News Archive | American College of Education

ACE Partners With StraighterLine and ChildCare Education Institute to Provide Early Childhood Professionals Path to a College Degree

Bianca Stakes — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

StraighterLine students are eligible to transfer their earned credits to an ACE bachelor’s-completion program.

INDIANAPOLIS – June 14, 2023 – American College of Education® (ACE), StraighterLine and its subsidiary ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) have joined forces to accomplish their aligned mission of providing career-advancing educational opportunities for educators. CCEI certificate program completers can have their credits transcribed by ACE to then apply them to one of the college’s bachelor’s-completion programs.

CCEI is the industry leader for online professional development, specializing in offering online childcare training and certificates. It was recently acquired by StraighterLine, an existing ACE partner.

“One of our many goals at ACE is to provide educational opportunities that meet students where they are,” ACE CEO and President Geordie Hyland said. “Partnering with StraighterLine and CCEI means we can give early childhood educators a viable way to finish their bachelor’s degrees in less time and for less money, because their earned credits will seamlessly transfer.”

“We are thrilled to partner with ACE because they fully embrace our mission to empower more learners to reach their college and career goals,” said Heather Combs, StraighterLine CEO. “While families continue to seek high quality care for their children, our nation is grappling with a shortage of teachers. Our partnership aims to help solve that shortage by providing early childhood educators a flexible and affordable path to upward mobility and degree attainment, and to open more early childhood classrooms at the same time.”

ACE’s commitment to early childhood education extends to its Master of Education in Early Childhood Education, a program where ACE is the fourth largest conferrer according to recent IPEDS data reflecting the 2020-21 academic year.

About American College of Education

American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, 100% online college specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing. ACE is ranked #2 on Newsweek’s 2023 top online colleges list. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 80 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, specialist, master’s or bachelor’s degree, along with micro-credentials and graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation. Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

About StraighterLine

StraighterLine is the leading provider of high-quality, affordable, online courses that help learners earn college credit and meet their professional goals. Each year, 150,000 learners take one of StraighterLine’s 215 courses to upskill into new careers or earn credit from over 2,000 colleges and universities worldwide. StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to provide their students and employees with flexible education options that allow them to work and learn at their own pace. Visit www.straighterline.com for more information.

About ChildCare Education Institute, A StraighterLine Company

ChildCare Education Institute® provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings. Over 200+ English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition approved training partner, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and as an IACET Accredited Provider, offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. Visit www.cceionline.com for more information.

2023 ACE Grad Cap Contest – Full Details & Official Rules

Christine Dickson — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

It’s time for the annual ACE Grad Cap Contest!

From June 26 to July 21, all 2023 ACE graduates can enter for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card and a beautiful ACE diploma frame by decorating a graduation cap and sharing a photo of it with us. Whether you plan to celebrate in person or virtually, use your mortarboard as a canvas to commemorate this big achievement.

There will be two grand prize winners. See below for how to enter.

Enter on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

Post a photo of your decorated grad cap on social media:

Use the hashtags #ACEGrad2023 and #ACECommencement in your post.
Tag us in your post (@ACEedu on Twitter, @ACE_edu on Instagram, American College of Education on Facebook).
Make sure your social media account is set to public.

Enter via Email

For those who do not use social media or prefer to keep their social media private, send your photo to social@ace.edu.

Contest Details

Only American College of Education 2023 eligible graduates are eligible to enter. We will only accept one submission per graduate. Graduation cap decorations may not include profanity or other inappropriate words and/or images.

The contest runs from Monday, June 26, 2023 to Friday, July 21, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. A panel of volunteer judges from across the college will vote on their favorite entries. The two entries that receive the most votes will be declared the winners. Winners will be contacted during the week of July 24, 2023. You must complete the steps above to be eligible to win. By participating in the ACE Grad Cap Contest, you agree to abide by ACE’s official contest rules terms and conditions. If you have any additional questions, please contact social@ace.edu.

