Accelerated Christian Education
Encyclopedia
Accelerated Christian Education is an American educational products company which produces the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) school curriculum. The home office is in Nashville, Tennessee
, with a customer service and distribution center in Lewisville, Texas
. According to a study, by 1980 there were over 3,000 Christian Schools in the United States
associated with ACE. A European representative states that the ACE program is “being used in thousands of schools and many thousands of home schools in over 100 different countries worldwide.” ACE currently serves over 7,000 schools, one government contract.
It is an ideologically Christian fundamentalist program. It lists its principles in a "statement of faith" which declares the belief that the Bible
is literally true
, in trinitarianism
, redemptive theology and evangelism
.
educational curriculum that was adopted by a number of private Christian schools. He traveled extensively to promote ACE schools, viewing the establishment of ACE schools around the world as a new form of missions — he called it educational missions. According to information on the Accelerated Christian Education website, the Howards opened the first school to use the ACE program in Garland, Texas. They started with 45 students. By 1971, they had added six new schools.
A new student starting the ACE system is given a placement test, which assesses ability in the five areas with corresponding subjects. The test results then place the student at appropriate levels by subject. Students are required to set daily goals for work completion and are generally expected to finish a given PACE within three weeks. Students are given reviews at certain points in a PACE and a test at its culmination. The passing score for the test is 80% correct. Students who fail must retake the PACE until they pass.
in Bloomington (1990), North Texas University in Denton (1991), Northern Arizona University
in Flagstaff (1993), Purdue University
in Indiana (1994).
ACE holds an annual International Student Convention, for high school students, designed to develop leadership skills. The conventions augment the curriculum by requiring students to prepare to compete in dramatic, artistic and athletic events. The conventions also offer "Events of the Heart" which allows students with mental and physical disabilities to participate. When the conventions first started, a parade in the hosting city would accompany it. In 1981, over 3,000 students and sponsors marched in New York City to celebrate the opening of the convention at Rutgers University
. Student conventions offer speakers. Past speakers have been David Gibbs from the Christian Law Association, Ben Jordan and William Murray
(Madalyn Murray O'Hair
's son).
and concern regarding the education value of the PACE system.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, with a customer service and distribution center in Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville is a city in Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within . The city also includes of Lewisville Lake....
. According to a study, by 1980 there were over 3,000 Christian Schools in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
associated with ACE. A European representative states that the ACE program is “being used in thousands of schools and many thousands of home schools in over 100 different countries worldwide.” ACE currently serves over 7,000 schools, one government contract.
It is an ideologically Christian fundamentalist program. It lists its principles in a "statement of faith" which declares the belief that the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
is literally true
Biblical literalism
Biblical literalism is the interpretation or translation of the explicit and primary sense of words in the Bible. A literal Biblical interpretation is associated with the fundamentalist and evangelical hermeneutical approach to Scripture, and is used almost exclusively by conservative Christians...
, in trinitarianism
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, redemptive theology and evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
.
History
Accelerated Christian Education was founded in 1970 by Dr. Donald Howard and his wife Esther. They set about developing a biblically literalistBiblical literalism
Biblical literalism is the interpretation or translation of the explicit and primary sense of words in the Bible. A literal Biblical interpretation is associated with the fundamentalist and evangelical hermeneutical approach to Scripture, and is used almost exclusively by conservative Christians...
educational curriculum that was adopted by a number of private Christian schools. He traveled extensively to promote ACE schools, viewing the establishment of ACE schools around the world as a new form of missions — he called it educational missions. According to information on the Accelerated Christian Education website, the Howards opened the first school to use the ACE program in Garland, Texas. They started with 45 students. By 1971, they had added six new schools.
Curriculum
ACE provides annual one-day training sessions for administrators. These are provided in locations around the United States. The sessions focus on understanding and properly implementing the ACE program. For Learning Center Supervisors a four-day workshop is provided annually. The workshop is organized like an ACE classroom, allowing the supervisor to experience the ACE system as a student and learn how to implement the system. According to the curriculum section on its website, the ACE “program is individualized and nongraded” and “designed to allow students to work at their own level of achievement”. ACE states that its “core curriculum is an individualized, Biblically-based, character-building curriculum package”. The material for the classes has an emphasis reflecting the Christian ideas and principles of the company. The program allows students to advance through high school. The Accelerated Christian Education curriculum is based on a series of workbooks called PACEs (Packets of Accelerated Christian Education). Each subject has 12 PACEs per grade level. The basic subjects of ACE are mathematics, English, science, social studies and word building (spelling and word usage). Test keys are published for corresponding PACEs.A new student starting the ACE system is given a placement test, which assesses ability in the five areas with corresponding subjects. The test results then place the student at appropriate levels by subject. Students are required to set daily goals for work completion and are generally expected to finish a given PACE within three weeks. Students are given reviews at certain points in a PACE and a test at its culmination. The passing score for the test is 80% correct. Students who fail must retake the PACE until they pass.
Use
The program is used by homeschooling families and private schools. The company provides instruction and structure for operating a "Christian school". Schools are not required to use the entire ACE curriculum and may augment it with other resources.Student conventions
Schools that use the ACE curriculum may participate in the student conventions. Since 1976, regional conventions have been held throughout the world and the top-placed participants are able to proceed to the International Convention. The International Convention is usually held at a university campus, such as Indiana UniversityIndiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in Bloomington (1990), North Texas University in Denton (1991), Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
in Flagstaff (1993), Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in Indiana (1994).
