The center will increase children's literacy and comprehension of eating, writing, and math through practices such as one-on-one tutoring and small group sessions instructed by trained and certified personnel. The center will teach understanding and mastery of concepts over the memorization of concepts, testing comprehension by requiring practical, real life application of knowledge to prepare children for college, work, and life. The center will have a venue available for professional private events which include work presentations, public speaking, educational classes, etc.The revenue from the outside use of this venue will help fund operations of the Center. Step Ahead Learning Center is formally asking for $20,000 to complete a fifth fully functional computer lab, and asks for on-going contributions to further assist with the advancement of technology incorporation, helping to achieve or exceed the Common Core Standards as set forth by the Washington Education Association (WEE).
Ginsburg, Landward, and Decker (2005) stated that the mathematics concepts in U. S. Codebooks are often weak, thus presentation is becoming more mechanical than ever. Step Ahead Learning Center straightforwardness's.
Com The center's mission is to integrate technology into teaching and learning, enforcing consistent expectations in learning for all students across all grade levels consistent with school board expectations, teaching comprehension and mastery over memorization of concepts, and emphasizing critical topics children will need to possess to succeed in school and after graduation.This mission helps the Learning Center achieve the vision of a culture that promotes high educational standards, high expectations, individual learning, collaborative learning, and excellent communication skills. The partnership between the Learning Center and the local school board will increase the amount of highly educated children into the community, raising the community welfare and individual well-being. The primary purposes of the Learning Center are: 1 .
To reinforce consistent expectations in learning for all students across all grade levels, in partnership with the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school boards. 2. To teach comprehension of concepts over the memorization of concepts, instilling a high personal standard of learning. A. Consistently test to ensure a high level of retention by requiring a practical, real life application of knowledge to prepare students for life ended school 3. To introduce or reinforce critical topics students will need to succeed in the classroom and in the future.
4.To provide a venue for professional based private events, helping offset operation costs of the Learning Center The primary objectives of the Learning Center are: 1 . To increase overall average Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) test scores to "at grade level" or "above grade level" for the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. 2. To increase Common Core Standards comprehension levels in reading, writing, math, and technology to "at read level" or "above grade level" for the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts by the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
. To decrease crime and substance abuse among children, teens, and young adults in the community by providing a safe and inviting Learning Center where children can learn and grow as individuals and as a member of the community. 4. To advocate collaboration among young children, increase comprehension in reading, writing, math, and technology, increase communication skills, broaden cultural views, increase moral reasoning, and foster growth of cognitive abilities.
5. To increase the level of personal responsibility of children in the community. A. Three Keys to Success The Learning Center anticipates success of goals and objectives through three key functions: hiring staff members that are the right fit, empowering staff to create devotion and a passion for excellence, and strong collaboration with various clientele.
Hiring exceptional staff members: Step Ahead Learning Center is an equal opportunity employer. The right employees will embrace the center's mission, hold a degree in a field of study related to education, and embody strong communication skills with peers and young children. Empowerment: This creates a high level of devotion and passion to strive for excellence.Every interaction with a child and every lesson presented, taught, or pursued by a staff member will be done with the highest goal in mind: integrating technology into a safe and inviting learning environment to increase comprehension of reading, writing, math, and technology concepts.
Collaborating and communicating with others: Staff will interact with a variety of clientele including by not limited to children, parents, school board members, founders, benefactors, and other partners or agencies providing support and opportunities for the Learning Center.Every interaction with a person inside or outside the Learning Center will help the center to meet its objectives. The area in which the center will be providing educational services is well developed with current educational services. The relationship between Step Ahead Learning Center and the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts is unprecedented. Each of the three school districts strongly recommend and encourage struggling (and none struggling) students to the services offered at the center based on staff credentials and comprehension standards.In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted to "ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards.
" This act has increased the relationship between the three school districts and the Learning Center because schools are required to improve their performance to meet or exceed State standards. The Learning Center is providing extra assistance to students who need it in order for the schools to meet the expectation set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act.The primary purpose of the center is to ensure high-quality student comprehension of key concepts in Reading, Writing, and Math, aligning concepts with State academic standards so that progress against common core standards can be measured. There are several smaller businesses which strive to achieve the same vision, but one competitor has market share.
