottle and glasses regularly!

The school takes issues seriously and works expediently to address them. There's great communication overall and I feel like the administration has things under control.

We've been happy so far at ACE!

Pros:
Academics/curriculum
Well-rounded
Teachers and admin are amazing
Personalized support for kid + family
Homework in lower school is very limited/manageable

Cons:
No playground/outdoor space is limited
Classes are very small (pro and con!)

Posted: October 12, 2023

Posted: October 5, 2023

They are advertising as school for gifted kids, the reality is they accept only gifted kids, but the level of education, especially in math and science is not better than in good public school. Especially if you child is 2+ grades above the grade assigned based on the age. They provide great access to SEL, however the school has more daycare vibe, so children dont learn good manners. School has huge stuff and kids turnover, administration is silencing and gaslighting parents; aggressive behavior, physical attracts by the students are ignored, safety during field trip is non existent. This are general concerns, in our case we also got absolutely incompetent teacher, who was yelling at kids, shared some graphic details about her health, death of her husband and son, uploaded to Google classroom material for history class that included abortions, politically charged materials,Texas school shootings. Luckily at the afternoon before it was planned to be presented to kids one of the parents reported to administrator. Parents got casual reply that this is just a mistake. School doesnt explicitly say that they are ultra liberal but independent, libertarian, conservative families will not feel welcome. Sad that this is where we are.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Posted: October 4, 2023

I have been a home educator for years and have always treated the early education years with the upmost care and consideration. When my daughter requested an in school experience due to her desire to work with a variety of teachers and students I had significant concerns that what she imagined school to look like versus what she was able to acquire would near impossible to find. Even so, when I toured ACE academy, spoke with the teachers and other students I was more than willing to give it a try. I am so glad I did. The schools focus on social emotional development and focus extend well beyond the typical no bullying around. The conversations about inclusion, differences in learning, and critical thinking are absolutely top notch. My daughters natural curiosity has been rewarded with positivity, and encouragement, and she is excited every day to go to school and discuss her plans and ideas with her teachers and classmates ever day.

Posted: October 4, 2023

I can't say enough good things about ACE Academy. It was clear public schools were not giving our profoundly gifted 9yo daughter the learning experience she needed so we had been homeschooling her for the past few years. After attending a summer camp at ACE we decided to let her give it a try. Best move ever. Extremely low student-to-teacher ratios (6:1!), extremely innovative teaching methods aimed at gifted students, and fantastic class offerings. She works hard but loves every minute of it. They only accept kids who have been officially tested as "gifted" (130+IQ) but that is part of what makes it work. Every kid (and parent) we've met there is just amazing. At the public school, we felt like our daughter was not only bored but also being asked to teach the slower kids. At ACE, they get the usual school stuff done in a few hours a day and spend the rest of the day on robotics, programming, theater, art, multimedia art, debate, math team, mandarin or Spanish, and other classes I would have killed to have when I was in school. Not for every kid but if you want the best experience for your creative and gifted child, look no further.

Posted: October 4, 2023

Posted: October 3, 2023

My daughter just started in 4th grade this year, and this is our 4th school in 6 years. Every school we have previously been at has talked about a growth mindset, but this is the very first place where I've actually seen any educational institution that has made actual progress towards actually inculcating it. Her teacher is absolutely fantastic (the best we've had by a mile).

At this point, I feel like a school choice veteran - we've been in 2 other private schools and one public school. My daughter did well in all of them, and was happy at the private schools and not happy, but okay at the public one. I can say where Ace stands out in organization, transparency, their ability to understand this population (my daughter is 2E), and their maturity and emotional intelligence in dealing with situations that arise.

Posted: October 3, 2023

Posted: October 2, 2023

My child started in the upper school (5th-8th grade) at ACE this fall and she is so very, very happy there. She is learning a ton, has extremely interesting classes and the teachers are supportive, kind and positive. The administration is extremely responsive, respectful and they clearly care very deeply about the children. I appreciate how willing the administration and teachers are to engage with families and to address any problems that do come up.