American College of Education Launches Partnership with Navigate360 Training Institute

Bianca Stakes — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

The agreement allows Navigate360 training completers to apply up to three credits to ACE master’s degrees

INDIANAPOLIS – June 7, 2023 – American College of Education® (ACE) has announced a partnership with Navigate360, an organization dedicated to providing educators with tools to face today’s education crises. Navigate360 training program completers can seamlessly apply up to three credits to an ACE master’s degree.

Navigate360 prepares K-12 educators and school leaders for challenges that extend beyond instruction. They offer courses on topics including digital civility, micro-aggressions, bullying, opioid crises, suicide awareness, and prevention, including ALICE active shooter response training.

“We fully support Navigate360’s mission to equip and prepare educators with skills that address the challenges of today’s education landscape,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “This partnership is a continuation of developing their skills and providing what they need for career advancement.”

“Partnering with ACE provides an incredible opportunity for K-12 leaders and educators who take our training to meet their education goals,” CEO of Navigate360, JP Guilbault added. “Both organizations have passion for ensuring educators have critical skills, training and tools needed to succeed in the classroom. This makes our partnership so beneficial – we’re aligned in helping educators reach their goals while also improving the safety and wellness of school communities. This is a meaningful step for us, and we look forward to what’s to come.”

About American College of Education

About Navigate360

Navigate360 is the premier provider of safety solutions for schools, leading to enhanced student wellbeing. With more than 20 years’ experience, our multifaceted, layered approach—providing everything from curricula that support positive behavior and self-image to campus physical safety and personnel training—focuses on incident prevention. Currently, more than 14 million students are attending schools using Navigate360 solutions.

American College of Education Adds Two Senior Vice Presidents to Address K-12 Teacher Shortage

Bianca Stakes — Tue, 30 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Shannon Penrose and Sue Wiley bring extensive education leadership experience in leveraging opportunities to support K-12 school districts and educators

INDIANAPOLIS – May 31, 2023 – As the nation faces significant K-12 teacher shortages, American College of Education® (ACE) is taking intentional steps to evolve its academic products to address teacher recruitment and retention challenges. As senior vice presidents of education solutions, Shannon Penrose and Sue Wiley will spearhead the college’s efforts to create tailored workforce solutions within K-12 education.

Penrose’s accolades, among many, include several years as an educator and, most recently, service as managing partner for Learning Ally. There, she collaborated with leadership at the Los Angeles Unified School District, one of the nation’s largest, and designed and built a multi-year professional learning series in effective reading instruction. Additionally, with district approval, she partnered with MIT to develop an efficacy study focusing on the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution that fosters student reading engagement and performance. Her passion and education research in equity and inclusion, multilingual education, and building educator capacity and efficacy will serve ACE well.

Wiley also has years of experience as an educator and notably started two alternative schools in Washington. She served at leading education organizations including Teachscape/Frontline, Mursion and Kaplan after working in business development in K-12 at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. One of the highlights of her career was working for NovaNET/Pearson, a company she was inspired to join after seeing the impact of their learning tools in her classroom. Wiley is devoted to equity, accessibility and student achievement – all of which align with ACE’s mission.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shannon and Sue to the ACE leadership team,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “At ACE, we endeavor to address the full education needs of a K-12 school district and ultimately help school districts attract, retain and upskill teachers. Our goal is for Shannon and Sue to support district administration with market-driven customized solutions.”

“We are keenly aware of the difficulties today’s K-12 educators and leadership are facing,” ACE Chief Growth Officer Monica Carson added. “Shannon and Sue’s experience in education can guide ACE to capitalize on our established efforts to provide career advancement opportunities through higher education that will, in turn, initiate positive change throughout K-12 education.”

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American College of Education Releases 2022 B Corp Report Showcasing Its Social and Environmental Impact

Bianca Stakes — Tue, 23 May 2023 16:53:49 +0000

The report emphasizes the college’s unwavering commitment to operations that honor both people and planet

INDIANAPOLIS – May 23, 2023 – Leading provider of online and affordable higher education, American College of Education® (ACE), has released its annual B Corp report reflecting its impact in 2022. The college’s efforts exemplify its dedication to meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency as outlined by the B Corp certification guidelines.

