In less than a year since its inception, Niceville Tutoring has transformed from a one-woman operation to a thriving educational support service with a team of over 20 educators.
- This rapid expansion reflects the growing demand for personalized academic assistance in the Emerald Coast area, serving students from kindergarten through college.
Rebecca Beard, the owner of Niceville Tutoring and a licensed Special Education K-12 teacher specializing in Math and Science, has quickly adapted her business model to meet the increasing needs of local families.
“We have grown significantly since last school year,” Beard said, referring to the company’s growth since its initial launch. “I have a pretty large team of contractors that work with me now, and we cover kindergarten through college.”
The tutoring company has expanded its reach beyond Niceville, now serving students in Crestview, Freeport, Fort Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, and DeFuniak Springs. This growth allows Niceville Tutoring to offer a wide range of services, including one-on-one tutoring, test preparation for various standardized tests, and specialized support for students with dyslexia and other exceptional needs.
One of the company’s key features is its certification as a Step Up provider. Step Up for Students is the governor’s school choice initiative that provides funding for tutoring services.
- This certification has become increasingly relevant as the homeschooling community in the area grows, particularly among military families seeking educational continuity for their children.
“It’s growing pretty fast,” Beard noted. “Especially with the military community, it’s becoming more popular with them to homeschool because it keeps the continuity for the kids.”
Niceville Tutoring’s team includes retired teachers, current educators seeking part-time work, and specialists in various subjects. This diverse group allows the company to match students with tutors who best fit their needs and learning styles.
“That’s the beauty of having a bigger team,” Beard said. “We have so many kids with unique needs that we’re able to match them with the best fit because all of us have our comfort levels and our strengths and weaknesses.”
One of the tutors, Jeni Goldstein, a retired teacher, is able to work with students on Eglin Air Force Base, expanding the company’s reach to military families. This flexibility allows Niceville Tutoring to serve a wider range of students in various locations.
The company’s approach focuses on identifying and addressing individual student needs. “We spend a lot of time figuring out what is going on with the student,” Beard explained. “Why aren’t they scoring well? Why are their grades slipping? We try to find what the deficits are because normally we want to approach those deficits first before we make strides.”
- This personalized approach allows tutors to identify and address fundamental skills that may have been missed in a traditional classroom setting.
“I have some kids that were struggling in math, even in elementary school. We found that one of the key deficits was that they did not know their times tables,” Beard said. “So we always spend time going back, making sure that they understand their times tables, and then go ahead and build on the harder concepts that they are learning.”
Niceville Tutoring offers specialized services such as Orton Gillingham groups for dyslexia intervention, led by certified instructors. Teresa Gee, an Orton Gillingham certified instructor, leads these groups, focusing on building phonemic awareness skills and improving decoding and encoding.
- The company also provides support for students with various exceptional student education (ESE) needs, leveraging Beard’s background in Special Education.
As the new school year begins, Beard is positioning her company to meet the anticipated increase in demand. “I’m ready for the volume,” she said. The company has established relationships with local schools in Niceville and on Eglin Air Force Base and is looking to grow across the district. This connection with schools allows for better coordination between classroom teachers and tutors, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to each student’s education.
Beard, a mother of three young children herself, emphasizes flexibility for families using their services. “We don’t do contracts,” she said. “It’s completely at-will. If you like how it goes the first time, then let’s go ahead and continue. But if not, or if you need to work with someone else, then we can go ahead and pause.” This approach allows families to tailor the tutoring experience to their specific needs and schedules.
The company offers a variety of tutoring options to accommodate different learning needs and family situations. For elementary school children, they conduct two 30-minute sessions per week, covering homework, intervention on tough topics, and building math skills. For older students, they offer 55-minute sessions to help them stay focused and on task while addressing their weak spots.
Niceville Tutoring’s test prep services have also seen success. One parent commented, “Rebecca was wonderful in helping my daughter prepare for the ACT. Other review courses and study methods hadn’t impacted her score much. Rebecca’s one-on-one tailored help was just what was needed, and she was a pleasure to work with. We saw a 5 point improvement in her score!”
As Niceville Tutoring continues to expand, Beard remains committed to maintaining the quality of their services.
- “My goal this school year is to be able to quickly match families with tutors,” she explained. “A lot of parents come to me needing help immediately so I want to get them paired with a tutor quickly.”
Looking to the future, Beard is optimistic about the company’s trajectory. With a growing team of qualified educators, expanding services, and a commitment to personalized learning, Niceville Tutoring is poised to continue meeting the educational needs of students across the Emerald Coast.