My child is challenged in her classes, but is also supported and encouraged. ACE feels very safe--whether its social-emotional safety or building security, I trust that she is well-cared for at all times. She has developed many strong new friendships and really feels comfortable and has a lot of fun with her peers.

The upper school students get to choose their electives from a broad list, which my child absolutely loves. For example, this semester she was able to choose five electives (including mythology, intro to programming and multi-media art--options change every semester), in addition to taking all the core classes and a foreign language.

For my child, this school was a dream come true.

Posted: October 2, 2023

Posted: September 27, 2023

For gifted kids who are gifted all the time, not just 1 hour a week in a gifted pull-out program, Ace provides advanced, individualized academics paired with world class, research backed SEL program. Kids learn how to be respectful to themselves and others while making the world a better place through caring for the environment and learning to be a true friend. The theater, arts, and foreign language programs as well as the maker space give kids a creative outlet to express themselves as confident problem solvers. Highly recommend for kids who need more than traditional schools can offer.

Posted: September 27, 2023

Posted: December 5, 2022

My child was doing OK at public. In a gifted program. Some days they were happy, other days they werent. They had some friends but overall were not thrilled about the socializing at public. Public wasnt doing anything wrong but my child just didnt have the spark - the passion for school. I also knew they could be challenged in a more thoughtful way than what could be achieved at public. My childs light has turned on at ace. They feel happy and excited to go to school and have found friends that they truly connect with. If you can afford it, sending a gifted child to a gifted school can make all the difference for their mental health and emotional well-being. Worth the financial sacrifices to send my child here. Between the academics (great math and literacy programs) and foreign language, theatre, maker space, art, music are all offered. The children have so many creative outlets and teachers that support them.

Posted: December 5, 2022

Posted: October 21, 2022

ACE has lived up to all the hype. Our creative kiddo comes home full of positivity, energy and things to share. We love that her teachers really get to know her and see her strengths as well providing support if there are struggles. Her teacher is great: knowledgeable, relatable, engaging and responsive. They also have a teacher's aid in the class which means teacher can do 1:1 instruction as needed. ACE also takes social emotional learning seriously and you see their commitment throughout the curriculum (as opposed to a worksheet here and there as she had previously). Socially our kiddo has taken off and academically she's able to go up as needed or stay at grade for other subjects. The Maker Space is next level and the field trips have been super fun. We were super unsure about going private and then which one but ACE was the w/o a doubt an excellent choice!

Posted: October 18, 2022

This school is wonderful, and they truly achieve differentiated learning. Many schools claim to challenge students at the appropriate level across subjects, but realistically very few manage to do that. Our daughter is in 1st grade, and she loves everything about this school. Highly recommended for bright kids.

Posted: October 18, 2022

Our youngest is currently enrolled at ACE, and our older child attended for 2 years before deciding to return to AISD because she missed her neighborhood friends. ACE is a wonderful place for kids who need something different from school than public school can provide - the classes are very small, so the teachers can spend time with each student every day, and the curriculum is great. The school allows students to really get in-depth in subjects they're interested in & the teachers have high but not unreasonable expectations. We've been really impressed with everything (super fun electives in upper school like theater tech & lockpicking!), but especially the math curriculum - it's accelerated & taught in interesting, creative ways. I've also been impressed by how supportive the students are of each other. They are accepting of their classmates & their quirks, and no one gets teased about being a teacher's pet or about not fitting a certain mold. ACE is our youngest's happy place - she'd love to stay here forever. And even though our oldest decided to head back into AISD, it gave her a great educational foundation & made her more confident about her academic abilities. Highly recommend ACE for students who need more.

Posted: October 18, 2022

Posted: August 20, 2022

My child has been at the school for several years. The teachers are fantastic! They are invested in challenging the students while also supporting them as needed. The curriculum is designed to engage the students in deep, complex thinking, and the assignments are meaningful and creative. The teachers and administration are caring and responsive. The small class sizes enable the teachers to get to know the students well academically as well as socially. The school creates a very warm environment where curiosity, engagement, and learning are prioritized.

ACE has a wide range of interesting electives and afterschool clubs that inspire passionate followings from the kids.