In 2022 alone, ACE served over 2,000 hours to several non-profits nationwide; implemented intentional diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; gave over $2.5 million in scholarships to students and more. The report highlights key initiatives including the college’s new ACE Scholarship Fund that has already surpassed $10,000, its dedicated ACE Month of Impact where the organization committed to a unified effort to make a difference and student satisfaction data.

Additionally, the report details ACE’s recognition as a Top Workplace in the nation that resulted from employee satisfaction and engagement surveys revealing the college as outperforming other colleges and universities by double digits. The college was also named a Best Place to Work in Indiana for the sixth consecutive year in 2022.

“Our ongoing mission at ACE includes having transformational impact on the lives of its students, alumni, faculty and communities through our commitment to social responsibility,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “From better student outcomes to looking for more ways to be impactful in communities, we are constantly evolving to be a more efficient, effective and impactful organization.”

Conducted every three years, the B Corp certification is awarded to businesses who demonstrate the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. ACE is currently awaiting its second recertification since becoming a B Corp in 2016.

“As a B Corp, ACE strives to solve social and environmental problems through the power of business,” Chief Human Resources Officer KK Byland added. “This means we take intentional steps to ensure our daily operations go beyond getting things done and make a difference in the community at large.”

To view ACE’s B Impact Assessment and profile, visit here.

About American College of Education

ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland Discusses ACE on Prominent Higher Education Podcast

Christine Dickson — Thu, 18 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000

American College of Education President and CEO Geordie Hyland was a recent guest on “The EdUp Experience” podcast, where he spoke about how ACE keeps tuition so affordable, how the college is addressing human capital shortages in education and healthcare, and how to maintain a mission-driven workplace culture.

Tuition cost was a big point of discussion during the podcast episode, especially because ACE does not rely on Title IV funding. “You scrambled brains when you said no Title IV,” podcast host Dr. Joe Sallustio said, “because that’s the way we do things in higher education – you’ve got to have Title IV funding if you want to have students, but that’s not the case at ACE.”

Dr. Sallustio and Hyland went on to discuss ACE’s popular pay-as-you-go model, which necessarily places more emphasis on student satisfaction – if a student isn’t happy with their educational experience, there’s nothing that prevents them from leaving. To that, Hyland mentioned ACE’s 85% graduation rate and recent #2 online college in America ranking from Newsweek. These are all barometers that show ACE is providing a valuable learning experience that students are looking for.

Another theme of the podcast episode was how ACE is building relationships with organizations and businesses to help them find ways to address human capital shortages, especially in crucial fields like healthcare, nursing and education. ACE makes sure to align program outcomes to what’s needed in the job market, so graduates can succeed in high-demand positions.

However, today’s challenge isn’t just about hiring new people – it’s also about developing the employees you already have. Hyland shared his passion for facilitating career pathways that could increase the skills and earnings of educators and healthcare workers through programs such as micro-credentials and certificates. These educational opportunities can both retain staff and grow their skillsets. ACE is also focused on providing credit for prior learning opportunities for its partners, which allows professionals to get more out of work they’ve already completed.

Finally, both Dr. Sallustio and podcast co-host David Lind asked about leading a nontraditional college like ACE, where the workforce is fully remote. Hyland emphasized the importance of fostering a team culture that values open inquiry, diverse perspectives and inclusivity. He also spoke about how crucial it is to set a clear vision and goals, prioritize accountability, and have feedback loops in place so that team members can still be heard in an online work environment. ACE’s B Corporation certification helps tie the operation of the organization to its mission and its mission-driven employees have earned ACE the distinction of being a Top Workplace in the USA.

ACE stands out among higher education institutions for its solutions-oriented, student-first approach. It’s also agile and able to pivot quickly if needed, while traditional institutions are slowed by legacy processes and extensive infrastructure. Geordie Hyland is helping ACE lead the way as higher education enters its next era.