For this competitor, one disadvantage is that Step Ahead Learning Center has a direct relationship with the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts, they do not.An advantage this competitor has over Step Ahead is that they have built a reputation, having been in business for more Han 30 years. This is the only other Learning Center in the area that meets an identical scope of the Step Ahead Learning Center. The secondary purpose of the center is to provide a rental revenue for professional or semi-professional events.
There is a history of professional venues available at most large hotel chains. Several venues in the area meet the Center's scope of a rental venue. Step Ahead Learning Center is incorporated in the state of Washington.The company is established as a 501 (c) (3), which facilitates contributions from donors. A large majority of financing is raised internally or from charitable donations.
Step Ahead Learning Center is governed by a board of twelve trustees. Independent contractors, if any, working for Step Ahead Learning Center will be held fully responsible for their own legal requirements, taxes, and expenses. A website, "straightforwardness's. Com," has been obtained by the company. This website is used as a marketing tool for the company and a source of information for parents/ young adult children.Step Ahead Tutoring Center is located in Candlewick, WA serving students in Candlewick, Richland, and Paso school districts.
The company will conduct business n a 10,500 square-foot space dedicated entirely to the operations of the business. Business licensee has been obtained from the City of Candlewick and fulfills any and all requirements to operate such a business. No legal issues or regulations in the city or state will now, or in the future, lessen the ability to operate in Candlewick or to conduct business from the named location.The building is equipped with general business equipment, including a high-tech computer system with Wi-If Internet connection, a cell phone for each staff member, Keep teleconferencing technology, and a company vehicle.
The center has two computer labs, each with 25 computers and a projector. Each computer has high speed Internet connection, Microsoft Office Home and Student, and several different purchased educational programs. The venue available for professional and semi- professional events is equipped with two computers and a projector.Each employee has a designated office with their own computer.
The main teaching floor (lecture hall), each of the 5 computer labs, and each of the 3 private tutoring rooms have a projector. Xix Xx will perform Presidential duties and perform all management sections including, but not limited to, Business Development Manager, Communications/Public Relations Manager, and Project Manager. He is a certified teacher in the state of Washington with a BAA Degree in Business Management / Marketing from the accredited online school Washington Governor's University (WAG).He will handle marketing the benefits of the company's education services to customers, human resource duties, and overseeing day to day operations. The one- on-one and group tutoring sessions will be the responsibility of four highly qualified and trained teachers.
These employees are salaried and will receive a raise increase f 1% over the prior year's pay (starting at $18,000 the first year). They will follow the company's high standard of excellence in education that represents the local school districts and State's required common core standard. Currently, the company has hired four teachers.Additional teachers can be added as deemed necessary by additional workload, meaning the company is growing. This organizational structure will meet the short-terms needs of the center, but long- term needs will require at least one receptionist and a general manager. The center plans to hire these two positions after the first 6 months of operation to reduce the ark load of the teachers having to check-in students (or requiring parents to self- check-in) and the president having to oversee day-to-day operations.
The Common Core Standards in Washington state at the highest levels ever.Step Ahead Tutoring Center will use technology and hands-on methods to educate children ranging from Kindergarten to high school seniors. Students will be given additional tools and resources aligned with established school district procedures to help them succeed in school and in the future. The following services are offered by the Step Ahead Tutoring Center: Reading Tutoring: Academy of Reading, a program designed by PEPS for students' grades 2-12 (PEPS Literacy and Intervention, 2014), will be used by a designated reading teacher. Sessions will be one hour in length in a group setting of no more than 10 students per one teacher.Students will log in to their account and begin working in the program.
Teachers will introduce a lesson, review basic concepts, monitor progress, and view reports on each student daily to ensure progression. If teachers see a regression in progress, the student will be given a higher level of attention in the group setting. If this does not help the student improve, the student may be recommended to one-on-one tutoring sessions. Writing Tutoring: Writing Skills (2nd Edition), a program designed by PEPS for students' grades 2-12, will be used by a designed writing teacher.Writing Book A is for grades 2-4, Writing Book 1 is for grades 5-6, Writing Book 2 is for grades 7-8, and Writing Book 3 is for grades 9-12. Students will be expected to complete one lesson every two sessions (with each session being one hour long with no more than 10 students in a group).
