HOW FPA WORKS

FreedomProject Academy’s curriculum is designed to teach students how to think, not what to think. Parents who consider enrolling their children in FPA must understand that our school seeks to build the broad and solid intellectual foundation that only classical education provides. Students attending FPA are expected to attend and participate in live, online classes throughout the week. All student assignments, quizzes, tests, and grades will be stored in Canvas, which is accessible from any computer 24/7. FPA prides itself in providing one of the best educational programs in the country. In every course, students are taught essential life skills, including discipline, structure, responsibility, and organization.

HANDBOOKS

The expectations outlined in these handbooks are so students can maximize their online learning experience and achieve academic success.

DATES & GRADES

FreedomProject Academy is a school, not merely a homeschool resource or tutorial service. As such, we strive to provide structure for our students, not just information. We believe that part of the educational experience is preparing students for real-life responsibilities, including deadlines, due dates, and time management. For these reasons, due dates are strictly enforced. In the rare instances when a deadline or due date must be missed, a parent must provide a note explaining the extenuating circumstance in order to receive an extension. Extended travel throughout the school year is possible for our students, although not encouraged. All work will need to be submitted within one week of returning from travel.

Any other travel, activity, or situation that prevents class attendance or submission of schoolwork by the due date assigned by the teacher becomes the responsibility of the student and parent. Any assignments not completed prior to travel or while traveling will not receive an extension even if for technology problems experienced while traveling. No extra due date extensions will be made for any circumstance except for these four valid reasons: technical problems, acts of nature, illness, or family emergencies. See the appropriate grade level handbook for more information.

All graded material is available in Canvas for students and their parents to access 24/7. When a teacher grades an assignment, quiz, or test, a notification is sent to the student’s newsfeed in Canvas. Teachers have the ability to digitally mark up papers and also attach a recorded video or audio comment to graded material, if they so choose. Students use a unique login to access their accounts and submit work.

Teacher Talk is an optional, weekly 30-minute session outside of regularly scheduled live class. Students in 6th through 12th grades can meet with the teacher to ask questions and receive feedback about coursework and progress. Teacher Talk times are designated by the teacher and noted in the Canvas class. If students are unable to attend during the scheduled Teacher Talk time, they are encouraged to send a Canvas message to the teacher to request a separate time to meet. Students in kindergarten through 5th grade are encouraged to reach out to their teacher to schedule a time to meet.

VIDEOS

EXPECTATIONS

FreedomProject Academy is a school with high academic expectations of students with a need for strong parental support. Our philosophy is to partner with parents who must play a central role in the education of their children. Merely registering a student for courses does not end parental responsibility. Parents must supervise their child during class times, oversee work submitted to the teachers, and communicate with teachers regarding grades and any questions they or the student might have.

FreedomProject Academy is a school with high academic expectations of students with a need for strong parental support. We offer the structure of a school with scheduled live classes and firm due dates. In order to achieve our educational mission, we ask each and every family to partner with FreedomProject Academy. Simply stated, we need our families to be fully invested in the educational process. Students must attend classes on a regular basis, participate in class discussions, submit assignments on time, and work with teachers to achieve their very best. Parents must monitor student progress, respond promptly to communications from teachers and administration, and help students manage workload and due dates.

Students in classes from kindergarten through the first semester of 2nd grade are taught manuscript writing (printing). Students from the beginning of the second semester of 2nd Grade through 5th Grade are taught cursive. As students become fluent in cursive beyond 3rd Grade, teachers will regularly assign work that is required to be handwritten in cursive. FPA requires all students from grades 6 through 12 to use cursive writing when submitting handwritten assignments. These assignments will not be accepted if printed or typed and must be legible. Please contact FPA if your student needs help with cursive writing.

FPA is a classical school based on Judeo-Christian values. While students read many books from a Judeo-Christian perspective, they will also study some books from the Greek and Roman world as part of our commitment to classical education. Readings include books by Plato, Aristotle, and Homer, books like the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid. This means that sometimes students read books that are not Judeo-Christian in orientation and that include such issues as war, violence, and human conflict.

Our books are chosen carefully, and our commitment to both classical education and Judeo-Christian values means students cannot pick and choose which of our texts they will read. Signing up for classes at FreedomProject Academy means a willingness to follow our program, especially if students seek an FPA diploma.

As with any school, students must attain a basic mastery of subject knowledge before moving on to the next level. Elementary students must achieve 65% or higher in all subjects to be promoted to the next grade level. However, we recommend that students not move forward unless they achieve 70% or higher in most elementary subjects.

Students in grades 6 through 12 must have a final grade of 65% or higher in order to be promoted to the next level; however, it is strongly recommended they earn a 70% or higher to be prepared for the next course. Students who fail any high school course must retake it if they wish to receive a diploma credit from FPA. Both attempts will be included on the transcript and in the GPA.

If a student does not pass or audits a course, he/she will need to either retake the course (if credit-bearing) or pass a placement test to move onto the next level course.

We sometimes find students turning in papers and tests they did not complete themselves or copied from others. As a diploma-granting school, we must respond when we discover instances of academic dishonesty. It’s one thing to help students, but another to do their writing for them or allow them to copy work from others. Consequences may result in the failure of the assignment, the failure of the class, and even, in extreme cases, removal from FPA.

Parents of students with diagnosed or suspected learning issues or physical disabilities past or present (such as ADD, ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, etc...) must notify FPA before enrolling. FreedomProject Academy may or may not be the right environment for such students, and there is no way to know for sure unless parents are transparent with us from the outset.

Failure to disclose the existence and extent of a student’s special needs may result in either transferring the student to Audit or Homeschool status or dismissing the student from FPA. Since FPA does not have the educational personnel or resources to provide significant accommodations, modifications, or individualized educational support for students with disabilities, final decision on placement or acceptance into FPA’s program will be determined on a case by case basis.

FPA is a NON-DENOMINATIONAL classical school anchored firmly in Judeo-Christian values. Our courses are biblical in worldview and promote biblical understandings of knowledge and truth.

We do not promote the theology of any particular church, temple, or branch of Judeo-Christian thought. We seek to inspire basic Judeo-Christian values in the classroom, allowing parents to teach their particular faith traditions and beliefs at home.

All FPA students are expected to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA. Failure to do so may result in academic probation. See the Parent/Student Handbook for more information.

We are frequently asked if FPA aligns with any outside “standards.” The short answer is we follow the standards established in the curriculum and taught in the classroom. Prior to the mid-1990s, teachers followed unwritten standards that were set at the local level by the school boards, working with principals, parents, and colleagues. This direct accountability effectively promoted a high level of excellence, while teachers remained free to meet the specific needs of the class, or even individual students.

After codified standards came into vogue in the late 1990s, education became “one size fits all” and compromised teacher freedom by making them follow a written set of standards and tests—the new measure of accountability—to determine the teacher’s effectiveness based almost exclusively on test scores. In public schools, standards are now written at the state, and even the national level, by people far removed from the actual students and teachers held accountable to these standards. A classical education recognizes that students are individuals, not a set of collectivized statistics from a standardized test, and that the teacher’s role is central in the education of students. FPA considers the partnership between parent and teacher essential to this success. Our high expectations (standards) are set for students by those most invested in them—the teachers and parents—who uniquely understand that achievement is measured to the degree students are able to maximize their specific talents and gifts.