Recent IPEDS Rankings Reveal ACE as Leading Conferrer of Graduate Degrees in Education

Bianca Stakes — Tue, 16 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

The college remains in top 10 rankings for multiple areas including education and leadership.

INDIANAPOLIS – May 15, 2023 – Newly released data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) confirmed American College of Education®(ACE) as a leading conferrer of graduate degrees in education. Reflecting the 2020-2021 academic year amid the climax of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the data indicates both continued strong performance and improvement.

IPEDS is an annual survey that collects institution-level data from postsecondary institutions in the U.S. Per their recent data release, ACE conferred 4,048 degrees in the 2020-21 academic year, which marks a 24 percent increase from 2019-20. The college ranked in the top 10 for fourteen degrees and categories of degrees combined. (See more rankings below and here.)

“It’s fantastic to see the IPEDS data affirm the impact of ACE’s unwavering commitment to providing affordable, flexible and high-quality programs,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “Our institution was founded by educators and for educators, and we accomplished these rankings during the global COVID-19 pandemic, which was a very challenging time. I’m very proud of our faculty and staff and their contributions which made this possible.”

ACE Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jodi Feikema added, “We are proud and truly humbled by the outstanding IPEDS results. The 2020-21 academic year presented some challenges, but we quickly pivoted, remained focused on our mission and saw improvements. We are continuing to create more opportunities across all verticals for professionals to gain the skills and tools needed to lead and become the next generation of difference makers.”

Notable Rankings:

#1 in English as Second Language and Bilingual Education

#1 in Educational Administration
#1 in M.Ed. in Health and Wellness Education
#2 in M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
#2 in M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership
#2 in M.Ed. in Literacy

#2 in M.Ed. in STEM Education
#3 in master’s degrees in education
#3 in Curriculum and Instruction
#3 in M.Ed. in Advanced Studies
#4 in M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education

About American College of Education

American College of Education Partners with Lexia Aspire™ Professional Learning to Expand Educator Career Advancement

Bianca Stakes — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0000

The agreement allows educators who complete the Lexia Aspire Professional Learning program to apply up to three credit hours to an ACE master’s degree

INDIANAPOLIS – April 26, 2023 – Leading online college, American College of Education® (ACE), has announced a partnership with Lexia and its Lexia Aspire Professional Learning program – a digital, flexible and self-paced education platform for educators supporting students with literacy development in grades 4-8. Educators who complete the Lexia Aspire Professional Learning program can now apply up to three credits to an ACE master’s program.

Lexia Aspire Professional Learning’s solution equips classroom teachers, ELA educators, reading interventionists and other education professionals with the evidence-based tools needed to apply literacy development strategies in curricula. Programs are personalized to fulfill specific needs and lead educators to career advancement – a mission directly aligned with ACE.

“Partnering with Lexia, the developer of Lexia Aspire Professional Learning, is a testament to our combined unwavering commitment to educating educators and serving those who serve,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “Our desire is to contribute to a movement of empowered educators who advance their careers in affordable, flexible ways without sacrificing quality. Connecting with leaders like Lexia enables us to further this mission, and we’re excited to work with such an influential literacy organization.”

ACE was recently named the second-best online college in America for 2023 by Newsweek for its dedication to offering flexible, affordable and high-quality programs that promote career advancement. The college boasts industry-low costs and a fully online course model that allows busy adult students to continue their education anytime and anywhere with an online connection.

“We’re excited to see that the credits earned by professional educators will contribute to enhancing their careers even further,” said Lexia President, Nick Gaehde. “Our mission is always for professional educators and administrators to pursue career advancement and be the best education professionals they can be. Partnering with ACE allows us to expand that mission to even more educators nationally.”

Lexia Aspire Professional Learning is one of two Lexia organizations ACE partners with; the second, Lexia LETRS, was established in 2020.

About American College of Education

About Lexia

Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group company, is the structured literacy expert. For over 35 years, the company has focused solely on literacy and today, provides a full spectrum of solutions for both students and teachers. With robust offerings for differentiated instruction, personalized learning, assessment and professional learning, Lexia helps more learners read, write and speak with confidence. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.