If teachers see a regression in progress, the student will be given a higher level of attention in he group setting. If this does not help the student improve, the student may be recommended to one-on-one tutoring sessions. Math Tutoring: Academy of Math, a program designed by PEPS for students' grades 2-12, will be used by a designated math teacher.Sessions will be one hour in length in a group setting of no more than 10 students per one teacher. Students will log in to their account and begin working in the program. Teachers will introduce a lesson, review basic concepts, monitor progress, and view reports on each student daily to ensure progression.
If teachers recommended to one-on-one tutoring sessions. One-on-one Services: An individualized one-on-one session can be scheduled with any of our four highly trained teachers in reading, writing, and/or math to ensure children are getting the help that they need.Parents can enroll their child directly into a one-on-one session with a teacher for one session, or on a continual basis. A teacher may recognize that a student is struggling in a group atmosphere, making the recommendation that the child work in a one-on-one session until he/she shows signs of academic improvement.
A one-on-one teacher will provide the student with assistance on their homework upon request. Venue Rental: Step Ahead Tutoring Center has a venue available for rent by outside parties for professional and semi-professional events such as guest speaking, presentations, meetings, etc.Step Ahead Tutoring Center's primary target audience consists of mothers/fathers or grandparents of children enrolled in the Candlewick, Paso, or Richland School Districts in grades 2-12. The primary target for the message is the parents/ grandparents of students who are at or below State Common Core Standards in Reading, Writing, and Math. The secondary target for the message is the parents/ grandparents of students who are at or above State Common Core Standards.Step Ahead Tutoring Center's secondary audience consists of businesses and professionals, traveling and stationary, who require a venue to hold a professional or semi-professional meeting or event.
The goal behind providing a venue for such meetings is to (1) gain exposure for the Tutoring Center, and (2) generate additional revenue for the operating expenses of the Tutoring Center. Future trends that may affect the center's efforts to educate students' grades 2-12 in the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts include: Basic education and Common Core Standards goals are met.An average of 85% of students in the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts meet these standards. As the economy changes, the need for more highly educated and skilled workers will increase.
The education and Common Core Standards goal and philosophy should be continually updated to reflect cultural and economic needs. Expansion of Common Core Standards. A higher level of standards for students will mean updated training and certifications for staff, higher levels of work for students, and an increase in the number of students not meeting these standards, requiring extra attention.Mission, Goals, and Objectives creep.
As the center gains momentum, other established or tart-up business may use a similarly formatted mission statement for their company. It will be important for Step Ahead Tutoring Center to ensure the impact of the mission is not lessened by another groups' participation in similar missions, goals, and objectives. Down time. The school year for the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts in from late August to the middle of June. During the summer months, summer school sessions take place around the area at various different school locations.There will be a significant decrease in the amount of students attending at the Tutoring Center during this time.
The venue for rent by outside professional or semi-professional groups will help to offset costs during this time. Cash flow. During this down time during the summer months (middle of June to late August) there will be a decrease in revenues, resulting in the temporary release of two employees, or utilizing other rooms in the center for other uses, such as additional rental space.Competition for education services comes from several sources, the biggest competition being Sylvan Learning Center. According to the Sylvan Learning website, Sylvan offers tutoring in all levels for Math and Reading; they assess students' needs ND create a personal education development plan targeting select math and reading concepts; they offer their own technology for an engaging experience on the pad; they also offer flexible schedules that fit any busy family schedule.To compete with Sylvan, Step Ahead will heavily market the availability of highly trained staff in each subject area, the inclusion of Writing concepts into the curriculum, the inclusion of technology in the administration of each subject to improve the child's overall competence, and the partnership with the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school strict to ensure focus on helping students achieve proficient or advanced levels according to the State's Common Core Standards.
A second competitor is actually the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts.Select schools are offering after school programs focused directly on helping students understand the material being taught in the class room. This program is free of charge to students who need the additional attention. This is not a requirement of the school nor is it being offered at every school for every grade level, primarily because the school board cannot fund these programs. While the teachers t Step Ahead can assist with solving homework problems, the focus is on administering Math, Reading, and Writing programs to provide additional concepts that will further the students comprehension in the subject.Another competitor is after school clubs such as the YMCA or Boys and Girls Club of America.
