HOW IT WORKS
Elementary School
Who can attend?
The Ohio Virtual Academy (OHVA) elementary program serves students in grades K–5 who reside in the state of Ohio.
What are the costs?
Because OHVA is part of the public school system, it's tuition-free. Enrolled families receive the Stride K12 curriculum, as well as a loaner computer, printer, and internet stipend.
What is 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 K–5 is 4–6 hours a day. The initial 4–8 weeks can be intensive, as your family settles into a routine.
Grades K–2: Parent/Learning Coach daily involvement is critical and approximately 50 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 50-60 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.
K–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.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
MATH
SCIENCE
HISTORY
ART
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.
State Testing
Thank you to all our families for your commitment to getting your child to mandatory state testing!
Spring state testing is scheduled to take place in March and April for 3rd to 5th grade elementary students. View the Family Testing Calendar for grades 3-8. Contact your advocate or classroom teacher for more information about testing. You can also refer to OHVA Testing FAQ's and Information [PDF] which includes test site locations.
