Introducing ACES to Students

Before your students log into ACES, take a few moments to frame why you’re asking them to do this activity.

• Explain that investing approximately twenty minutes to reflect on their habits, behaviors, attitudes, and stressors will give them a holistic snapshot of their current skill set — those skills known to be related to academic and career success.
• Emphasize that ACES is a tool, not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. The more honest students are, the more useful the reports will be.
• Explain that, upon completion, a report will show students if their current skills fall in the high, moderate, or low ranges compared to a national sample. Whether they are in the 93rd or the 7th percentile rank, they will get specific feedback about the next steps they can take to improve as well as a list of campus resources that are available to help them.
• Explain ways that individual students, the whole class, and perhaps the program or institution can use ACES reports to decide next steps.
• Encourage students to pay attention to the System messages about saving their work. If they cannot respond to all the statements during a single session online, they should complete and Submit whatever page they are on. The system will record only the pages they have completed and submitted.
• Encourage students to allow their responses to be included in the national norms for next year. By agreeing to participate, they are helping to build an understanding of how students across the country view themselves on these twelve areas. Thus they can contribute to others’ success.
• Emphasize that ACES is a developmental tool, designed to help all students build on their strengths to achieve academic and career success.
• We also have two options for end of semester assessment; the End-of-Term Self-Assessment of Change and the ACES Post-Test. (The ACES Post-Test Instructor Guide is located in the The Academic and Career Excellence System Post-Test folder.)