These programs are great for children who are succeeding in school and do not require additional attention to meet the State's Common Core Standards. They provide children with the opportunity to play and interact with other children their own age while being supervised in a safe environment. At Step Ahead, students are Ewing supervised in a safe environment, but they are also learning and growing their minds.A marketing approach to be taken by Step Ahead is that children who require additional help should be enrolled in an "aftershock program" such as Step Ahead where they will spend time immersed in educational programs.
Competition from hotels or reception buildings that host weddings, receptions, and other private events are not considered. In general, the rental of the venue at Step Ahead is not the primary objective, thus marketing the venue against competition is not pursued.While Word of Mouth marketing will be the primary arresting strategy for the venue, the goal is that the income generated by rental of the venue will help cover operating costs of the center. Many people in the area see the need for private and semi-private educational assistant with all grade levels in the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts. The main trigger for this realization is the lack of students meeting the States Common Core Standards.
With awareness of this issue increasing, there is a positive and a negative for Step Ahead.The positive is that more children will be enrolled into private and semi-private educational services, which means a possible increase in enrolment for Step Ahead, resulting in increased revenue and possible future growth of the business. The negative is that more schools, groups, or qualified individuals will begin to offer more private and semi-private educational services, which means an increase in competition for Step Ahead. Pricing: The pricing strategy used to determine a price for the services provided by Step Ahead was a variation of Penetration Pricing and Predatory Pricing.Penetration Pricing is when a company sets their prices low to attract customers and gain market share, and then raises the prices once they have a large market share. Step Ahead used the first half of this strategy, which is setting prices low to attract customers and gain market share.
Predatory Pricing is known as an aggressive strategy, intended to drive competitors from the market. Step Ahead is not interested in becoming market leader and running other companies out of business.The goal is simply to educate children and raise comprehension to the State Common Core Standard level, while covering expenses. In regard to the mission of the center, profitability is not the number one goal. Profitability, however, is still required in order to continue and expand the business, increasing efforts in providing higher levels of educational services to children. The venue rental prices were set depending on cost of utilities used during these times, the cost of having a Step Ahead staff member on the premises during the event, and generating revenue for covering operating costs of the center.
Product: As described previously, the service provided by Step Ahead Learning Center is additional education services. A profound need for higher levels of comprehension and Common Core concept teaching is found in the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts. Because of this need, the center will offer tutoring sessions at different times throughout the day Monday thru Saturday. Highly trained and qualified teachers will teach one-on-one and semi-private groups (no more than 10 students) on concepts aligning with the State's Common Core Standards in Reading, Writing, and Math.Academy of Math, Academy of Reading, and Writing Skills (2nd Edition) are programs distributed through PEPS for use by teachers to improve struggling students comprehension in the concepts of Reading, Writing, and Math. The teachers at Step Ahead are trained on these programs and will monitor students' SE of these programs to ensure the highest quality comprehension and learning.
A one-on-one teacher will assist a student with their homework upon request, a Reading teacher, Writing teacher, or Math teacher will not provide assistance with homework.Promotion: Promoting education services to mothers, fathers, and grandparents (even college age students with younger brothers or sisters) has been primarily easy. A quality education is easy to market, and if a parent or relative sees that a child is struggling with their education, the first option to consider is additional education services. Methods for promoting the services offered at Step Ahead Tutoring Center include radio advertisements, television commercials, flyers, word-of-mouth, direct mail, Faceable, and blobs.
The primary channel for promoting the center is the partnership with the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts. Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Secretaries, and Principals can promote Step Ahead through word- of-mouth marketing. Flyers posted at each of the schools on a main bulletin board at the front office, or an informational pamphlet sent home with a student's report card can promote Step Ahead. The biggest promotion for the center to date is the planned grand opening scheduled for August 2014.This event is geared to be a celebration of education and it will include students, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, principals, donors, and any member of the community devoted to the success of children in their education.
Promotion for the event will include television and radio advertisements, flyers, and direct mail to all households in the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts. A promotional tool to be used will be brochures.These informational brochures will be given at every consultation, will be available at the front desk, and will be sent to every school is the Candlewick, Paso, and Richland school districts. The information in this brochure will cover the mission, goals, and objectives of the center, the location of the center with hours of operation, contact information, and session times, a breakdown of cost compared to competitors, and information regarding the highly trained and certified teacher staff.
Another promotional tool is a fully functional website for the center.
