Accelerating Learning for Students in Special Education
Acellus SPED-X is a comprehensive system designed to accelerate learning for students with special needs. Schools are reporting that SPED-X drives remarkable academic progress, enabling students who were previously 2–3 grade levels behind to close achievement gaps and meet grade-level expectations.
Key Features of SPED-X
Streamlined IEP Management
SPED-X includes powerful tools for managing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), seamlessly aligning instruction with teacher-selected IEP goals.
This feature simplifies the process of creating and tracking IEPs, reducing the administrative burden on educators and ensuring that instructional strategies are directly tied to each student’s unique needs.
Progress Tracking and Automated Reporting
The system tracks each student’s progress and growth toward mastering their IEP goals, automatically compiling the necessary progress reports. This automation saves valuable time for teachers while helping to ensure compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates regular and accurate reporting on student progress.
Tailored Instruction with Tuned-Learning™ Courses
SPED-X utilizes Tuned-Learning™ courses, which deliver foundational concepts tailored to students with diverse needs, such as those on the autism spectrum. These courses adapt to individual learning styles and paces, providing a personalized educational experience that meets students where they are.
Vectored Instruction and Deficiency Diagnostics
Integrated into the Tuned-Learning courses, Vectored Instruction employs Deficiency Diagnostics to identify and remediate gaps in a student’s knowledge without disrupting their progression through grade-level material. This approach is particularly valuable in special education, where students may exhibit uneven skill development, enabling continuous learning and growth.
Advanced IEP Alignment and Compliance
The advanced IEP management component aligns interventions with each student’s specific goals, ensuring that support is both targeted and effective. By automating progress reports, SPED-X helps school districts to remain compliant with IDEA requirements, minimizing compliance risks while maintaining high standards of accountability.
How Acellus SPED-X Works
Acellus SPED-X combines the advanced learning acceleration technologies of Acellus Gold with an Intelligent IEP Management System. This platform aligns instruction with teacher-selected IEP goals, continuously assessing progress while delivering adaptive, personalized instruction to meet each student’s unique needs.
Here’s a step-by-step overview of the process:
1) The Teacher Selects IEP Goals
Teachers start by choosing from a curated list of standards-based math and reading goals aligned with the student’s grade level and IDEA guidelines. Each goal is pre-linked to relevant Acellus instruction and assessments, ensuring immediate alignment without manual setup.
2) The Students are Assigned Coursework in
Tuned-Learning™ Mode
Once goals are selected, SPED-X automatically assigns adaptive Acellus courseware in Tuned-Learning™ Mode. This delivers personalized lessons that adjust to the student’s pace and style, building foundational concepts while targeting specific needs.
3) Data-Driven Intervention Occurs in Real-time
- Deficiency Diagnostics pinpoint missing foundational knowledge, which in many cases was never mastered in prior grade levels.
- Vectored Instruction delivers targeted intervention to remediate gaps without disrupting the student’s progression through the grade-level material.
4) Progress Reports are Generated Automatically
Throughout the process, Acellus SPED-X continuously assesses the student’s proficiency against each IEP goal using built-in benchmarks. Teachers can instantly export detailed progress reports, complete with assessment data, to track growth, inform adjustments, and maintain IDEA compliance. This ongoing cycle ensures that each student receives the support needed to close gaps and achieve grade-level success.
The Roger Billings SPED-X Grant is a transformative opportunity for public school districts. The grant provides funding to aid school districts in implementing the Acellus SPED-X System.
What Schools are saying
Student in special education who could not speak in full sentences is now speaking fluently
“Our school serves a diverse population of students with severe disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum. Acellus has been a game-changer for our students and teachers. One particularly remarkable success story involves a student diagnosed with autism who was unable to speak in full sentences. After several months of accelerated learning with Acellus Gold, that student now speaks fluently and has progressed more than a grade level. We are seeing cases where students who were 2-3 grade levels behind are closing achievement gaps and meeting grade level expectations. Acellus has truly transformed the educational experience for our students, providing them with the tools they need to succeed and thrive.”
Kelly Rouse, Director
Community School, Louisiana
Students learning with Acellus Gold outperformed the non-Acellus classrooms across nearly all grade levels
“Acellus Gold has proved invaluable as a tool for helping students achieve grade level proficiency, especially for students with special needs. During our pilot, students learning with Acellus Gold outperformed the non-Acellus classrooms across nearly all grade levels. We have observed increases in our CAASPP scores, with an average increase of nearly 10% in mathematics, with a 22% increase in 7th-grade. In English Language Arts we saw an average increase of nearly 10%, with a 32% increase in 6th-grade and a 30% increase in 7th-grade.”
Scott Borba, Superintendent
Le Grand Elementary Union School District, California
What Parents are saying
Child with autism with major speech delay became fully verbal after studying with Acellus
“My son, diagnosed with autism, had a major speech delay and was struggling in 2nd grade. Since studying with Acellus, he’s become fully verbal and completed three grade levels of math in one year. He’s even mastering coding courses like JavaScript. Acellus has unlocked his potential and transformed his education.”
Jennifer Willis, Parent
Student challenged with ADHD achieved a 4.0 GPA since starting on Acellus
“My 12-year-old son with autism, ADHD, and other challenges faced daily behavioral issues and a 1.4 GPA in school. Since starting on Acellus in October 2024, he’s achieved a 4.0 GPA, takes classes above his grade level, and requests more coursework. The structured, flexible approach has drastically reduced his behaviors and empowered him to thrive.”
Andrea Wilson, Parent
Acellus Courses
Acellus provides a comprehensive array of standards-aligned courses spanning grades K-12. These courses are expertly produced using top-tier equipment from the film industry.
By blending stunning visuals, exceptional instructors, and material that connects learning to everyday life, Acellus videos become engaging and compelling—sparking students’ enthusiasm for education.
Elementary
Sample Videos
Middle School
Sample Videos
High School
Sample Videos
Acellus
A PROGRAM OF THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
The International Academy of Science is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that has been advancing science and education for over 30 years. The Academy offers applied science undergraduate and graduate degree programs that prepare students with important hands-on skills and experience needed for success in the workplace.
Acellus was created by the International Academy of Science in 2001, and has since been adopted by thousands of schools across the country, and has provided education to millions of students in all 50 states and worldwide.
Acellus is an interactive learning accelerator. It combines technology and learning science to help students master content, learning more effectively (greater mastery) and efficiently (in less time). Backed by scientific research, Acellus delivers online instruction, compliant with the latest standards, through high-definition video lessons made more engaging with multimedia and animation. Each lesson is carefully designed to connect with previously learned knowledge like interlocking building blocks. Students can log in to take lessons from school or home, on any device.