How It Works
Elementary School
Tuition-Free
Because California Virtual Academies (CAVA) is an independent public charter school program, it's tuition-free. Enrolled families receive the K12 curriculum, and eligible families receive a loaner computer, printer, and internet stipend.
Who can attend?
The CAVA elementary program serves students in grades TK–5 who reside in select counties.
What counties does CAVA serve?
CAVA serves students who reside in the following counties:
| Alameda | Amador | Butte | Calaveras | Colusa | Contra Costa | Fresno |
| Imperial | Inyo | Kern | Kings | Lake | Los Angeles | Madera |
| Marin | Mendocino | Merced | Mono | Monterey | Napa | Orange |
| Placer | Riverside | Sacramento | San Benito | San Bernardino | San Diego | San Francisco |
| San Joaquin | San Luis Obispo | San Mateo | Santa Barbara | Santa Clara | Santa Cruz | Solano |
| Sonoma | Stanislaus | Sutter | Tulare | Ventura | Yolo | Yuba |
What's my role as a parent?
Parents serve as their child's Learning Coach. As a Learning Coach, you will
Communicate progress with your child's teacher
Monitor mastery of lessons and assessments
Review your child's work
Record attendance
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.
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
Students work with their teachers and other classmates during "Class Connect" sessions. In "Class Connect" sessions, students
Receive live instruction from teachers
Interact with classmates
Ask questions and receive real-time support
Students can interact with their teachers and classmates by
Typing in the chat
Speaking over their microphone
Typing and drawing with online whiteboard features
Joining small group breakouts to work on projects or receive targeted instruction
Time Commitment
TK–5 students are expected to spend between 4–7 hours on schoolwork per school day, including both online and offline work.
Grades TK–2
- 4–5 hours daily
- 30-40% online
Grades 3–5
- 5–7 hours daily
- 50-60% online
A Day in the Life of Online Students
Want to learn more about the daily life of an online elementary student? Meet Micah and Sarai!
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.
