K12 International Academy (see also their K-8 programs)

The K¹² International Academy Website: http://www.k12.com/int/

K12 is a private, diploma-granting school serving students in the U.S. and around the world in grades K-12. It offers extensive, individualized support. Students connect in and out of the online school, building their 21st-century skills while safely interacting, chatting, and participating in clubs with other students from around the world. Part-time options are also available for teacher-led, credit-bearing courses. To view the courses on offer for 2009-2010, click here. K12 programs are available in the US, in many states and/or cities through tuition-free, online public K¹² partner schools, as well as worldwide through the private, tuition-based K¹² International Academy — according to the K12 website.

Their website  suggests that their edge over other curriculum providers is their flexibility and adaptability:

“[the following} …distinguishes us from other online high school curriculum providers.

Most high school programs provide a hodge-podge menu of courses from third-party providers—even those that produce some or all of their own curriculum do not engage in the level of research and investment that K¹² does. Quite simply, we maintain a focus unparalleled in the industry on developing, testing, modifying and reinvesting in high-quality, individualized, online curriculum and learning environments to deliver effectiveness and outcomes across a vast array of student types. We encourage you to read in detail about our curriculum approach , as we know this is one of the most important factors guiding your enrollment decision.

The K¹² high school curriculum is built very differently than our K-8 courses, and with good reason. The K¹² online high school environment blends the best features of our world-renowned K-8 learning environment—the elegant and research-driven design, the compelling interactivity, the ease of use of both online and offline content—with key features designed to make the high school experience successful, given the far more complex high school world of content, skills, and time management.

The K¹² 2009-2010 High School Course Catalog is robust, offering more than 90 core, elective, and Advanced Placement® (AP®) courses. K¹² Math, Language Arts, Science, and History courses are offered in multiple versions—Core, Comprehensive, Honors and AP (depending on the course)—to meet the needs of diverse learners with diverse goals. Up to four levels of World Languages are offered as well.

Students can chart their own course, choosing from among the four levels of courses to match their aptitude and goals.

What I like about this program is that it is modular, and interactive and can be completed according to the student’s schedule. It looks like an accelerated program because it offers the k12 Honors and K12 AP courses which would provide kids with greater challenge and college-level materials in their areas of strength.

Another interesting thing is its breadth … for eg. it offers the choices of British and World Literature (and the Honors course), as well as American Literature (and the Honors course).

K12 also amazingly offers foreign languages other English like French language, Latin and Chinese I and II … wow! And they can do it because they partnered up with PowerGlide though they call it PowerSpeak here (PowerGlide fyi was one of the most touted programs used by homeschoolers (the other was Rosetta Stone)).

And then there are very interesting subjects on offer as well, such as Web Design, Online Game Production, psychology, personal finance, journalism and many more.

Mode of delivery of lessons, again from their website:
“Lessons come to life with a rich mixture of on- and offline teaching tools, including interactive animations, award-winning printed books with beautiful illustrations and narrative, original CDs and videos, and materials for hands-on experiments. Lessons are followed by assessments so you can be sure that your child has mastered a particular area before moving on, and built-in planning and progress tools make it easy to keep on track.”

K12 appears to be their strength but there’s also K-8 look at their summary of their range of courses from K-12 here: http://www.k12.com/curriculum_and_products/courses_by_grade/

Definitely worth looking at for homeschoolers / afterschoolers here. For those wanting to mix and match what you are already doing in homeschooling, you can also add on individual components from K!:  individual K¹² high school courses can also be purchased through the K¹² International Academy. Your choice of delivery for the entire K¹²9¹² program, or for specific K¹² high school courses will, of course, depend on your current academic situation and goals.” Students enrolled in the program may take up to three individual courses at a time and receive the K¹² curriculum, access to the online learning platform, support from a certified teacher, and a certificate of completion. Other features, such as the assignment of the xTeam, are reserved for full-time students, only.

According to the website, the benefits of the K12 International Academy are:

• Outstanding, individualized curriculum from K¹², the leading online K-12 curriculum provider and a CITA-accredited company
• Full-time, online high school program that leads to a high school diploma
• Part-time options that allow students to take individual online courses to get ahead, make up credits, or address scheduling conflicts
• Diverse high school catalog with more than 90 courses, including up to four levels of courses in Math, English, Science, and History
• K-8 mastery-based curriculum
• Individual Learning Plans for every student
• The “xTeam,” offering personalized, extensive support to students and families
• Extracurricular clubs and activities
• Global community of connected learners from across the U.S. and around the world

Got your attention? Now the big question, how much does it cost? Sample pricing for 2009-2010 below [or download their complete high school part-time pricing list or K-8 part-time pricing list, or call 1-877-512-7748 (outside of the U.S.: +1-703-436-3316) for materials requirements and pricing] :

FULL TIME TUITION:

Annual tuition*:

$4,995 (K-8)
$6,995 (9-12)

Semester tuition:

$3,499 (9-12)
Not available for K-8

One-semester courses:

$375 (9-12)
Not available for K-8

PART TIME TUITION:

Full-year courses:

$475 (K-8)
$750 (9-12)

Part-time benefits and requirements:

• Online course content
• Teacher support
• Online learning management systems
• A transcript to obtain credit from full-time school or district

You need to also remember that a $50 for shipping fee is added to each course kit ordered and shipped to Japan.

***

Further reading about K12 schools:

In the news: Virtual schools expand their territory (Washington Post)