How It Works
Elementary School
Who can attend?
The California Virtual Academies (CAVA) elementary program serves students in grades TK–5 who reside in these counties.
What does it cost to attend one of the nine California Virtual Academies?
Because CAVA is an independent public charter school program, it's tuition-free. Enrolled families receive the Stride K12 curriculum, and eligible families receive a loaner computer, printer, and internet stipend.
What's my role as a parent?
As a parent, you (or another responsible adult you choose) serve as your child's Learning Coach. You'll work with your child's teacher to help record student attendance, monitor mastery of online lessons and assessments, and review student work.
Parent/Learning Coach involvement is vital to your child's success, especially at the elementary level. The typical Learning Coach time commitment in grades TK–5 is 4–6 hours a day. The initial 4–8 weeks can be intensive, as your family settles into a routine.
Grades TK–2
Parent/Learning Coach daily involvement is critical and approximately 10–15 percent of this time is online.
Grades 3–5
Students begin to have increased independence, but parent/Learning Coach involvement is essential for about 70–80 percent of school time and approximately 15–25 percent of this time is online.
What will my child study?
Coursework is a mix of online and hands-on work, which caters to a wide variety of learning styles. Unit and course assessments are built in to each subject, and easy-to-use online planning and progress tools keep you and your student on track. Educational materials are delivered right to your family's doorstep, including textbooks and tools such as protractors, magnets, and paintbrushes.*
TK–5th graders take courses in the core subjects listed below. Beginning in grade 3, they also take a self-guided elective course in music or a world language.
Mastering Lessons
In the elementary grades, students are required to show mastery of each lesson by achieving 80 percent or better on all lesson assessments. If your child is having difficulty mastering a lesson, let their homeroom teacher know as soon as possible. Teachers offer many support sessions to help students gain mastery.
Working with Your Teacher
Teachers provide individual and small group assistance via online synchronous sessions called "Class Connects." Students are expected to attend all required Class Connects and meet with their teacher to receive course assistance, tutoring, and instruction. Class Connects vary by grade level and are scheduled by your teacher.
Time Commitment
Attendance is logged Monday through Friday; however, academic progress can be achieved during the weekends as well. TK–5 students are expected to spend approximately 4–7 hours on schoolwork per school day.
Grades TK–2
Estimate approximately 4–5 hours of productive schoolwork 5 days per week
Grades 3–5
Estimate approximately 5–7 hours of effective schoolwork 5 days per week
*Course materials vary by course and school. Please check with your school about offline course materials.
Questions?
Get answers to the most common FAQs.
Ready to Join Us?
Get the process started by creating a Parent Portal account or logging in to your existing account.
