Timely, Insightful, Must-See Results from the 2019 Online School Curriculum Survey

As homeschooling increases in popularity, the number of homeschool online curriculum options continues to skyrocket! The availability of hot spots and improvements in technology makes online classes and e-learning easier to access and complete. Whether you want to add one online class for your learner or you want to build an entire class schedule around virtual learning, abundant options await!

So what’s the challenge? Surely, it’s sorting through the numerous programs to decide what would be a good fit for your children.

Homeschool Online Curriculum

The purpose of the Information on Online School Survey was to capture specific information directly from the various options and organize key findings for future families.

Important Details:

• The online survey was conducted from November to December 2019.
• Over 30 online providers were contacted. Additionally, a link was provided on multiple Facebook homeschooling groups to share with interested programs.
• The current plan is to build upon this information as new programs arise and existing programs choose to participate in the survey. Updates to these data will be conducted every other month. Programs that have not already participated can complete the survey form here.

Truly, there is no “right” curriculum, but there is a “right” fit for each family. Overall results are summarized in chart format. Specific details regarding each program are provided in table layout.

Homeschool Online Curriculum Organization

Online Schools are organized in different ways. For example, public online schools include an “All-In-One” curriculum in which students are full-time students and take all their required courses through that program. In contrast, most private programs offer an All-In-One, A La Carte, or a mix of the two options.

Homeschool Online Curriculum Course Format

Online classes often offer a live component, meaning the student is participating in an online classroom setting with other classmates and their instructor. Alternatively, ‘flex’ or other “non-live” formats allow students the flexibility to listen to recordings or watch videos and complete classwork whenever they choose. In addition to the different formats, opportunities for participation vary across platforms. Access to a laptop appears to be the number one requirement with respect to technology.

Online School Experience

Although the idea of online school is still relatively new, over 1/3 of respondents reported teaching online for over 5 years.

Homeschool Online Curriculum Course Length

The majority of programs surveyed provide a spectrum of duration options, including full-year, semester, and in some cases, short-term courses.

Course Topics

A wide range of online course options were available via these providers in 2019.

Furthermore, an increasing number of programs stated that they offer honors and AP options.

Online School and NCAA

Ensuring eligibility with the NCAA when homeschooling can be tricky. In this sample, 1/4 of the programs had attained NCAA accreditation for specific courses.

Summer Class Availability

In some cases, it’s nice to pick up an extra credit or two throughout the summer. A few programs offered selected courses throughout the summer months.

Online School Class Size

Overall class sizes were relatively small, with 90% of respondents stating classes contained 20 or fewer students.

Assessments

In the majority of programs, grading of coursework is conducted by the teacher.

Highlights From Respondents (2019)

Details and highlights from the programs responding to the survey in 2019 are provided below. Please share with friends interested in online school options!

Open Tent Academy

https://www.opententacademy.com

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence for over 5 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized a la carte
• Course options include language arts, history, science, foreign language, arts, and electives
• Courses are set up on a trimester basis
• Typical class size is less than 10 students
• Grading is completed by teacher
• Laptop or iPad is required
• Students can participate via chat box or microphone during live sessions

Feedback from the program: “OTA is a secular based program offering a la carte classes. Most classes are project-based and multi-disciplinary classes. Most classes include formal or informal writing as a component within the class. Students are encouraged to think-question-delve deeper and ponder in each class. Teachers MUST have an advanced degree, online experience, and experience teaching homeschoolers. Teachers are experts within their fields.“

Gifted Course Providers (Part of Gifted Conference Planners)

https://www.giftedconferenceplanners.org

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence 3-5 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized a la carte
• Course options include language arts, math, history, science, arts, computer / technology, and electives
• Summer classes are offered
• Courses are set up on a short term, semester, or full year basis
• Typical class size is less than 10 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher
• Laptop, headphones, and microphone are required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via chat box, microphone, or online forum
• Honors and AP course options are available

Feedback from the program: “We offer experiences for gifted and twice exceptional learners in a way that is flexible and responsive- your learning and your fit matter tha most. We will work with you and make accommodations to ensure that you find that fit.”

Ms. Peng; Chinese Teacher

http://bit.ly/mspengchineseteacher

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence 3-5 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized by subject
• Course options include foreign language (Chinese)
• Summer classes are offered
• Courses are set up on a full year basis
• Typical class size is less than 10 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher and parent
• Laptop, headphones, and microphone are required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via microphone

Feedback from the program: “I also teach Mandarin Chinese on Outschool and I have my own individual and group classes for kids, teens and adults. I mainly teach on Zoom. I design most of my own curriculum and I also use some Chinese textbooks. My courses are fun and engaging, because we play some games to reinforce learning Chinese.”

MyFunScience

https://www.myfunscience.com

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence 3-5 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized a la carte
• Course options include math, science, computer / technology and electives
• Courses are set up on a semester or full year basis
• Typical class size is 10-20 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher
• Laptop, headphones, and microphone are required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via microphone or chat box

Feedback from the program: “Science and math oriented subjects can sometimes be challenging to teach without subject matter expertise. Our live online classes are open to any homeschool family looking to supplement their STEM training. MyFunScience offers automatic 10% off quantity discounts for multiple classes or students, an optional 6-month payment plan, and a $50 coupon for your first class.“

True North Homeschool Academy

https://www.truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence for over 5 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized a la carte or all-in-one
• Course options include language arts, history, music, arts, math, science, computer / technology, and electives
• Summer classes are available
• Courses are set up on a short term, semester or full-year basis
• Typical class size is 10-20 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher
• Laptop or iPad and microphone are required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via microphone online forum, or chat box
• Honors and or AP course options are available

Feedback from the program: “We believe that education is the transmission of culture and come alongside parents to convey a culture of Truth, beauty and goodness. We are people of the Book; word driven, word inspired. Our teachers come from around the world with a breadth of experience and passion for teaching and are committed to real life and real relationships. We purposefully limit our class sizes to optimize the educational experience and relationships in the class room. We offer small group, live on-line Special Needs classes, along with k-12th Academic Advising, testing, e-books, community and more! We host a weekly podcast; Soft Skills 101:Life Skills for a Digital Age. Compared to other live on-line formats, our classes are highly affordable, we offer bundles for greater affordability, clubs, a ESL program, and more to come!”

