Will the curriculum be the same as the other Founders Classical Academies?

The curriculum is the same as the Founders academies, but with some additions to accommodate state policies and online limitations.

What grade levels does Founders Classical Academy – Online offer?

K-8 for the 2024-2025 school year

Is this the same as home school?

No. Students will be taught by teachers and will be required to take state standardized tests.

How often would my child be online with his/her teacher?

Because classical education stresses the importance of teacher directed instruction, your child will be online with his/her teacher for no more than 2 to 3 hours per day for K-2, no more than 3 to 4 hours per day for 3-5 and no more than 4 hours per day for 6-8. All core subjects–language arts, math, history, and science–will be taught virtually during the school week. Asynchronous work will also be assigned.

What Learning Management System (LMS) is used?

• Google Classroom for asynchronous learning
• Google Meet for synchronous learning

Is my student eligible to enroll in Founders Classical Academy – Online?

Students are eligible to enroll in Founders Classical Academy – Online if they meet the following criteria set by the Texas Education Agency:
During School Year 2023-2024:

1. If students attended a Texas public school and received remote instruction for the majority of their instructional days (50% or more) they must have:

• Achieved satisfactory achievement (“Approaches” grade level) or higher on each STAAR assessment administered (applicable to students currently in 4th-8th grades)
  • If a STAAR assessment was not administered but the student was in a grade/subject for which STAAR should have been administered, students must take and pass Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests in the relevant subject(s).
• Had a number of unexcused absences that is 10 percent or fewer out of all instructional days
• Earned a grade of C or higher in core courses (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science) taken remotely

2. If students attended homeschool, private school, or an out-of-state school virtually and received remote instruction for the majority of their instructional days (50% or more), they must have:

• Had a number of unexcused absences that is 10 percent or fewer out of all instructional days
• Earned a grade of C or higher in core courses (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science) taken remotely

For School Year 2023-2024:

• Students have and are maintaining 9 or fewer unexcused absences including from the school they are transferring from

Students who have 10 or more absences are subject to administrative withdrawal from Founders Classical Academy – Online.

Is all instruction live, prerecorded, or both?

Teaching occurs live with teachers (synchronously), but can be accessed via recordings as well if there is a lesson missed; at times when a teacher knows she may be out in advance, a pre-recorded session might also be shared with students to minimize lost instructional time. There is also asynchronous work that will be provided each day.

How many teachers will my student be assigned?

Depends on the grade level; Grades K-5 will have one teacher for all content areas, including electives; grades 6-8 will have at least five teachers (one for each core content area of math, science, history, and science, and it varies with electives, like Latin and Logic)

Are all books online or will supplies be shipped to us?

Needed materials are either online or will be shipped to you. For grades 3-5, history and science curricula are accessed online, while English language arts and math materials will be shipped to the student. For grades 6-8, science and history curricula are accessed online, while English language arts, Latin, and some history materials will be shipped to the student. Additionally, there will be a need to purchase supplies similar to a brick and mortar setting (for example….notebooks, writing utensils, paper, ruler, calculator, experiment-related items, etc.).

Is the curriculum self-paced?

No. There are daily and weekly progress expectations that will be communicated. All instruction is live and teacher-directed. Students will be required to do a little more independent work, reading, etc. than students at a brick and mortar Founders Classical Academy.

Can students finish early and move on to the next grade level? If so which grades would this be allowed?

As a general rule of thumb, this is not encouraged. Our classical curriculum is rigorous and challenging and follows a prescribed sequence. There may be instances when a student’s math abilities are exceptional and it would be academically beneficial to move that student into a math class above his/her grade-level.

State Testing

Participation in STAAR exams is required and in person at assigned testing location; parent required to provide transportation to/from

Eligibility for expelled students or students assigned to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP)

This is determined according to ResponsiveEd board policy on a case by case basis. Students with disciplinary history will still get accepted as long as they have completed any program they were assigned to due to the issue AND /OR they are not trying to use us to replace that program assigned to them.

Are synchronous (live) sessions with teachers required?

Yes

Are students allowed to travel out of state for extended periods of time when enrolled in your school?

Students are expected to access their coursework, classes, and live sessions during all scheduled school days. The academic calendar is provided on the first day as well as during enrollment and online. In addition, students MUST attend state required standardized testing in person at their assigned location. The testing calendar dates can be found on the TEA web site.