How It Works
Middle School
Who can attend?
The California Virtual Academies (CAVA) middle school program serves students in grades 6–8 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 is my role as a parent?
Middle school is a time when students become more independent, taking on more responsibility and ownership for their learning and working more directly with their teachers. But parent involvement is still critical to student success. As a parent, you (or another responsible adult you choose) serve as your child's Learning Coach.
While teachers set the pace of instruction, the Learning Coach helps their student stay on track. Students in grades 6–8 build self-advocacy skills and work more directly with teachers, but parent/Learning Coach involvement is essential for at least 20 hours a week, and roughly 50–60 percent of this time is spent online. The initial 4–8 weeks can be intensive as your family settles into a routine.
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.
Expectations for Completing Schoolwork
In middle school, student learning changes to a semester-based approach where students are required to earn a passing grade of 60 percent or above on their assignments and online lessons. Due dates are assigned to lessons by the CAVA teacher to encourage consistent, steady progress for academic success. While online lessons can usually be completed at any time of day, students are required to attend teacher-led, direct-instruction, online synchronous Class Connect sessions. During Class Connects, students receive online instruction from teachers and have opportunities to interact virtually with classmates.
Attending Class Connects and completing coursework according to the assigned pacing schedule, will help set up your student for success. Middle school teachers work closely with Learning Coaches and families to ensure students are progressing academically as expected.
In addition to regular, synchronous classroom instruction, teachers offer support or small group sessions to assist in student learning. Parents/Learning Coaches are encouraged to contact their child's homeroom teacher any time they have questions or concerns.
Time Commitment
Attendance is logged Monday through Friday, which is captured as students enter the Online Middle School and attend the required live instructional sessions; however, academic progress can be achieved during the weekends as well. Middle school students are expected to spend approximately four–seven hours on schoolwork per school day.
Email is the primary form of communication between the school and families. Learning Coaches and students are required to check and respond to emails on a daily basis.
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.