The administration is efficient and effective. The school makes wise choices regarding how they prioritize their resources.

Our family has been involved with several private schools over the years. ACE provides a wonderful learning environment. It's outstanding!

Posted: August 20, 2022

Posted: January 5, 2022

Gifted children are immersed into a world of learning at this school. The curriculum is carefully designed & thoughtfully implemented to nurture gifted learners natural strengths, such as critical thinking and problem solving, while challenging them to push harder and go beyond what comes easily. Social emotional learning is also supported at school and children receive daily STEAM opportunities. Curriculum is customized for each child and report cards help parent to understand the mastery levels of concepts and skills. Technology is utilized and taught while maintaining a focus on literature and musical theater, for example. This school is so well rounded - if you have a gifted learner that needs the space and environment to grow and is eager to be surrounded by friends who will challenge them - whether it's in game theory or classroom discussion - Ace Academy is the place.

Posted: January 5, 2022

Posted: October 16, 2021

ACE is a great school filled with fantastic teachers and leadership. The school has handled the pandemic as well as anyone could hope, including bringing in engaged and energetic teachers that want to continue to build a great community of learning. We are very glad to be at the school!

Posted: March 2, 2020

Originally, a few years ago, it was good. But now they are insensitive money-hungry people who don't care about their students. They have favorites, and if you are not one of the favorites, your experience will be miserable. Being a student who has gone there for five years now, I can tell you that this school is not worth one penny of the seventeen thousand dollars that it costs. If you are looking at sending your child here, turn the other way. This school doesn't deserve your money, time, or effort. If you love your child and want them to have a good relationship with learning, do not send them to ACE Academy.

Posted: March 2, 2020

This school gives little to no homework in fifth grade and below, however, after that I got about 1 1/2 - 2 hours worth of homework on average. They have too much sympathy when it comes to late work with some students and none with others.

Posted: March 2, 2020

A good portion of the teachers are amazing, but there are a few that were or are bad at teaching and redirecting misbehaving students. They are not treated fairly by the administration, and as a result, have been getting more quick-to-snap recently.

Posted: March 2, 2020

They do not stop hate and bullying among the students, and from experience, they will do nothing. The students have to fend for themselves.

Posted: March 2, 2020

The administration does not listen to students, teachers, or parents, time and time again. They do not care about the student's experience unless they donate large sums of money to the school or threaten to leave the school with their money. They do not take action when there is bullying, sexual harassment (among students, I don't know about the teachers, as far as I know, there has been no incident of that among the teachers), or racism. They claim to be no place for hate, but the only thing they don't stop is hate. They have no trust in the good students, and the bad students who are bullies, they always "forgive and forget."

Posted: March 2, 2020

They say they do, but they don't. They, for the most part, accommodate dysgraphic and dyslectic students, but if one of the students has ADHD or Aspergers and the student misbehaves or bullys other students (as far as physically hurting them) they will make up excuses and do not punish or reprimand the student.

Posted: March 2, 2020

They do not. Read my above responses.

Posted: November 20, 2019

I am a parent of two ACE students and have been with the school for several years. The school underwent a change in leadership three and a half years ago and since then I have seen positive improvements with the schools curriculum, especially in math & language arts. Under new leadership the school has also improved their policies, financial transparency and decreased teacher turnover. My kids are happy and excited to go to school every day. They have built great friendships that carry beyond the walls of ACE. It is a warm and welcoming community (ACE is a No Place for Hate school) built on a solid mission for gifted students. To have a school meet my childrens needs and be a part of such a great community is priceless.

Posted: November 20, 2019

The school has a great balanced approach for giving homework that has a purpose and the teachers are open to collaborate when homework seems too heavy.

Posted: November 20, 2019

They understand the gifted population and come to the class well prepared and trained. The smaller class sizes help the teachers in getting to know my child's strengths and weaknesses.

Posted: November 20, 2019

The school has a great counselor and there is social emotional support and learning incorporated in their daily classes.

