General FAQs About Our Online School

Arkansas Virtual Academy (ARVA) is a tuition-free online public school serving Arkansas students in grades K–12. We offer learning options that provide the structure, accountability, and licensed teachers and counselors families expect from a public school — along with the freedom to learn in a safe, judgment-free space.

Absolutely! Arkansas Virtual Academy (ARVA) is fully accredited by Cognia, a national accrediting organization. This rigorous accreditation is a valuable mark of distinction that ensures the quality of our policies and validates diploma eligibility and credit transfer worldwide. We use a high-quality, proven curriculum that benefits from K12’s 25+ years of online education expertise. We then tailor these resources to meet our unique academic needs here in Arkansas, ensuring that we meet state standards with excellence.

Arkansas Virtual Academy uses the K12 online learning platform, tailoring its high-quality curriculum and extensive resources to meet our students’ unique needs here in Arkansas.

K12 has been delivering online education for more than 25 years and is used in more than 100 online schools across the USA. We’re proud to be one of them!

Arkansas Virtual Academy (ARVA) offers full-time enrollment for students in grades K–12. We love seeing our students grow and discover their strengths.

English/language arts, math, science, history, music, art, and health/physical education may be required courses depending on grade level. Depending on grade level, students may opt to take a world language elective in addition to these courses.

Middle and high school students have access to honors courses, a variety of electives, and technical and career courses.

Visit our online elementary, middle school, and high school academic pages for more details.

Arkansas residents pay no tuition in grades K–12 to enroll in or attend ARVA because we are an online public school. Students receive full access to K12’s high-quality curriculum at no cost. Like traditional public schools, we don’t provide some common household items — such as printer ink, pens, and paper.

• Based on income guidelines, eligible families may receive a loaner computer and/or an internet stipend to help defray costs. Contact our enrollment consultants to learn more.

Yes, Arkansas Virtual Academy provides students with textbooks and instructional materials. These books and materials vary by grade level and the courses the student is enrolled in. For instance, high school students may receive fewer books and materials than elementary and middle school students.

Our elementary program is self-paced and flexible within the parameters specified by state law. Middle school and high school students complete lessons in synchronous and asynchronous sessions and are expected to complete quizzes, tests, and other assignments in a timely manner.

Our Flex program gives Flex students and their Learning Coaches (a parent or guardian) the freedom to set their own daily learning plan while meeting school-determined deadlines and due dates. Flex students are offered optional live virtual classes with flexible scheduling throughout the school day and week. They are also assigned teachers for support and resources. Learn more about the enhanced flexibility offered in the Flex program!

At Arkansas Virtual Academy, we believe in the power of family involvement. As a parent, you are an essential part of your child’s learning experience — whether you take on the role of Learning Coach yourself or designate a trusted adult to support your child day-to-day. The Learning Coach helps keep students on track, encourages engagement in lessons, and partners with teachers to support academic progress. Even if you’re not the one logging in every day, your involvement and support are key to your child’s success.

Your involvement as a parent or Learning Coach will vary by grade level, your child’s needs, and your family’s schedule. As your child becomes more comfortable with online learning, they’ll develop greater independence, giving you more flexibility. On average:

• K–2: Approximately 4 to 5 hours per day of school time, with 30–40% of learning completed online. You’ll spend about 1 to 2 hours actively supporting lessons and guiding activities, with the rest being more supervisory.
• Grades 3–5: Approximately 5 to 7 hours per day of school time, with 50–60% of learning online. Your involvement will be more hands-off as students work more independently, but you’ll still check in for progress and occasional help.
• Grades 6–7: Parents typically spend about 1 to 2 hours daily checking in, helping with organization, or offering occasional homework support.
• Grade 8: Students are mostly independent. Parents may check in for progress reviews or support on specific assignments.
• Grades 9–12: Students are largely self-directed. The Learning Coach —whether a parent, guardian, or another trusted adult — plays a background role: checking in on progress, helping with time management, and offering encouragement when needed. Arkansas Virtual Academy supports students directly through teacher interactions, counselors, and college/career prep tools.

Depending on a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), we can tailor learning to meet their needs. To discuss your child’s IEP learning needs with an enrollment team member, please contact our office.

Arkansas Virtual Academy meets the needs of advanced learners in a variety of ways. The beauty of our elementary and middle school programs is that they’re flexible enough to meet children where they are in any given subject and take them where they want to go. Placement assessments allow us to place your student at the appropriate curriculum level. For example, if your 6th grader is doing math at an 8th grade level and reading at a 6th grade level, we can tailor lesson plans to meet your student’s abilities.

High school students can take honors courses.

Yes! We know how important it is for our student-athletes to balance a tough training schedule with their schoolwork, which is why we’re so proud to be NCAA-certified. View our list of approved core courses by visiting the NCAA’s high school selection site and inputting the high school code 041868.

Arkansas Virtual Academy is a safe, inclusive, local community, and we know how to have fun! Students at ARVA can:

• Participate in live class sessions and group discussions that help build relationships and communication skills
• Join student-led clubs to explore their interests and connect with their peers
• Chat and hang out with their classmates in the ARVA K12 Zone, a bully-free, fun, virtual community;
• Experience optional in-person school outings, like field trips, picnics, and other social events throughout the year.
• Local groups of students and parents can get together on their own as well!

Check out our Student Life page to learn more about how students connect and socialize at ARVA!

Yes, students who attend ARVA are public school students, and they earn a high school diploma identical to those awarded by other public schools in Arkansas. Our graduates enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other Arkansas graduates when applying to colleges and universities across the state and nation.

Transferring credits is usually straightforward, especially between accredited schools. Credits earned at a K12-powered, accredited online school like Arkansas Virtual Academy are often transferable to and from accredited brick-and-mortar public schools and may count toward a high school diploma at both public and private institutions. Please confirm credit acceptance with the district you are transferring into.

Transferring credits is usually straightforward, especially between accredited schools. Public school credits generally transfer to Arkansas Virtual Academy by K12, an accredited online public school. Some courses may not transfer exactly and could require placement adjustments or additional coursework. Please reach out to our school enrollment team to confirm credit acceptance.

Transferring credits is usually straightforward, especially between accredited schools. Partial credits or unaccredited coursework may require additional review, placement assessments, or makeup work. Arkansas Virtual Academy by K12 is accredited and has standard processes for evaluating transcripts and accepting credits for successfully completed courses. Please contact to our school enrollment team to confirm credit acceptance.

ARVA follows the graduation requirements set by Arkansas’ Department of Education, and we require 22 credits to graduate.

Yes, ARVA offers many opportunities for credit recovery, including options during the school year, attending summer school, and more.

Yes, fully enrolled students can participate in our credit recovery program.

Arkansas Virtual Academy receives Title I funding, the largest federal assistance program for our nation’s schools, through Arkansas’s Department of Education. The funding allows schools to hire additional teachers to reduce class sizes, purchase supplemental materials and educational programs, conduct parent activities and workshops, and provide professional development for staff. In our schoolwide program, certified teachers can provide instructional levels based on student data, re-teach sessions based on student performance, and offer multi-tiered support based on assessments — as well as English learner support and more.

Arkansas Virtual Academy follows the Arkansas State Library, Archives, and Public Records retention schedule. Special education records (including placement records, referrals, evaluations, testing data, and other related records) are destroyed four years after the fiscal year of final enrollment in the program.

To obtain copies of records for students who have attended ARVA, please call our office.

No home visits are required to attend ARVA, and there are no other intrusions into your home. The state of Arkansas requires students to meet with their teacher in person four times a year. Students meet this requirement by attending academic workshops, school outings, or state or other testing events.