GradeCheck® provides academic support services to students through a “high-tech, high-touch” approach. It is a web-based application that gives students, parents and educators visibility to students’ academic status, accountability to map future academic plans and the empowerment to recognize the opportunities that are available to all students. With trained academic coaches in place, GradeCheck® assesses individual student results and provides feedback on key metrics surrounding core course requirements for high school graduation, test scores and eligibility status of employment readiness, vocational training or college acceptance. GradeCheck® is partnering with educators, students and their parents to ensure each child can reach their greatest level of academic success.
Shelia V. Young is the founder of GradeCheck®, a company that was created with the vision of providing students and their parents the ability to understand the student’s current academic performance, set goals for improvement and monitor performance against those goals to ensure that each student has the opportunity to maximize their access to higher education and its rewards.
Like many great ideas, the basis for her business was borne out of necessity. In 1997, Young's son was a standout basketball player on his high school team and was determined to play at the college level. However, ensuring he met the academic eligibility requirements provided a much greater challenge than either of them imagined. While reviewing her son's academic performance, Young developed a clear understanding of the requirements and created a system for rapidly determining his academic eligibility standing that ultimately helped him receive a full scholarship to Ohio University. This understanding, coupled with her own educational background served as the origin of GradeCheck®.
GradeCheck® has since evolved to be a home base for students, parents and their academic advisors where data from a variety of sources shows them in what areas they are excelling and where they may need improvement. The system is a one-stop site for accessing information on resources, admissions criteria, scholarship application processes and much more! GradeCheck® provides academic support services to students through a “high-tech, high-touch” approach. It is a web-based application that gives students, parents and educators visibility to students’ academic status, accountability to map future academic plans and the empowerment to recognize the opportunities that are available to all students. With trained academic coaches in place, GradeCheck® assesses individual student results and provides feedback on key metrics surrounding core course requirements for high school graduation, test scores and eligibility status of employment readiness, vocational training or college acceptance. GradeCheck® is partnering with educators, students and their parents to ensure each child can reach their greatest level of academic success.
Shelia was born in Iowa City, IA, raised in Omaha, NE. She is the youngest of 10 sibilings, and a first generation college graduate. Shelia received a Bachelor of Science in Business from Columbia College in Missouri and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. Young is also a recent graduate of Detroit Entrepreneurship Institute. Shelia and GradeCheck were presented with an award recognizing her contribution to young people over the last 25 years by the City of Detroit. She is also a recognized presenter on how to take control and get the most from your education. She is the mother of three, along with her son Kevin, her daughter Briana is a freshman at Bethune Cookman University. Her youngest daughter Francesca received a full volleyball scholarship to Mississippi State University and is currently completing her last two years playing for East Carolina University.
1997 – 2023
Shelia Young launches GradeCheck in 1997 as a Detroit-based business focused on helping high school scholar-athletes navigate through the process of NCAA eligibility and college admissions and scholarship requirements. We began with a manual process using an Excel spreadsheet. Personalized reviews of individual student performance are prepared to assist students in achieving their goals. Successes lead to referrals to help additional students with coaches and parent bringing students directly to GradeCheck for assistance.
GradeCheck moves into TechTown and is accepted into the SmartStart program for high-tech, high-potential businesses. Transformation plans to become a national, internet-based business begin in earnest. GradeCheck continues to actively support Detroit Public Schools’ students, coaches and parents while continuing to operate in an Excel environment and outlining specifications for the online environment. The business model, in place, is a student paid service with individual annual GradeCheck subscriptions.
DPS officially contracts with GradeCheck for an NCAA 48H Form Project. GradeCheck inventories DPS 48H Forms, identifies issues, works with the NCAA to correct. GradeCheck conducts DPS guidance counselor trainings on keeping the 48H Form process up-to-date and dealing with scholar-athlete eligibility status.
November, 2007 GradeCheck launches national website and web-based self-service sign-up process, www.gradecheck.net . Students are able to input their transcripts, review high school courses and compare to NCAA requirements for Divisions I and II eligibility requirements and keep track of their status. Students are able to create their Academic Profile. Some baseline individual reporting capabilities are installed through the GradeCheck back-end system. DPS students continue to be brought to GradeCheck for assistance via coaches, mentors, parents and word-of-mouth. Student from across the U.S. sign-up, pay and access the GradeCheck system.
GradeCheck continues to enhance its system and services adding the ability to track scholarship opportunities, admissions and essay preparation. Additional reporting capabilities are installed with focus on individual sign-ups. GradeCheck becomes international with students from Athens, Greece and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
GradeCheck extends its business model to include the ability for organizations and school districts to pay for students system enhanced to support all students (grades 6-12) and their academic goals. Formal Student Evaluation reports are implemented to document individual student action plans, enhance communication and streamline processes.
Based on lessons learned, GradeCheck formalizes its ‘high tech-high touch’ approach into a scalable, repeatable process and begins actively soliciting school districts for consideration. GradeCheck installs additional functionality to improve usability and provide added value for students, their parents and educators.
GradeCheck receives the endorsement of the MHSAA and forms a partnership with the NCAA.
GradeCheck updates website and moves online academic tracking system to the clouds.