About Cambium Learning® Group

Cambium Learning® Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 markets. With an intentional collection of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader in the education space, helping millions of educators and students feel more universally seen, valued and supported each and every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now.

To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Medium. The Cambium family of brands includes Cambium Assessment, Lexia®, Learning A-Z®, Voyager Sopris Learning®, ExploreLearning®, Time4Learning® and Kurzweil Education®.

Online Education Leaders, American College of Education and the National Virtual Teacher Association, Establish Partnership

Bianca Stakes — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0000

NVTA certification completers can now apply up to three graduate hours toward an ACE master’s degree

INDIANAPOLIS – April 19, 2023 – American College of Education® (ACE) is proud to announce a partnership with the National Virtual Teacher Association (NVTA) that makes its affordable, flexible and high-quality programs accessible to more educators. The agreement allows NVTA certification completers to transcribe and/or apply up to three graduate hours toward several of ACE’s fully online master’s programs in education.

Recently named the second-best online college in America in 2023 by Newsweek, ACE was founded by educators for educators and is committed to partnering with organizations aligned with its mission to provide accessible degree programs. Similarly, NVTA evolved from educational leaders seeking to meet the professional development needs of both K-12 and post-secondary educators through flexible, virtual course delivery.

“We are thrilled to partner with NVTA to provide transfer opportunities for their students,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “At ACE, we’re always looking for ways to connect the dots between professional development and degree programs, and partnerships like this create a streamlined pathway for educators to develop and advance their careers.”

Many of ACE’s master’s programs in education can be completed in as little as 12 months at industry-low costs. With NVTA’s certification taking an average of three months to complete, the partnership allows educators to potentially finish continuing education programs from both organizations in less than two years.

“Partnering with ACE is a great opportunity for our students to expand their education and meet their career goals,” Dr. April Willis, NVTA’s Director of Operations and Business Development said. “We take pride in providing a world-class education to our students, and ACE has the same passion and mission. We’re excited to see the great things that come from our agreement.”

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About National Virtual Teacher Association

NVTA is an organization created specifically to help advance and define the standards of quality virtual teaching and learning. Established as the profession’s medium for defining and validating excellence in a virtual teaching environment, the National Virtual Teacher Certification is a voluntary process to certify teachers to meet those virtual teaching standards.

Partnership Between American College of Education and ASBO International Expands Business Education Opportunities

Bianca Stakes — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 18:45:36 +0000

ASBO’s members are now eligible for tuition reduction and can transfer academic credits into a fully online advanced degree at ACE

INDIANAPOLIS – April 12, 2023 – American College of Education® (ACE) has created more opportunities for business professionals through its partnership with the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International. The partnership allows ASBO members who have completed its School Finance and Operations Certification to transfer up to three credits to a doctoral-level or micro-credential program, or six credits to a master’s-level degree at ACE. Additionally, all members are eligible to receive a 3% tuition reduction grant.

ASBO International is the premier professional association for school business and financial professionals who lead in school systems. They provide programs, resources, services and a global network to equip education business leaders for high-quality contributions.

“Partnering with ASBO International is a great step for ACE,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “We prioritize preparing and building educational leaders through our extensive selection of education and business programs. ASBO International’s mission stems from the same sentiment and this agreement means we can be a part of their goals to cultivate education business leaders who are ready to make a difference.”

“Our mission to create meaningful education business leaders can now seamlessly extend to degree programs at ACE, and we’re so excited,” says Cristin Watson, ASBO International’s Director of Education and Research. “We believe this new agreement will create a path for continued education for school business professionals and ultimately make a great impact in this field of work.”

About American College of Education

About the Association of School Business Officials International

The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) provides programs, resources, services and a global network to school business professionals who are the finance and operations decision makers in school systems. Our members manage school budgeting, purchasing, facility operations and maintenance, human resources, technology, transportation, food service, healthcare and other areas of education administration and operations. ASBO International promotes the highest standards of school business management, professional growth and the effective use of educational resources.