Online Programs
A virtual school in general refers to a program in which your child is at home, but takes courses over the Internet. These virtual schools offer online programs and often full curricula. They are usually administered by a public or private school. Thus, children enrolled in these programs are effectively enrolled in a school and skirt the definition of a homeschooled student. There are some controversies regarding these programs, but they do provide an alternative that is appropriate for some families. Learn more about how these programs work, what to expect, and how to get the most out of them.
Online Homeschool Programs & Curricula
Griggs International Academy
Griggs International Academy is an online Christian school with multiple accreditations. They offer full curricula, teachers who are certified experts in their fields, online high school diploma, and more.
Ohio Connections Academy
Ohio Connections Academy provides a new form of public school that students can attend from home. This is a unique program that combines strong parental involvement, the expertise and accountability of publicly funded education, and the flexibility of online classes. Connections Academy operates one school in Ohio under contract to the Ohio Connections Academy (OCA). OCA is a community school sponsored by the Ohio Council of Community Schools. The school serves students in grades K–12 from anywhere in Ohio. Parents pay no tuition for students to attend Ohio Connections Academy. Students are considered to be enrolled in a public school. OCA provides textbooks and other curriculum materials, along with a loaned computer, printer and subsidy for Internet service.
Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT)
The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) is an online public community school sponsored by the Lucas County (Ohio) Educational Service Center (LCESC). It is based in Columbus and has provided students in Ohio with an online public education since the 200-2001 school year.
American School
The American School offers a distance education program combining reasonable tuition and curriculum in both print and online format. They offer a free transcript evaluation service for transcripts from high school sin the United States to ensure you and your students are on the right educational path.
eTAP
eTAP Teaching Assistance Program is a premiere site for online instruction designed specifically to maximize student learning.
Catholic Virtual
A program of Virtual Schools of Excellence, Catholic Virtual is an accredited, online program. They are committed to offering a comprehensive approach to e-learning in a faith-filled environment. The K-12 Program provides college preparatory and career readiness curriculum for all students. The Catholic Religious Education classes follow the standards and guidelines set by the United States Bishops.
K12
Founded in 1999 by William J. Bennett, along with other leaders, K12 offers a traditional program of learning using online technology and traditional content. Many states are offering the K12 program through Virtual Acadamies, with programs that are free of charge to participating families.
Paradigm Virtual Academy
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, PVA uses the tested and proven PAC curriculum, but in a virtual, online setting. Students with Internet access can now benefit from the PAC program from anywhere in the world.
Alpha Omega Academy
Alpha Omega Academy (AOA) is an accredited online academy for grades K-12, with thousands of students enrolled worldwide.
Heritage Home School Academy
Heritage Home School Academy is an accredited Christian home school option for families across the United States and globally. Their school is focused on family, quality education, and the success of children preschool through 12th grade. They offer traditional Christian home school curriculum, and also, Christian online curriculum. Heritage Home School Academy’s traditional and online curriculum programs give parents options. Programs are affordable, accredited and can be adjusted for each child’s specific learning needs.
Future School
Future School online learning systems support your entire family in both the classroom and the home using only qualified teachers to ensure its educational services. They offer tutoring students in the home, classroom and after school facilities, providing both face-to-face, telephone and online assistance in the two core areas of literacy and numeracy. Future School has also many years experience in the development of Basic Skill Tests in mathematics and English covering years 3, 5, and 7, including the materials, delivery, marking, psychometrics and reporting to Education Departments, schools, and parents.
Bridgeway Academy
Bridgeway Academy has been a trusted homeschooling academy since 1989, meeting the highest state and national accreditation standards possible. Bridgeway’s goal is to provide families with everything needed to give a child the best homeschool education available. Whether looking for a curriculum founded on Christian principles, or one that focuses solely on academics, Bridgeway is a proven homeschool resource that will work with families to produce a customized and affordable plan that universities are taking quite seriously.
Support
Ohio Virtual School Families & Friends
This group is for families, or friends of families with children enrolled in virtual charter (community) schools in Ohio. This is a private group not affiliated with the Coalition or with any one virtual charter school or academy. Its members may be associated with any of the virtual schools or digital academies currently open in Ohio including, but not limited to: BOSS, Connections, ECOT, OHDELA, OHVA, TRECA, VCS Ohio.
K12 Large Families
This group is for large families using the K-12 curriculum created by Dr. William Bennett. Both homeschooling families and Virtual School families are welcome. It is particularly intended for families with more than 3 children in K-12 as well as additional teens, toddlers and babies. Discussions include both the curriculum and the challenges of implementing it in a large family.
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Featured Resources

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Homeschooling: The Teen Years : Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- to 18- Year-Old (Prima Home Learning Library)
The teen years are when many homeschooling parents start to question or abandon their efforts. It's a precarious time, with challenging academics, pressing social issues, and the prospect of college looming. Parents can now breathe easy: this guide calms the teen-time jitters and even offers hope to those just turning to homeschooling now that their child is about to enter high school. With brief "how we did it" testimonies from other parents sprinkled throughout the book, author Cafi Cohen offe...
The Living Page: Keeping Notebooks with Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason believed that children need to be trained to see, to have their eyes opened, in order to find joy in life. This work explains the value of using the method of writing in journals or notebooks, as derived from the expansive work of Charlotte Mason. You'll find tips to help your children practice putting their knowledge, thoughts, and pictures down on paper, helping them to retain information better, create something beautiful, and strive for retention.
I Learn Better by Teaching Myself/Still Teaching Ourselves
Take a look at how a homeschooling mother learned to trust her children-and herself-to learn in new ways. Tag along on the journey from the elementary years through high school as this book explore the success and freedom of unstructured learning. These books are especially good for anyone wrestling with the question of "how much structure should there be in a homeschool?"
Perrine's Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry
Perrine's Sound and Sense is a fantastic book for studying poetry with your children. It is a great resource for high school students. It includes clear and thorough explanations of devices, forms, how to analyze poetry, and more, as well as a huge variety of poems, both classic and contemporary.
Phonics Pathways
Phonics Pathways begins with short-vowel sounds, slowly progressing to whole words, phrases, and sentences of gradually increasing complexity. Special teaching tips, extensive examples, and 100% decodable practice readings reinforce each lesson. Contains all spelling rules with a spelling index, spelling charts, spelling short-cuts, diacritical markings, and a wealth of inspirational proverbs. The new 9th edition of Phonics Pathways features many new enhancements including a wealth of reproducib...