ACE holds an annual International Student Convention, for high school students, designed to develop leadership skills. The conventions augment the curriculum by requiring students to prepare to compete in dramatic, artistic and athletic events. The conventions also offer "Events of the Heart" which allows students with mental and physical disabilities to participate. When the conventions first started, a parade in the hosting city would accompany it. In 1981, over 3,000 students and sponsors marched in New York City to celebrate the opening of the convention at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
. Student conventions offer speakers. Past speakers have been David Gibbs from the Christian Law Association, Ben Jordan and William Murray
William J. Murray
William J. Murray is the chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., active on issues related to aiding Christians in Islamic and Communist nations....
(Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Madalyn Murray O'Hair was an American atheist activist and founder of the organization American Atheists and its president from 1963 to 1986. One of her sons, Jon Garth Murray, was the president of the organization from 1986 to 1995, while she remained de facto president during these nine years....
's son).
Criticism
Many aspects of the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum have come under criticism from education researchers, with arguments ranging from general concerns with religious fundamentalism in education to issues with political correctnessPolitical correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
and concern regarding the education value of the PACE system.
- D. Flemming and T Hunt of the education journal Phi Delta KappaPhi Delta KappaPhi Delta Kappa is an US professional organization for educators. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. It was founded on 24 January 1906. Phi Delta Kappa also had a youth organization, called Xinos, girls, and Kudos, guys.-Membership:Currently, membership consists of students,...
wrote in a 1987 article regarding the emphasis on rote learning.
"If parents want their children to obtain a very limited and sometimes inaccurate view of the world — one that ignores thinking above the level of rote recall — then the ACE materials do the job very well. The world of the ACE materials is quite a different one from that of scholarship and critical thinking."
- Former president of the Division of Educational Psychology for the American Psychological AssociationAmerican Psychological AssociationThe American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
and former president of the American Educational Research AssociationAmerican Educational Research AssociationThe American Educational Research Association, or AERA, was founded in 1916 as a professional organization representing educational researchers in the United States and around the world....
, David BerlinerDavid BerlinerDavid C. Berliner is an educational psychologist.After a BA in psychology from UCLA and an MA in psychology from California State University at Los Angeles, Berliner received a Ph.D in Educational Psychology from the Stanford University School of Education. He also was awarded a Doctorate of Humane...
, cites a study by Speck and Prideaux (1993) that notes the wide use of association and recall activities in the ACE curriculum, as well as other workbook-based curricula.
Speck and Prideau (1993) state, "The work consists of low-level cognitive tasks that emphasize simple association and recall activities, as is typical of instruction from workbooks. Despite the reviling of B. F. Skinner by the Christian Right, the materials make heavy use of behavioral objectives, programmed learning, and rewards."
- Having researched comparative performance on the ACT between public school students from one school and ACE students from another, private school in the same geographic area, one college student wrote in her thesis in 2005,
"a significant difference was found between the public school graduates' scores and the ACE graduates' scores in all areas of the ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Composite Score), except the area of Science Reasoning. Overall, the ACT scores of the ACE graduates were consistently lower than those of the public school students."
- In the past, ACE has included controversial material in its curriculum. For example, a section from a high school packet regarding apartheid in South Africa states:
"Although apartheid appears to allow the unfair treatment of blacks, the system has worked well in South Africa .... Although white businessmen and developers are guilty of some unfair treatment of blacks, they turned South Africa into a modern industrialized nation, which the poor, uneducated blacks couldn't have accomplished in several more decades. If more blacks were suddenly given control of the nation, its economy and business, as Mandela wished, they could have destroyed what they have waited and worked so hard for."
See also
- HomeschoolingHomeschoolingHomeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
- Totara College of Accelerated LearningTotara College of Accelerated LearningTotara College of Accelerated Learning is a small state-integrated religious area school in New Zealand, formerly called Dannevirke Christian School. The school is also referred to as Totara College, and takes its name from the New Zealand native Totara tree.Totara College of Accelerated Learning...
- Cavite Bible Baptist AcademyCavite Bible Baptist AcademyThe Cavite Bible Baptist Academy is a school in Cavite City, Philippines. The Reverend Arnold Arellano, pastor of the Cavite Bible Baptist Church, is the director and principal of the school...
- Shekinah Christian Training CenterShekinah Christian Training CenterShekinah Christian Training Center is a Christian school located in a former Tropical Palace Resort Hotel, Tropical Avenue corner Kirishima Street, BF Homes International, Las Piñas City, in the Philippines...
- L.I.G.H.T. Christian AcademyL.I.G.H.T. Christian AcademyL.I.G.H.T. Christian Academy is a privately operated educational institution, established in 2000; it opened its doors to students on June 16, 2000...
External links
- Accelerated Christian Education Official Website
- American Home School and Tutoring Centers A.C.E. Correspondence and Tutoring
- Christian Education Europe A.C.E. Europe Representative
- Educational Psychology Meets the Christian Right: Differing Views of Children, Schooling, Teaching, and Learning by David C. Berliner