What do The Achievement Centers do?

The Achievement Centers is Acacia Academy’s after school testing and tutoring program. The center offers a variety of testing/diagnostic services as well as year round instructional programs designed to meet each student’s learning objectives in terms of his/her learning capacities. Diagnostic services and individualized tutoring programs are offered by Acacia Academy instructors and school psychologist. 

Who attends The Achievement Centers?

Students of all ages attend The Achievement Centers whether it is for an independent evaluation of their cognitive, processing, and academic skills and/or individualized instruction to further develop their skills. 

The Achievement Centers service:

• Students of all ages (preschool through adult)
• Students with learning difficulties (LD)
• Dyslexics
• Those who need to improve reading, writing, mathematics, study skills, test taking and/or thinking and processing skills
• Regular education and/or accelerated students
• Gifted Learners
• Underachievers
• Students with a nonverbal learning disability (NVLD)
• Aspergers and high functioning autism
• Students that have an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

Please explain the testing programs.

Students may receive testing in just academic areas or the full evaluation which would include:

• Academics skills of:
  • Reading: word recognition, phonetics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency
  • Mathematics: calculations and problem solving
  • Written expression: sentence, paragraph, composition/essay and research writing
  • Language development: receptive and expression language skills
• Memory: long and short-term memory; visual and auditory memory
• Processing skills (how the brain receives the information): auditory, visual, and/or kinesthetic processing
• Cognitive thinking and reasoning skills, intelligence

Evaluations determine how a student learns, what their strengths and weaknesses are, what the best approach is to further develop their skills, and which educational materials/programs would best fit their needs.

What testing, diagnostic evaluations, and/or independent evaluations do you offer?

There are a variety of testing, diagnostic evaluations, and/or independent evaluations offered:

Academic Testing

• Determines individual skills, achievement, standard scores, grade levels, and age scores in each academic subject area of reading (phonetics, word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension) mathematics (calculations, word problems), oral language (receptive and expressive language) written language (spelling, sentence structure, English mechanics, punctuation/capitalization, paragraph, essay and composition skills), and background of factual information in science, social studies, and humanities.

Psychoeducational Evaluations

• The Psychoeducational Evaluation includes testing in three specific areas: academic skills, processing skills, and intellectual/cognitive abilities. This evaluation determines learning styles of the student, their academic processing, and cognitive strengths/weaknesses. The psychoeducational evaluation will assist in determining if a student is gifted, accelerated, age appropriate or has learning differences such as dyslexia. The evaluation may be used to identify Nonverbal Learning Differences as well as the presence of an Attention Deficit Disorder. The Psychoeducational Evaluation determines how a student learns, the best way to teach the student, and identifies academic, social and/or emotional programs that would further develop the student’s skills and improve individual needs.

Psychoeducational Projective Testing

• Determines affect and emotional needs as well as self-concept, feeling of personal worth, and motivation.

Speech & Language Evaluations

• Evaluates speech, receptive and expressive language, articulation and fluency.

Occupational Therapy Evaluations

• Instruction/therapy for basic motor functions, visual-motor integration, sensory processing, visual perception, plus coordination and strength.

What are some of the tests that are administered at this test and measurement center?

Standardized tests as well as informal evaluations are presented. Most of the tests are presented orally. A student would begin where a basal would be reached (where it is the easiest) and continue until they reach a ceiling (where it becomes too difficult). Usually a basal is reached after five or six questions are answered or written correctly and conversely, a ceiling is reached when five or six questions/problems are answered or written incorrectly. Most of the test items are not timed, however, a few of them are timed. Below is a list of some of the tests that are used. The tests that are selected to be administered depends upon the reason for the student to be tested as well as the age of the students. Some of the tests that may be included are listed below but are not limited to this list:

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
• Stanford Binet
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Tests
• L-C Dominance and Awareness Test
• Horner-Throop Test of Auditory Discrimination
• Slingerland Tests for Identifying Children with Specific Language Disability
• Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor
• Integration Test
• Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Perception
• Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Perception-Motor Coordination
• Slosson Oral Reading Test
• Gray Oral Reading Test
• Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Ability
• Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
• Test of Written Language

When an evaluation is completed, how does one receive the results?

Upon completion of any evaluation whether it be academic skills or a full battery, a conference is scheduled and the diagnostician goes over the results with the parents and/or student. A written report is presented and recommendations offered. The parents and/or student may choose where they want to specifically receive instruction.

What are the classes like?

Our classes consist of one instructor for every one to three students. A variety of class times are available after school hours, evenings, and Saturdays. During the summer months, classes are also available during the morning as well as the afternoons and evenings.

How do you instruct students?

• A personalized program of instruction is written for each student and individualized instruction is provided based upon the student’s learning strengths as well as his/her weaknesses and personal needs.
• The student is taught the way they learn best.
• The program of instruction as well as the individual materials that are used are selected to match the students personal needs and the way they most efficiently process information.

What are the hours?

From September through May, students attend The Achievement Centers after school hours, evenings, and/or Saturdays. Please contact us for summer scheduling.

We invite you to email us or call for more information:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 708.579.9040