Alliance for Choice in Education

ACE is working to close the opportunity gap in education by offering school choice to those who do not have the financial privilege to access quality schools on their own.

Each year the Board of Directors reviews ACE’s strategic business plan to ensure its compatibility with current and projected market changes. This comprehensive plan is revised annually, with input from ACE’s staff and various boards. The plan outlines departmental goals and strategies to accomplish measurable objectives, and risk management tactics. ACE continues to cultivate support for its programs through the Board of Trustees, Board of Advisors, and the Associate Board, and through the support of these philanthropic boards, ACE is able to meet its scholarship commitments to our scholars, while planning for future growth.

ACE continues to plan for future growth through expansion into new markets, with the addition of a Chief Development Officer, creation of an endowment fund, and ensuring that our regional markets are well positioned with strong donor support to increase scholarship funding in local communities. The program also receives support from ACE's national office, which is staffed to offer additional development and operations support as needed. ACE is also backed by a strong scaffold of a well-connected board of directors.

Change in the education system is not happening fast enough for the children who need it most. For far too long, low-income students have achieved far below their peers by no fault of their own—a reality that is misaligned with our nation’s commitment to equality. For instance, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, teens who come from low-income families are seven times more likely to drop out than those from families with higher incomes. With such dormant results, the time to take a stand against this injustice is now. Education cannot wait, and with an ACE scholarship, it does not have to. ACE scholars have the opportunity to attend a high performing school they would not have access to otherwise. As a result, our students of all ages achieve higher academic proficiency, spend more time participating in the arts and sports, and have a greater chance of graduating from high school and college. According to our third party research results, 93% of ACE scholars graduate from high school, compared to 68% of their low-income peers, and of those graduates, 82% receive a four-year degree within six years, compared to just 16% of their peers. ACE scholars are achieving in lower grades as well: ACE 3rd graders 2.5 times more proficient in reading and ACE 8th graders are 5 times more proficient in math. Our students also report spending more time playing, doing chores, and completing homework than their peers. Furthermore, our research also indicates that our scholarships promote overall family success and well-being. According to our evaluation results, 8% of low-income parents nationwide spend time volunteering at school, while 29% of low income parents read to their children regularly. Contrastingly, 56% of ACE parents volunteer regularly, while 72% read to their children often, and nearly 90% of ACE families report eating dinner together as a family most evenings. In addition, once involved in the program, ACE parents are more likely to earn higher wages and pursue higher education themselves.