Huddleston Academy Live Academics

https://hala.education

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence for 1-3 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized a la carte
• Course options include language arts, history, music, arts, math, science, and electives
• Summer classes are available
• Courses are set up on a short term basis
• Typical class size is less than 10 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher and parent
• Laptop or iPad and microphone are required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via microphone or chat box
• Honors and or AP course options are available

Feedback from program: “We offer a wide range of courses that range from core subjects to life skills, including college/career prep and adult/family-style courses (like cooking, sewing, etc).”

Self-Paced Courses By With The Huddlestons

https://withthehuddlestons.teachable.com/courses

• Existence for 1-3 years
• Classes are flexible (non-live)
• Curriculum is organized a la carte or all-in-one
• Course options include language arts, history, science, and electives
• Summer classes are available
• Courses are set up on a short term basis
• Typical class size is less than 10 students
• Grading is completed by the parent
• Laptop or iPad is required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via online forum

Feedback from the program: “The courses are self-paced, eclectic, and just plain awesome! There are also self-paced courses for homeschooling moms!”

Aim Academy

www.debrabell.com

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence for over 5 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized a la carte
• Course options include language arts, history, foreign language, math, science, and electives
• Summer classes are available
• Courses are set up on a short term, semester, or full-year basis
• Typical class size is 10-20 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher
• Laptop or iPad, headphones, and microphone are required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via microphone, online forum, or chat box
• Honors and or AP course options are available
• Select classes are NCAA accredited

Feedback from the program: “We are aligned with AP and CLEP exams so students are gradually prepared to score high on these tests by the end of high school. We emphasize quality timely feedback and ample teacher/student interaction. We invest in teacher development so we are always improving our methods and effectiveness. We believe in research-driven approaches to learning. The staff and faculty are veteran homeschool parents (as well as qualified in their subject matter) or they are homeschool graduates. We understand our community. We allow students and parents to post reviews of our classes and teachers–this keeps us working hard to exceed expectations and it gives potential families solid information before they enroll. (We’ve had double-digit growth every year since we began in 2011.) Some classes are taught from a Christian perspective. These are indicated with a Cross. Our classes, though secular, are sensitive to the concerns of conservative families. Our main goal is college readiness. We have a variety of payment plans available. I, Debra Bell, have a PhD in educational psychology. Our assistant director has a master in education from Penn. We’re passionate about learning, as is our faculty. Kids have to be engaged and interested in the subject matter to learn — our teachers know this is their number one responsibility.”

Excelsior Classes

https://excelsiorclasses.com

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence for 3-5 years
• Classes include a live, online component
• Curriculum is organized a la carte
• Course options include language arts, history, foreign language, arts, math, science, and electives
• Courses are set up on a semester basis
• Typical class size is 10-20 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher
• Laptop or iPad, headphones, and microphone are required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via microphone, online forum, or chat box
• Honors and or AP course options are available
• Select classes are NCAA accredited

Alpha Omega Academy

www.aoacademy.com

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence for over 5 years
• Classes include a live, online component or flex option
• Curriculum is organized a la carte or all-in-one
• Course options include language arts, history, foreign language, math, science, and electives
• Summer classes are available
• Courses are set up on a semester, or full-year basis
• Typical class size is over 20 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher
• Laptop is required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via microphone or chat box
• Honors and or AP course options are available
• Select classes are NCAA accredited

Feedback from the program: “Our curriculum is student-led so students can work at their own pace. Our teachers are available for one-on-one tutoring and support. We also offer clubs and extra-curricular classes like cooking club and our creative writing class.”

FundaFunda Academy

https://www.fundafundaacademy.com

• Provides classes for K-12
• Existence for 3-5 years
• Classes include a live, online component or flex option
• Curriculum is organized a la carte
• Course options include language arts, history, foreign language, science, and electives
• Summer classes are available
• Courses are set up on a short term, semester or full-year basis
• Typical class size is 10-20 students
• Grading is completed by the teacher
• Laptop is required
• Students can participate in live-sessions via online forum and other methods
• Honors and or AP course options are available

Feedback from the program: “Our classes are rigorous, but very engaging and we use many different online resources to make our teaching style unique. Students will learn through videos, interactive websites, online games and simulations. Their assignments could include creating digital posters, videos, comic strips and more. Students get to view projects done by their classmates, and sometimes they also do group work. The use of textbooks and tests is kept to a minimum and many classes do not utilize either as we believe there are better ways to make the learning stick and for students to achieve mastery of a subject. We always aim to make the content of all out classes relevant to students’ lives and connect what we are teaching to real world situations.

All our full-semester classes have deadlines (but the students don’t need to be online at any specific time)and the work is graded by teachers or teaching assistants. A few classes do have an online component and then the exact time is determined based on availability of the students. We aim to be as worldview-neutral as possible and our students include those from families with a variety of belief systems.”

Thank you to all participants!