How Online Elementary School Works
Who can attend?
The Arkansas Virtual Academy (ARVA) elementary program serves students in grades K–5 who reside in the state of Arkansas.
What are the costs?
Because ARVA is part of the public school system, it’s tuition-free. Enrolled families receive the K12 curriculum, and qualified students 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 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
Daily parent/Learning Coach involvement is critical, and approximately 10–15% of this time is spent online.
Grades 3–5
Students begin to have increased independence, but parent/Learning Coach involvement is essential for about 70–80% of school time, and approximately 15–25% 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 into 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% or better on all lesson assessments. If your child has 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
ARVA students must comply with all Arkansas-mandated testing requirements. K–5 graders are required to take the following tests:
Grades K–2
Star360 assessments
Grades 3–5
ACT Aspire assessments