New eSchool approved to serve students in grades K-12 beginning fall 2018
We are excited Ohio families will have another quality eSchool option with Great River Connections Academy, especially at a time when the landscape of Ohio eSchools is shifting
COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) February 28, 2018
Great River Connections Academy (GRCA), a tuition-free, full-time public virtual charter school, has been authorized by the Ohio Council of Community Schools (OCCS) to serve students in grades K-12 throughout the state beginning in the 2018-19 school year.
Enrollment will open on March 1, and interested families are encouraged to attend an information session to learn more about the program. Great River Connections Academy is permitted by state law to serve 1,000 students in its first year.
“We are excited Ohio families will have another quality eSchool option with Great River Connections Academy, especially at a time when the landscape of Ohio eSchools is shifting,” said Dr. Dean Goon, Great River Connections Academy Board Chair. “We are proud to work together with the Ohio Department of Education and our authorizer, OCCS, to provide Ohio families with a quality virtual school solution.”
Great River Connections Academy will reach students throughout Ohio who desire an innovative, individualized approach to education. Like Ohio Connections Academy, the highest performing K-12 eSchool for the last seven years, Great River Connections Academy will utilize the nationally recognized Connections Academy® program and its award-winning curriculum, which supports Ohio Learning Standards and meets iNACOL’s National Standards for Quality Online Courses. Learning from home, students will work closely with licensed teachers using daily lesson plans that can be personalized to meet individual student needs. A parent, or another adult “Learning Coach,” plays a key role with the licensed teacher to monitor student progress in the home.
“We chose to partner with Connections Academy as our online learning provider because of its longstanding, successful history with Ohio Connections Academy, allowing us to offer families a new school option with a quality partner they trust,” said Goon.
GRCA students will receive core classes, engaging electives, and honors and AP course offerings, and have the opportunity to participate in the College Credit Plus program and in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. Students will access online instruction, engage with interactive web tools, and interact with teachers and peers in real-time online classroom sessions.
VIDEO: A Day in the Life of Two Ohio eSchool Families
Great River Connections Academy will meet the needs of a diverse array of students who would benefit from a quality alternative to the traditional bricks-and-mortar classroom. Those significantly ahead or behind in the classroom, need a flexible schedule, or need more individualized attention can thrive in a virtual school setting. Families who seek more involvement in their child’s education can also find success in the Great River Connections Academy program. As a public school, there are no fees or tuition to attend.
In preparation for its inaugural academic year, the eSchool will hire a school leader and a team of teachers and administrators. Great River Connections Academy’s learning center will be based in Columbus.
While the schools are each overseen by their own governing board and school leader, Great River Connections Academy may collaborate with Ohio Connections Academy and share best practices.
For more information about Great River Connections Academy, please visit http://www.GreatRiverConnectionsAcademy.com.
About Great River Connections Academy
Great River Connections Academy (GRCA) is a recently approved statewide tuition-free, full-time public virtual charter school for students in grades K-12. GRCA utilizes the nationally recognized Connections Academy® program, combining state-certified teachers, a high-quality curriculum, unique technology tools, electives, clubs, and community experiences to create an individualized approach to education. GRCA joins Ohio Connections Academy as another eSchool option in the state offering the Connections Academy program; each school is overseen by its own governing board and school leader. For more information about Great River Connections Academy, call 1-800-382-6010 or visit http://www.GreatRiverConnectionsAcademy.com.