What Makes AEF Schools Different? -

What makes AEF Schools Different?

The population we serve

AEF Schools operate three campuses in the Davie area, serving students in grades K–12 with diverse and individualized learning needs. AEF is designed to support an inclusive student population, bringing together learners from a wide range of academic, social, and developmental backgrounds.

Our schools are co-educational, non-religious, and non-politically affiliated, and we proudly serve families from a broad spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds. This diversity is a core strength of our community and reflects our commitment to providing a supportive, respectful, and neutral educational environment for all students.

AEF offers two Preparatory Programs and one Academy Program, each intentionally structured to meet the needs of distinct student populations:

Preparatory Programs

Students Without Diagnoses: These are students who thrive in a smaller, structured environment. They benefit from AEF’s unique approach that avoids homework as a primary learning tool, excludes standardized testing for promotion, and emphasizes teaching manners, respect, cognitive skills, life skills, and critical thinking alongside traditional academics.

Average to Bright Students: These students struggle not due to intelligence but because of deficits in life, social, cognitive, developmental, and executive functioning skills. Challenges often include focus, organization, time management, decision-making, study skills, test-taking, reading comprehension, procedural math, anxiety, depression, and enjoying school.

Students Experiencing Trauma: These students may have faced bullying, trauma, or negative school experiences, leading to anxiety, depression, or school avoidance. They require a nurturing environment to rebuild self-esteem, social confidence, and academic skills.

Academy Program

- Designed for students requiring a highly individualized curriculum in a smaller setting.
- Focuses on life skills, independent living, or vocational training for students whose long-term goals may not include college or university.
- Supports transitions to the Preparatory Program or directly into the workforce, technical school, or independent living.

AEF recognizes that some students may fall into more than one of these categories, requiring a tailored approach to meet their specific needs.

All 3 campuses are fully accredited and 90% of senior graduates continue onto College / University.

Our students fall into a grey area, where mainstream schools do not have the resources and experience to help them and a Special Needs School / Restrictive School is also not the appropriate environment either. Many of these students get “lost” or “slip through the cracks” in larger school environments, as they are not receiving the individualized attention that they need.

AEF’s Philosophy: A “Specific Needs School”

AEF serves students in a “grey area”—those who do not fit the resources of mainstream schools or the environments of special needs or restrictive schools. Our students require:

Traditional academic instruction alongside cognitive, social, and executive functioning skills development.
A smaller, structured environment to address individualized needs.

AEF is NOT:

A special needs school.
A behavioral or restrictive school.

AEF does NOT admit students who are physically aggressive, a danger to themselves or others, exhibit emotional disturbances, are non-verbal, or require physical assistance.

AEF is NOT a special needs school, but rather a “Specific Needs School.” Our students require traditional academic instruction along with a curriculum that simultaneously builds and strengthens the foundational cognitive, social, and executive functioning skills required for success, both inside and outside the classroom setting.

AEF offers a smaller, more structured school environment.

AEF Schools at a Glance

Lower Campus (Grades K-7): Maximum 100 students.
Upper Campus (Grades 8-12): Maximum 85 students.
Academy Campus (Grades 5-12): Maximum 40 students.
Summer Program (Ages 5-18): Maximum 60 campers.
Student-to-Staff Ratio: 8:1.
Average Class Size: 15 students.

Daily Schedule

AEF prioritizes effective learning by integrating 20-25 minute breaks after each academic period. These breaks provide students with opportunities to:

Socialize.
Eat.
Go outside or take a walk.
Reset and refocus for the next class.

This schedule teaches students to concentrate for set periods, maintaining learning effectiveness throughout the day.

Homework Policy

AEF implements a No Homework Policy for most students, as many new students lack the ability to complete homework independently. Homework is gradually introduced over 3-6 months to build skills such as:

Time management.
Independence.
Organization.
Academic confidence.

When introduced, homework is limited to 10-15 minutes per night, focusing on reinforcing these skills rather than teaching new concepts.

*High school students complete homework at school, only bringing home unfinished work.
**Parents may request additional homework.

We are effectively a No Homework Policy School * **

Many of our new students do NOT have the ability to complete homework independently. Instead, homework becomes a tutoring session for mom, dad, grandmother, or in some cases an actual tutor. Homework should not be a tutoring session but rather reinforce time management, independence, organization, and build academic confidence. It usually takes 3 to 6 months for us to build these skills to a point where a student is ready for homework. Once they are, we will send home a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes of homework a night. The homework may not be on grade level and is NOT designed to teach new concepts. It is specifically designed to address and strengthen the skills above.

*HS students complete their homework at school and only bring home the work they have not completed
**Parents may request homework or additional homework

Testing Policy

AEF does not use standardized tests for promotion or require the FSA. However, annual national standardized testing is conducted for:

Accreditation purposes.
Reducing test-taking anxiety.
Informing instructional focus.

Students in grades 9-12 may elect to take the PSAT, ACT, or SAT. Parents may also request FSA/FAST testing.

We do NOT use standardized testing for promotion and do not require the FAST* **

Social Skills, Manners, and Respect

At AEF, staff model and teach essential social skills through daily interactions, structured activities, and consistent reinforcement. Highlights include:

Daily Interactions: Staff greet students warmly each morning and reinforce polite responses, such as “fine, thank you, how are you?”
Conflict Resolution: Staff demonstrate calm and respectful conflict management, guiding students in mediation and effective communication.
Social Interactions: Group activities and role-playing scenarios help students practice teamwork, cooperation, and appropriate social behaviors.
Manners and Respect: Staff consistently model courteous behavior, using “please,” “thank you,” and respectful communication in all interactions.
Self-Advocacy: Students are encouraged to solve problems independently using the proper chain of command, such as teachers, the Get a Grip (GAG) room, or administrators.
Community Building: AEF fosters an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and every student feels valued.

This comprehensive approach ensures that AEF students build positive relationships, handle conflicts constructively, and navigate social situations with confidence and respect.

At AEF Schools, staff play a crucial role in modeling and teaching social skills to students. This is integrated into daily interactions and the overall school environment to ensure students develop strong social competencies. Here’s how the staff at AEF Schools model social skills:

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