Parent Demand High, Arizona Online School Could Meet Enrollment Cap
Gilbert, AZ (PRWEB) July 27, 2017 -- More than 2,300 students enrolled at Arizona Connections Academy (ACA) will begin the 2017-2018 school year on July 31 without ever having to leave the house. Enrollment is robust at Arizona Connections Academy, a statewide, tuition-free online public school that serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and the school may reach its cap of 2,500 students for the 2017-18 school year.
ACA gives students the opportunity to attend school full-time, remotely accessing lessons and real-time online classroom sessions with state-certified teachers from wherever there is an internet connection.
“We are excited to start another school year serving students across the state, and see our students grow both academically and as individuals in the months to come,” Kerri Wright, Arizona Connections Academy principal, said. “Students and their families have unique reasons why they choose online school and we are happy that we are able to offer them this supportive environment where they can thrive.”
Ryan Williams, a seventh-grader at ACA, and his family chose to switch to Arizona Connections Academy in the fall of 2016, when Ryan decided to train in the pre-professional ballet program at Master Ballet Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona. The 13-year-old Peoria resident comes back to school for the fall 2017 semester after attending a six-week, audition-only, summer intensive at Houston Ballet Academy on a full-ride scholarship.
“ACA allows Ryan the flexibility in his schedule to pursue his ballet training and dance passion, while continuing to grow as a student in school,” Ryan’s mother, Rachel Williams, said. “With 25 hours of class each week, plus three to four hours of private weekly lessons, online school gives him the opportunity to pursue his passion that he hopes to make a career while receiving a public school education.”
The Williams family isn’t alone in its desire for increased flexibility. The school’s annual Parent Satisfaction Survey revealed that 46 percent of families chose ACA because they needed or wanted greater flexibility, the top reason for enrolling in the online school. Other parents (approximately 40 percent) chose online school for its safe learning environment, or because they simply wanted a change from their local school.
The third-party survey also revealed high praise for the online school’s teachers, curriculum and use of technology to engage students, with 95 of parents expressing satisfaction with the helpfulness of their child’s teachers and 94 percent calling the school’s curriculum ‘high quality.’
Enrollment data noted in the most recent Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning report revealed that Arizona has one of the highest numbers of students accessing online education in the nation; during the 2014-15 school year, more than 34,000 students attended virtual charter schools and accounted for more than 415,000 online course enrollments.
Students will be enrolled in ACA on a first come, first served basis until the cap is reached. Parents who are interested in ACA are encouraged to begin the enrollment process soon in order to secure their child's spot. Interested families can attend an online information session to learn more about the online school program. For more information, visit http://www.ArizonaConnectionsAcademy.com.
About Arizona Connections Academy
Arizona Connections Academy (ACA) is a tuition-free, K–12 online public school serving students statewide. The online school provides students with the flexibility to learn from anywhere with an innovative curriculum that meets rigorous state education standards. Arizona Connections Academy is authorized by the Arizona State Board of Charter Schools and accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), an accrediting division of AdvancED. For more information, visit http://www.ArizonaConnectionsAcademy.com.
Lisa Nicita, Arizona Connections Academy, +1 (480) 368-7999, [email protected]
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