Academy of Creative Education

The Academy of Creative Education (ACE) is a nationally recognized, non-traditional, non-punitive model high school for students at risk of dropping out in the North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas.

History
ACE was established with seed money from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Education Economic Policy Center (EEPC) and began its first classes for at-risk youth on September 16, 1991. Using a non-traditional approach to education, ACE is the collaborative result of a design team composed of educators and community representatives.

The design team envisioned a campus where at-risk youth ages 16–21 would have a totally different environment in which to learn and where the instructors would use innovative teaching models and teaching strategies. This creative approach would improve student achievement by changing the ways in which students were taught.

Today, the project is funded by local funds, compensatory education funds, career and technology funds, special education support, and community resources.