Posted: November 20, 2019

Leadership communicates well with parents. Their open door policy makes it easy as a parent to reach out anytime there is a need. The administration focuses on community building which has given our family a lot of support.

Posted: November 20, 2019

The school goes the extra mile to meet all the students needs and offer a personalized curriculum.

Posted: November 20, 2019

The school counselor supports this as does the whole school- they have been a No Place For Hate School for many years.

Posted: October 23, 2019

My family and I were so very disappointed in this school and It's administration. Problems began very early within the year and when this was discussed with Tabitha Head of School and her "team" I was told not to let the money (we've invested for the school year) stop us from leaving. I wish it was that simple and thousands of dollars could have been thrown to the wind but that was not the case. We stuck it out and it was a very long year to say the least. I only wish I knew what "Gifted" really meant before enrolling.

Throughout the year my family grew more and more concerned with the words and actions that were coming from our daughter. She talked about killing, shooting and began playing violently with her dolls. Mind you this is a sunshine girl who usually sings songs about love and friendship and was not previously exposed to anything violent. When we casually I asked her why she was playing like that she told us thats how the other kid(s) play at school.

It was problem after problem here and Tabitha and other admin were cold and condescending. They insisted this was all normal behavior and implied that I was just having a hard time having my lo out in the real world for the first time.

Fast forward: None of what we experienced was "normal"!
Being away from Ace Academy over the summer and attending her new school this year has been such a joy! All of the disturbing behavior completely stopped and she's back to singing songs about love and happiness. The shift was very dramatic and such a weight has been lifted from our heavy hearts. We are all beyond happy to see the transition back to how she was previous to ACE and are so excited for her.

If admin ever changes here are some positives.

Pros:

Nicki Hollums (Director of Admissions) seemed to genuinely care about the students and their families trying to help in any way she could. Unfortunately to my knowledge not much was in her control.

We liked that there was a variety of courses for the younger kids.

Posted: October 23, 2019

Posted: May 3, 2018

Despite being advocates for public schools, we were deeply frustrated with our daughter's public school experience before coming to ACE. She had been identified as gifted very early on, but there was never any meaningful accommodation or enrichment provided; in fact, sometimes the opposite was true: teachers made things worse by separating her from other students in ways that alienated her from her peers, e.g. "while everyone else does their math work, you can do your OWN work on this computer" or "you're going to sit over here and read a different book than the rest of the class is discussing." She was quite bored at school and was starting to think she already knew everything and would never need to work to learn. However, we were most worried about her socially. For some reason, though she is a kind and relatively outgoing child, she just wasn't "fitting in" anywhere. At best, other kids didn't share her interests and sense of humor and just kind of blanked her. At worst, she would be excluded or mean-girled. She really didn't make a single close friend all through grades 1-3. Finally, we decided that we could not let our child go through her entire elementary experience without being challenged and without finding a kindred spirit. We came to ACE and...well...let's just say we are wildly happy for her. As someone else mentioned, I only regret not finding this school sooner. She has found her tribe. :)

Posted: May 3, 2018

Posted: February 1, 2018

The school pays attention to the fact that students need work/life balance too. If ever there's homework that can't be completed "on time" the teachers are very understanding and accommodating.

Posted: February 1, 2018

The low student/teacher ratios mean that teachers can and will pay close attention to all students.

Posted: February 1, 2018

Leadership at all levels of the school have been very warm and welcoming to my child, both when things are going well, and more importantly, when there is a problem.

Posted: February 1, 2018

My son has ADHD, and has struggled to fit in at every school he's attended. At ACE he is in his element, and I've never seen him happier. They understand and support kids like him.

Posted: February 1, 2018

The whole family is delighted with our son's move to ACE (5th grade) and wish we had made the move sooner.

