How it Works

We offer our curriculum and associated support services to virtual public schools across the country. For students enrolled in these tuition-free public schools, learning happens at home, on the road, or wherever an Internet connection can be found, although many of the lessons use physical materials and offline tools as well. Attendance, teacher interaction, and daily lessons are all conducted online.

A certified or licensed teacher is assigned to each student and communicates through e-mail, telephone, online web meetings, and physical meetings. The family receives a loaner computer* and subsidized Internet access* as well as many boxes of materials, including a wide array of textbooks, CDs, videos, and hands-on materials. These hands-on materials complement the online interactive elements of the overall schooling experience to cater to different learning styles and to maximize the learning objectives. (Some things that would take up pages in a textbook can be taught better using an interactive animation, and vice versa.)

Working closely with the teacher, the parent (or other responsible adult) serves as a “learning coach” to the child, helping facilitate progress through the daily lessons and working to modify the pace and schedule according to the child’s needs. A suggested lesson plan is provided for the parent each week and updates automatically as the child progresses.

While these schools enable truly individualized learning and much flexibility in pace, schedule, and learning styles, they also come with the structure, administrative support, oversight, accountability, and state testing requirements associated with all public schools. These programs are full time, meaning that they replace a traditional classroom environment with a location that the family chooses.

*Loaner computers and Internet access aren’t provided in every school.