About Us
Our Team
Our Story
Academic Approach is an organization of educators
Founded in 2001 by Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D., Academic Approach differentiates its instruction through a unique brand of skills-based test preparation™. While teaching college freshmen at Columbia University in New York City and tutoring high school students preparing for the SAT and ACT, Pietrafetta developed a rigorous instructional commitment not only to raising his students’ test scores but also to developing their vital college-readiness skills.
What Makes Academic Approach Different?
Our Culture
Since 2001, Academic Approach has focused on two goals:
- Becoming the very best at raising test scores by providing high-impact, customized, academically rigorous test preparation that “teaches beyond the test”.
- Reaching and teaching a wide range of students through our one-on-one tutoring and school-based programs by providing high-impact, customized, innovative services, products, and partnerships.
Some might see tension in this work: test prep vs. rigorous academic enrichment; one-on-one instruction vs. school-based programming; customization vs. standardization; personalized instruction vs. designing towards an average student; rapid innovation vs. long-term research & development.
Academic Approach team members, however, have a different mindset: we see that our mission presents opportunities to grow, learn, think critically, problem-solve flexibly, and create high-impact solutions.
We work closely with parents, educators, and school systems to rethink the role of test preparation within education.
We strive to:
Customize and personalize our instruction to each student to provide the highest growth in student achievement
Support and enhance the good work teachers perform every day in the classroom by providing high-quality instruction and resources
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Executive Leadership:
Department of Education:
Instructor Management
Department of Education:
Curriculum
East Coast Team:
We are
Innovators
We understand that all great things start with a groundbreaking idea/strategy and are followed with diligent and collaborative execution and insight.
Explorers
We relentlessly pursue the knowledge needed to shape and influence student and school performance.
Problem-Solvers
We are dedicated to finding concrete and actionable solutions to the education challenges facing students. We embrace difficulties with optimism and teamwork.
Organizers
We prioritize all our activities around what’s best for students and schools and organize our activities to turn great ideas into reality.
Builders
We are committed to the success of the mission. We believe nothing should be done without purpose and a focus on the future.
Collaborators
We collaborate with schools to understand the unique needs of their students so that we may tailor a customized solution to drive their student achievement.
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Every Student is Different
We know our students; each one is unique, and each one requires a different approach, especially during these unprecedented times. That is why our ACT, SAT, and Middle School test prep is customized to each student and school partner.
We improve your students’ standardized testing by tailoring our research-based, expert instruction and curriculum to your needs, and we can get started with you right away.