Posted: March 4, 2016

I can honestly say that ACE Academy saved my 8th grader. Over the years she had grown to hate school so much that she had sunk into depression and anxiety that was so severe she missed 30 days in the first half of her eighth grade year. On the verge of medicating her, I thought back to the last place she loved learning, Summer Wonders camp, which is run by the same folks who run ACE.
At ACE my daughter quickly formed close friendships with kids who get her odd sense of humor; interest in books, politics, and art; and love of debate. At the public school she had been marginalized and excluded for being different, but the kids at ACE welcomed her into their community immediately.
Social acceptance is not the only advantage ACE provides to gifted learners like my kid. Much of my childs anxiety came from the over two hours of homework she was assigned each night, which left little time for her to enjoy other activities. At ACE the teachers assign very little homework and the work they do assign is meaningful, project work that allows students to delve deeply into topics that are interesting and relevant. At ACE my child has engaged in World Building, studied relativistic thinking, analyzed subversive art, created photo essays, and conducted cross-pollination experiments to challenge the GMO issues, all with less than an hour per night hitting the books.
The most important difference in the education she is receiving at ACE, though, has to do with the level of instruction she receives in the classroom. The instructors at ACE are up to date on newest scientific advances, influential and controversial literature and current events, new teaching strategies. Everyday my kid comes home buzzing about what she is reading or hearing or discussing in her classes. She no longer complains about doing busy work or students who derail learning. ACE class sizes are generally under 10 students, so every student is heard.
I know that there is no such thing as a perfect school, and ACE has a few growing pains, but the small issues they have pale in contrast to the problems we faced in the public schools.
ACE provides smaller class sizes, deeper exploration of topics, innovative instructors, a focus on learning (not testing), and a true community of students care about each other. My only regret is that I didnt move her to ACE sooner.

Posted: August 23, 2015

When we started with Ace we only knew that traditional settings were proving difficult for our son. After several episodes of being bullied by other children, being completely ignored by teachers, and coming home in tears, we decided to try something different. The difference after the first week at Ace was amazing - he loves school, cries on snow days, and can't wait to get there in the morning! His face lights up when he sees his teachers and he has become confident, well-spoken, and has finally abandoned the type of perfectionism that used to stop him from trying new things! He told me recently that he loves Ace because it "fills him up with ideas". There are so many wonderful things to say - from his teacher who had them learn about orca whales by having them act out an orca whale hunt, learning about the planets by each getting to play the role of a planet in the solar system, and learning about Jackson Pollock by creating a splatter paint class masterpiece! What other school has pull out science, music, and art for a 5 year old, let alone emotional intelligence (which has helped him learn to express himself and his many advanced emotional feelings)? I am humbled and amazed by the teachers who contribute their gifts here - if you are looking for a school that can offer a caring community, opportunities to dialogue with adults about advanced subject matter, and a place where your kid (who might feel like a misfit, like mine) will finally fit, this could be it for you. I get teary eyed every time we have evaluations letting them know what this school has meant for my son. I feel so lucky to have found it and look forward to giving back what I can - I wish every kid in Austin could be in a class of 12 or less with teachers who can't wait to hear what they have to say! I won't say everything is perfect, but give it a chance - you might just find you wouldn't have it any other way!

Posted: October 24, 2014

When we attended the information session, we thought "interesting but not for us". To our surprise, we found we suddenly needed to take a closer look since traditional classroom setting was not working at all. If you are looking for a traditional classroom with all the kids lined up in rows and quietly working dutifully from a textbook/workbook, you won't get that at ACE. Seeing the struggles my child had prior to ACE made me sit down really hard and think about what my view of the end result of 12 years of schooling should be. For me - that is passion in their interests and focus on a growth mindset. So we looked for a school that we felt would really allow him to be passionate about school and that won't hold him back just because of his age or size. What we love about ACE is the flexibility but high expectations - and the emphasis on working hard. Our child is not prevented from learning just because his motor skills like writing are not as strong as the rest of his class... the progress he has made in just the last two months has been amazing. His confidence has improved - he is no longer challenged by other kids on his age or on what they think he should or should not know.

Posted: September 9, 2014

We really like ACE a lot. There is nothing else like it in the Austin area. The school holds regular information sessions for parents. If you are interested this is a great way to learn more about the school. We really feel like we have found a school home for our child that will last till it's time to go to college. The staff have very impressive credentials and are also incredibly caring. They understand gifted kids and are ready to help them succeed from Day 1. Our child loves school so much an early bedtime is accepted willingly so we can be early to school the next day. I am so glad we found this school.

