One who fears failure limits his activities.
                                                            Failure is only the opportunity to more
                                                                         intelligently begin again.
                                                                                                         Henry Ford

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Welcome...

As both a parent and educator, I understand children and how they learn. The philosophy of Achievement Learning Center stems from the belief that all students deserve opportunities for academic success. We realize that report card time can either be a source of stress or cause for celebration…either way, it's a valuable tool in measuring areas of difficulty. The reality is that very few of us go through life without a bump or two in the road. In fact, it's totally normal for someone to be instinctively better at some things than others. What has changed over the years though, is what we do about it. Tutorial programs are becoming increasingly popular and can help students through the "bumps in the road". Parents are realizing the best investment they can make for their child's future is the investment in their education.

Whether a student is struggling in school or looking for academic enrichment, we can provide a learning program designed to maximize his/her true learning potential. To accommodate the varied ways in which students learn, our educational plans focus on the unique needs of the individual. We stress a comprehensive approach that partners with the family, school and community. With the advantage of academic tutoring, your child will look forward to report card time - and so will you!

I encourage you and your student to stop by the learning center and visit with us at any time. Or, simply drop me a quick email and we’ll schedule a personal consultation for you.

Regards,

Achievement Learning Center

Our highly interactive curriculum in the areas of early reading, reading comprehension, writing and math focuses on meeting the needs of students lacking in basic skills, as well as providing a challenge for students excelling above grade level. Additionally, our study skills and homework success programs identify behaviors conducive to optimal learning, including organizational and time management strategies.

The difference between ordinary and
extraordinary is that little ‘extra’.

Goldsmith

Stress management techniques and positive reinforcers are an integral part of each student’s plan. An extensive variety of teaching tools are used to best accommodate learning style and motivation. State-of-the-art technology, computerized programs, manipulatives, and a variety of practice materials provide the means necessary to motivate learners.

The Learning Environment

Founding Owner/Manager

Denise Kniffin

Denise Kniffin is the founder and owner of Achievement Learning Center. Her career as an educator spans 30 years as she brings an ideal blend of education and business to this venture. In the 1980’s and early 90’s, Denise co-owned and operated Creative World Learning Centers, a group of Austin-based early childhood centers and a private elementary school. She has continued her commitment to educational excellence through the academic services offered to many students in the Austin community for the past 13 years. Denise lives in the Lake Travis community with her husband Doug and together they have raised two children.

Our Philosophy…

…stems from the belief that all students are deserving of opportunities for academic success. To accommodate the varied ways in which students learn, our educational plans focus on the unique needs of the individual. We stress a comprehensive approach that partners with the family, school and community. Achievement Learning Center is committed to excellence and will achieve high standards for those we serve. It is our goal to be the catalyst for life-long learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will the program take?

What we usually see is that it takes about six months for a student to gain 1 to 1 1/2 years of academic growth. This is based on two, one-hour sessions per week. Of course, students can vary with this, as each person is different and individual. Data from learning centers, in general, support this time frame. Based on our own data of tracking student progress, we are seeing average gains of one full grade level after 40 hours of instruction.

What is your teacher/student ratio?

It may vary depending on the age of the student, or on the degree of their weak skills. As a rule, we have no more than three students to one teacher, and our ratio for our early reading program is only two students to one teacher.  The program is completely individualized; each student is on his or her own plan. Even with only two or three in a group, the teacher works with each student—not the group.

How is your program better than a tutor who would work one-on-one with my child?

What about guarantees?

Our competition’s guarantee policy has several conditions to it and is not a money-back guarantee. It is not our goal to use a guarantee as a marketing strategy, yet we stand behind the quality of our program. In addition, we have chosen to price our services lower.

My child has already been tested in school, why do they need to be tested again?

The TAKS test provides the schools with feedback on skill areas that a student is strong and weak in. However, the test results do not show what grade level the student is actually performing at. It is important to measure grade, as well as age equivalence when providing academic intervention. By knowing the specific skills needed, time is not devoted to skills already mastered.

What are your teacher’s qualifications?

Our teachers are professionally trained and state-certified with experience ranging from elementary through high school. We offer a pay scale higher than industry norm, which enables us to attract highly qualified teachers. As a result, we are able to be very selective in acquiring the most well trained and experienced teachers to work with our students.

How are you different from other learning centers?

• We are Austin-based and independently owned and operated—not franchised.
• Our owner has 30 years experience in private elementary, early childhood education and educational consulting in the Austin area.
• Our curriculum is based on Texas standards (as well as National) and is correlated to TAKS objectives.
• We re-evaluate throughout the prescribed program at no additional fee.
• We have strong ties with "the school" and conference with teachers at no additional fee.
• Our program focuses on the student as a whole, incorporating tools to evaluate their learning style, habits and general attitudes about learning.
• We include stress management and study skill strategies in all student plans.
• Our facility has been designed with the student as priority. While state-of-the-art, it is also comfortable and "friendly".
• We have computers that incorporate student work plans and lessons in an easy-to-use format.

How will I know how my child is doing in your program?

We include parents in the process while students are here with us. We feel your goals for your child are an important factor when designing a learning plan. We communicate with you after each session and have progress conferences every six weeks. We support parents through providing pertinent on-going information so that you can support your child. Learners show more progress when a partnership is formed with educators and families. We feel the involvement of parents is essential for student success.

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