The #1 question that any educator or parent ask: without a standardized test, how does one prove his/ her education? Previously, we explored this question and chose to ask “how do you prove one’s worth?” instead. This post explains how Acton Academy do it.

For Acton Academy, we go further than standardized test and school transcripts. Our students engage deep learning through real-world challenges, apprenticeships and build portfolios that demonstrate their learning and growth. The goal is to find the meeting point of their gifts, passions and the need in the world.

We strongly believe that this is a far meaningful (and wholesomely more profitable) than a path based on the idea of the “hottest job” or the “safest job”.

Acton’s stance

Still, how does Acton Academy answer the questions of “prove of one’s worth”?

Laura has explained this clearly here:

While Acton Academy do not use grades. Instead, Acton Academy has seven resources that provide hard evidence of transformative growth:

Student Portfolios – Students track their learning goals and showcase their completed work in thick blue binders, which we send home routinely for parents to review in depth, ask questions, praise effort, and encourage more effort and focus.

Learning Exhibitions – At the end of each session, we invite families to campus to see their students demonstrate their hard work in interactive displays and presentations.

Peer Review – Small groups of peers review, critique, and document each other’s work every week.

S.M.A.R.T. goal tracking sheets – Students track their goals day by day and week by week. They learn to make the goals SMART: specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time related.

Online dashboards – The online dashboards of our game-based adaptive programs are rich with analytic data that helps channel our students to mastery. Here’s a sample from Khan Academy.

Learning Badges – As students make progress, they earn badges that signify the development of real-world skills.

Standardized tests –We use the SAT10 tests so that parents can compare their child’s progress year to year in math, reading, writing, and critical thinking.

Meanwhile, this is the Acton’s promise for middle/ high schoolers:

Our promise at Acton Academy is to have you well prepared for any selective university where you can score high enough on a standardized test to gain admittance.

Universities are changing so rapidly that it’s difficult to imagine what a college education will look like in ten years. Unfortunately, many colleges still place a great deal of importance on standardized tests, which are little more than IQ tests, and are difficult to improve on once you understand basic test-taking tricks.

Once you get over the test taking barrier at the university of your choice, your portfolio, and critical thinking skills will be a big boost during the application and interviewing process.

Most importantly, you’ll be well prepared to shine in the real world, whether you choose to go to college full time, part time or not at all.

Acton KL’s Context

Do we want buildings or a living city with a soul?

We understand that a large proportion of the universities require academic transcripts and certain examinations. Acton Academy provides transcript translated from badges and the online dashboards.

These are the possible routes to universities:

Taking standardized tests, such as IGCSEs or SPM as a private candidate. This allows entrance into A-Levels, International Baccalaureate, and other foundation programs.
Application using SATs. This allows entry to most American universities. The elite American schools offer need-blind based scholarships and are in preference for applicants from homeschooling/ alternative education tracks.
Re-route back to schools. We have consulted private schools, and they will admit students to the age-appropriate class.

Really, the choice is up to our students. We believe that they will pursue according to the following natural process:

The first priority is finding one’s calling and passion, through exploration, real-world projects and apprenticeships. The experience and mentorship, especially from apprenticeships will lead to finding the right pathway. Also, these experiences happen early—10 years old when they pitch their first apprenticeships. By 15 years old, our students will have done six apprenticeships.* So, there is time to explore!
Their experience will lead to knowledge of choices, in the form of pathways or journeys:
- Many pathways do not require a university track. For example, becoming a master chef, an astute web developer, or a wildlife national geographic photographer. Starting a business do not require an MBA; better being relentlessly resourceful.
- Some pathways require a university track, because of the nature of their work. For example, becoming a microbiologist, medical doctor or a nuclear physicist. But the choice is made after being exposed to real situations and people who are in the industry. Our students will pursue university degrees with far better clarity and purpose.

The landscape of universities are changing, we believe our students will have even better choices in 10 years time. Currently, here are our thoughts:
- Consider the innovative schools, such as Minerva. They do not require SATs; instead, the entry requirement is a series of challenges. We know few students and they admitted that it is more rigorous than the Ivy leagues. Also, their fees are a quarter of the Ivy leagues.
- Certificates from MOOCs. Our middle and high schoolers will engage into online materials from the likes of Harvard and MIT. They are far better designed than what we can possibly do ourselves, and they are acceptable college credits.
- We believe that a most career tracks will evolve into a hybrid, an apprenticeship combined with online learning experiences with global participation.
We do not know what will be their journey, but we are certain that the discussions and considerations will revolve around deep questions. The aim is to pursue their calling or ikigai.

However, let’s get to our present state of 2016 in Kuala Lumpur. We are accepting mostly students 7 to 11 years old. Instead of getting caught up on the pathways seven or eleven years down the line, Acton Academy focuses on the fundamental skills of reading, writing, maths and coding. Every high school that we speak to accept students who are fundamentally sound in these basics. In this regard, Acton Academy is just one of the many options that one can weave into the education journey.

Except, Acton KL is one where students take charge and become an independent learner, as well as pursuing their passions and forging character.

Independence. Character. A deep calling. Now that is the true rite of passage of an adult and proving one’s worth in Acton Academy.

*based on Acton Academy Austin