Posted: September 9, 2014

I am writing this review as the Curriculum Director for ACE Academy. I maintain our accreditation status and review the school s curriculum. I can speak to the incredibly strong but flexible curriculum at ACE. ACE teachers follow concrete sets of standards to create courses that exceed milestones in learning. Here s what makes ACE better suited for gifted learners: we don t follow state or national standards blindly. We consult those standards and create our own. We then allow room in our curriculum for teachers to explore more deeply the lessons the students find most interesting. So, ACE does have its own curriculum one that is reviewed internally and externally by the nation s top accrediting body. It is a myth that accelerated learning requires increased homework. If you expect your child to spend hours completing worksheets or homework, ACE is not the place for your child. If you want your child to follow a textbook cover to cover, ACE isn't what you re looking for. We consult textbooks, but, for us, that s the exception rather than the rule. ACE is innovative and flexible while remaining dedicated to the curricular standards that shape our learning goals.

Posted: August 24, 2014

Austin definitely needs a school for gifted kids. ACE is not ready to be one of them. The school do have some great teachers, but it is very disorganized, no textbooks, no strong curriculum. As a parent of a gifted child, I do not believe in giving " freedom" to this type of kids. I think they need organization as much as regular children, if not more. Their "gifts" have to be channelled, not let loose to "create". At least I know it does not work for my child. The school grows in numbers, but not quality.

Posted: October 5, 2013

They really come from a point of view that there are no limits for the children. They are always looking for ways for the kids to have a better experience.

Posted: October 1, 2013

I often say that if I could design a school for my son, it would look a lot like ACE Academy. They understand the special needs of the gifted and customize the learning experience based on their needs. My son is strong in science/math, but struggles with reading. In a regular school, they would hold him back in the areas where he excels. Special after school activities are designed for special interests: fencing, chess club, art, robotics, Legos, and even Hogwarts club. I am always impressed by the level of work they are doing and the pace at which they move. My 3rd grader comes home understanding scientific concepts I didn't see until high school or college. ACE also understands the emotional challenges of gifted kids and incorporates emotional intelligence and self-awareness work to help with issues like perfectionism or lack of focus/drive when things get hard. They hold parent seminars to help us all understand what our children are going through and need. I only go down one star because the physical building is not ideal, but they are working on building or finding a new location.

Posted: September 30, 2013

While our son was at a fabulous preschool when he was 3 1/2, he was waking up at 3 a.m. on a regular basis wanting to read or play games, clearly short on the stimulation needed during the day. During his teacher/parent conference, his current teacher at the time recommended we investigate ACE Academy. So we went and once he started our lives changed drastically (sleeping through the night was a wonderful change!). He loved going to school, running in calling to me to "hurry mom". Our second son started at ACE when he was 3 as well and loves it. The flexibility your child receives in their education is invaluable. One thing you never want your child to hear is "we will learn that next year" or "you are too young to learn that", which you will not hear at ACE Academy. The teachers are so patient and often will redirect the lesson plans according to the interests in the classroom.

Posted: September 25, 2013

ACE Academy's wonderful teachers and staff have made a huge positive impact on my children and family. Using a strengths-based approach, they help kids develop to their fullest potential academically, creatively and socially. We believe that student feedback matters in developing curriculum. ACE's class offerings are are flexible enough (including such diverse classes as Latin, Emotional Intelligence, gardening, "history of zombies," etc.) to ensure a top-notch, well rounded education and to instill and protect a genuine love of learning that will last throughout our children's lifetimes. Though I would like to see more physical education incorporated into the curriculum, we have found the perfect place for our two gifted, quirky, outspoken boys to reach their potential and enjoy learning.

Posted: August 6, 2013

ACE has been a wonderful experience for our family. It is amazing to see kids so happy to go to school each day!

