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B Day
Essex High School
2 Educational Dr. Essex Jct., VT 05452 | (802) 879-7121

A.C.E Alternative Center For Education

Our 10 Belief Statements


  1. ACE students are capable of completing the requirements which represent a high school education and they are capable of meeting increased educational challenges as well.

  2. The ACE Program strives to respect the diverse requirements of the students and recognizes that ACE students perform best when offered a program based on individual needs and wants.

  3. ACE students can benefit from a combination of academic training, career education, and life skills training. They can develop the necessary work ethic required to achieve objectives in each of these curricular areas.

  4. There are two fundamental outcomes for all ACE students. The first is that the student learns to become self -reliant. This means the student understands his or her strengths and limits, and upon leaving school understands how his or her learning might apply towards future growth. The second is that the student gains a degree of self-realization which can lead him or her to become an active citizen, an effective worker, and a capable family and community member.

  5. It is important that ACE students be given many opportunities to make choices within the context of school. These choices need to reflect all areas of the students' lives and include areas such as: academic programming, career choices, moral dilemma, personal social/behavioral issues, and all matters related to the rules which govern our lives.

  6. Ace students must be given the opportunity to develop moral thinking and to develop a respect for humanity and the diverse and complex issues related to human life.

  7. Because the ACE Program believes in addressing the needs of the whole student, a high value is placed on the active involvement of parents / guardians in the student's school progress.

  8. The ACE Program believes that each student must take responsibility for attending school, for completing assignments, and for complying with program rules and procedures. The skill of negotiation is valued and taught. Students are encouraged to apply this skill when they are uncertain about or dissatisfied with their responsibilities.

  9. The ACE Program believes that the student must understand the process of learning as well as the content of learning. Students need to understand their learning styles and the learning strategies which best suit those styles.

  10. The ACE Program believes that integrating core content areas into themes is an important strategy that can apply well for many of the students. This approach is promoted because the structure of the program is such that one plan addresses a student's instruction in all areas. Also, it is believed that integrating content areas increases consistency in learning, poses new questions about the learning, and serves to motivate students.