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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
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Where Above
Average is
Standard
T
here are many reasons why a
student falls behind in school,
from not clicking with their
teacher to missing out on
key concepts in lower grades. Those
stumbling blocks are something that
today’s student can’t afford as they
prepare for their academic life beyond
high school. Fortunately, Sylvan Learning
is there to help students regain their
academic footing and send them to the
head of the class with their proven track
record of academic tutoring, coaching
and test preparation. In addition to
regaining their academic footing,
students are also looking to Sylvan to
help get them ahead. From improving
SAT scores in the College Prep Program
to sharpening math skills in the Math
Edge program, students are seeing
their potential for higher achievement
actualized thanks to Sylvan.
Brought to the Pittsburgh region by
the father-son team of Jack and Jeff
Shilling, the duo’s lifelong commitment
to education and prior work in the STEM
fields made Sylvan the obvious choice in
investing in an academic performance
franchise. Their Upper St. Clair location
is the first of five total planned for the
region and has already changed the
academic landscape in the South Hills.
Lora Hyde, Center Director, and Rae
Ann Cooper, Director of Education,
said students who come to Sylvan are
assessed on an individual basis and given
tailored recommendations that best
fit their academic needs not put into a
cookie-cutter program.
What’s more, Sylvan’s staff go above
and beyond to treat you and your child
like family. They not only care about your
child’s academic success, but your family’s
success in general, and will even serve as
advocates for your child in their classroom
setting.
“We’re very big on keeping in
contact with schools in terms of actual
classrooms and teachers,” Cooper said.
“I’m in constant contact with our students’
school teachers to see how we can further
personalize and implement progress
within the classroom.”
“We’ll attend parent-teacher
conferences with parents if they want
us to just so we’re all on the same page
working together for the student,” Hyde
said. “We want to learn about parents,
what their interests are, because we just
can’t be more school. We have to be fun
and build that bond and friendship with
each family we serve.”
Because of their bonds with families
and the trust that builds over time, Sylvan
is able to fill in more gaps in a student’s
learning than other traditional tutoring
solutions.
“Progress Assessment scores
administered at our location, after some
time spent in their programs, more than
double the top 25 percent of Sylvan’s
nationwide average and almost triple the
industry standard,” Hyde said.
Now is a good time for parents to think
about how they will support their child’s
learning over the summer months. While
a break from school is great for recharging
students’ batteries, if they aren’t using
the skills they acquired in the classroom,
they could find themselves lagging once
the school bell rings again. There are
many enrichment activities available
when school is out of session and Sylvan
Learning offers engaging programs that
keep the interest and fun in learning alive
through the summer. Sylvan Learning
yields results that can be help to catch
up in subjects that students struggled
with to make sure they are ready for the
next school year or, if your child is just
looking for areas to challenge them more
intellectually, Sylvan’s STEM and academic
classes or summer camps fit the bill.
“The idea of being able to help our
kids become the next generation of
innovators and business owners out there
is very exciting to me,” Jack Shilling said.
“Ultimately,” added Jeff, “we want to
help meet that demand and help be a
part of the future of our country’s kids’
education.”
For more information on Sylvan
Learning, go to their website at locations.
sylvanlearning.com/us/upperstclair-pa or
call them directly at 412.283.9047. They
are located at 100 Siena Drive, Suite 245,
15241.
UPPER ST. CLAIR
❘
SUMMER 2019
35