Posted: January 9, 2013

We are very happy with ACE Academy. We did ALOT of research. The one and two star ratings seem to come from families who pulled their children out of ACE because it wasn't a good fit. I have read all of the reviews and it mostly sounds like these families should have never enrolled at ACE in the first place. They gave us ample time and information about how the school is run. I suggest you take a long look at ACE to make sure it is the right fit. This is not a traditional school and will not satisfy parents who are looking for a more traditional learning enviornment. For us, it has been outstanding.

Posted: October 26, 2012

The 3rd grade science class is taught by a PhD in Science Education, an IT professional, and a senior science major from UT.In 1st 6 weeks students do scale drawings and investigations measuring mass, volume, and distance.They use search engines for developing research projects in Word, Excel to collect and organize data, and Power Point to organize presentations of their work.They experimentally determine the % of water in okra, taste okra and learn about its history. They design germination and growth experiments, using fractions and % to describe their results. They currently have at a least three types of winter vegetables growing. They watch BBC and use National Geographic to learn about caring for their live Venus fly traps. They observe live mosquito larvae and discover the connection to birds/West Nile Virus.They play games to explore ecological relationships, and develop advanced vocabulary while learning life and element cycles.They also explore fossil fuels and alternatives. Students are integrating information age technology while analyzing data sets, discovering science for themselves, using sources and communicating ideas with the same tools that scientists use.

Posted: October 26, 2012

I saw a learning sequence in my son s 6th grade classroom in another school where the system gives all the teachers scripts to read, word for word, supposedly to improve quality control. It was on the food web of the Snowy Owl. The number of Snowy Owls in our area was equal to the number of students in that classroom who showed any enthusiasm for the highly scripted lesson that neither deviated to answer any questions nor provided any local animals. Is this the kind of lifeless curriculum and classroom I want? Not for my gifted child. ACE Academy enacts curriculum in a way that brings it to life for the learners. It connects to other core subjects, recognizes and values student questions, and fuels curiosity. To say that there is no curriculum at ACE Academy or the teachers are no good is much easier to accept for some parents than to admit that their own child can t keep up in a progressive school, which may also explain why the child continues to struggle academically even in a non-gifted classroom. This school is not a good fit for everyone. But it does have curriculum and highly qualified teachers recognized by a professional accreditation organization.

Posted: October 16, 2012

There seems to be a good deal of misinformation in some of the other posts. ACE Academy went through a rigorous process of becoming accredited, in which their curricula, qualifications, and student evaluations were all reviewed by an outside committee. Teachers use a combination of resources and base many curriculum choices on the Common Core standards as well as best fit for gifted learners. ACE also uses a nationally normed standardized test for ages 8 and up to gage progress and look for topics that still need to be covered. It is true that not every teacher has been the best fit for this school environment, and those teachers do not stay long. I have seen so much progress in my kids and can't imagine a better school for them.

Posted: October 15, 2012

I'll echo many of the same comments. ACE is an amazing concept and they have great camps, but it fails miserably as a school. They have no curriculum. That's right, no curriculum. So it's entirely up to inexperienced and unsupervised teachers to figure out what and how to teach. They tend to gloss over the fundamentals to do "cool" things and "go where the kids want to go". We left because we felt our child was backsliding academically, and boy were we right. Our son is at least one full grade year behind his peers in the public school (despite ACE's testing that said he was three grade levels ahead of his age), and he's outright failing math and reading. We're sick that we sent him to ACE and hope that we can catch him up with tutors (twice a week) and an hour a night of our involvement. All but one of the kids he started ACE with have since left for the same reasons. It's a shame that Austin's only gifted school is a failure. I d highly recommend you avoid ACE until it has a proven track record of success. Cool concept but it's way too risky to let your kids' education be part of a failed experiment.

Posted: July 23, 2012

The administrators have a good concept, but are lacking in the supportive staff to implement their vision. Be sure to ask about the teacher's qualifications for teaching gifted kids. Many teachers do not have degrees to teach, or an education background. This is something to consider when looking for a school for your gifted child.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Midtown Commons at Crestview Station	Apartment Complex	Austin	TX	2.8 mi
2	Anderson Mill	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Austin	TX	10.4 mi
3	Mill creek	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Salado	TX	46.5 mi

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