Super Block...

We work on a "Super Block" schedule. I need to finish three classes every nine weeks to graduate high school on time.

Self-Paced - What Does that Really Mean?

So, what does “your own pace” really mean? The pacing of virtual school really matters. We use a policy of open-enrollment, whereby at any point during the year a student could enroll in a course. Pacing is determined by the student to create a truly personal learning environment. What this means for the teacher, with students beginning at various times, is that there are multiple levels of asynchronous learning going on at once, and teaching occurs according to student need, not teacher decision.

Does your child always have his or her chores done on time with no prompting from you? Probably not, and a self-paced program can be the same way. Students need “nudging” by both teachers and parents. We expect each high school student to complete three half credit courses about every nine weeks. This pace is recommended for students to graduate on time. There will be some classes your student finds easy. They may appear to “breeze through” the content. Other classes will be more challenging to your student, some topics may even be boring to some. This is because each student has strengths and weaknesses, and personal preferences. The self paced format allows students to move ahead if able, and take a bit more time if needed.

If you student is spending at least 20 hours a week online in their curriculum, they are probably on track in their coursework. It is important for you and your son or daughter to have a graduation plan with all of their courses mapped out, showing which classes need to be taken and when, to meet his or her graduation goal. This doesn’t mean they can’t change their mind about a course choice later. Ask your child to show you his or her graduation plan and talk about the timeline together.

The best way to keep track of your child’s progress, is to have your student enter your email address as a “coach” in our online curriculum. When this is done, you will begin receiving a weekly email showing you how much time your student has spent online in each course, and their scores on all practice assignments, quizzes, and tests. If you or your student need help setting this up, don’t hesitate to ask the staff for assistance. Grade cards showing current progress and grades will be sent out each nine weeks, however, that is a long time to wait to find out there is a problem. If your child is
not logging on regularly and making progress, expect a call from your child’s teacher. We are in a partnership with you and your high school Student.