Grand River Academy

General Questions:

What grades are offered by Grand River Academy? 
Grand River offers grades K-12. 

What subjects will my child study? 
Language arts, math, science, history, music, and art are the core courses for kindergarten and middle school students. High school students receive full academic optoins. 

Does the program provide textbooks and other instructional materials? 
Yes, we provide all the textbooks and instructional materials for K-5. Middle school and high school curriculum is fully online.

What is a Learning Coach?

It is the parent or legal guardian who checks on-line attendance and ensures that assignments are completed. 

Will my child have the same graduation opportunities as students in traditional public schools? 
Yes, we are a District 51 school. 

Can my child work at his or her own pace? 
Our online programs are self-paced and flexible within the parameters specified by state law. Students are expected to achieve a year's academic growth in a year's time. 

How much time do students spend on the computer? 
We expect that students will spend no more than 20-25 percent of their time on the computer in the early grades. We believe in a balanced approach toward education. Computers help us provide you with effective assessment, planning, and time-management tools. Computers also act as powerful tools that can motivate, stimulate, and inform children about the world around them. They do not, however, replace a solid education; rather, they help facilitate one. That's why we use a unique multimedia approach that also includes a great deal of well-written and designed textbooks, workbooks, and hands-on instructional materials. 

What does it cost to attend Grand River Academy? 
Nothing we are a district 51 school. 

Do you provide curriculum for special needs children? 
Depending on a child's Inpidualized Education Plan (IEP), we can tailor our curriculum to meet your child's needs. There will be a case manager assigned to your child in order to assure his/her needs are met. 

Can you accommodate the accelerated learning needs of my gifted/talented child? 
Grand River Academy will monitor your gifted and talented child by designing enriched, customized curricular strategies.  This Advanced Learning Plan, (ALP) will ensure that your child has the maximum educational experience possible. 

How do students interact socially? 
We have onsite mandatory attendance for all students combined wtih school outings, field trips, picnics, and other social events.

What if I change my mind or learning at home isn't working for our family?

Our interview process helps determine if this type of schooling is a good choice. Our goal is to support all of our learners and learning coaches and provide smooth transitions between schooling choices. With this in mind, a year commitment to Grand River is best, but changes can be make at semester if needed.

What are Grand River Academy's school colors and mascot?

The school colors are royal blue, light blue, and yellow-gold.  The school mascot is the Raptor (dinosaur).

Technical Questions:

Do I need to own a computer to attend? 
Yes. Each family will be required to have a computer system that meets the minimum specifications necessary to access the K¹² Online School (OLS). Families must also have Internet access in order to participate in the school.

What computer skills are required? 
The learning coach or mentor needs to have at least basic computer skills. Use of the computer is an important part of the program, but in the early grades it is mostly the parent (or other responsible adult) who interacts with the computer. The program is user-friendly. High school students are most successful if they have basic computer skills.

Recommended computer settings for K12 and :

Internet Explorer 8 or 9 (Windows)(Must not be in compatibility mode)

Safari 4 or higher (Mac OSX)

Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) is recommended for stability, but both the ESR and final release channel are supposed (both Mac and Windows)

Google Chrome stable channel (both Mac and Windows)

The following requirements must also be met for both K12 and Odysseyware:

Testing and Assessment Questions:

What tests are required as part of the program?

• STARS
• CMAS/PARCC (3rd - 11th)
• PSAT (10th)
• SAT (11th)
• Response to Intervention assessment (as determined by inpidual needs)
• CELA (Colorado English Language Assessment, as determined by inpidual needs)

How is student progress assessed? 
Grand River Academy is a mastery-based program, which means K-12 students master concepts before moving on to the next lesson. Following NCLB and state guidelines, students are expected to make at least a year's growth in a year's time. Teachers will assess mastery and provide feedback to students and families.

Do you have questions not listed here? Contact us at [email protected] and we'll assist you.