General FAQs

Any student in grades K–12 who resides in the state of Washington is eligible for enrollment.

English/language arts, math, science, history, music, art, and physical education are the core courses. High school students have access to a variety of honors and elective courses. Additionally, students in grades 7-12 have the opportunity to participate in Career and Technical Education programs including the opportunity for industry recognized certificates. Student in our Highly Capable Program can also take courses in music and world languages. Visit our elementary, middle school, and high school academic pages for more details.

Yes. We provide the textbooks and instructional materials needed to complete the program. These books and materials are sent to students directly. The amount and type of materials varies by grade and course. Common household items and office supplies like printer ink and paper are not provided.

Yes, we are a public school in Washington. Students who fulfill all Washington State graduation requirements, including earning the required course credits, completing applicable state testing, and meeting additional requirements such as Washington State History, will receive a standard high school diploma.

Families can choose the standard WAVA program or the FLEX Program. In both programs, pacing is guided by trained educators, but there are some differences:

Our standard WAVA program is a combination of required live session attendance, scheduled lessons, scheduled assignments, and some self-paced curriculum completion.

In our FLEX Program, students are expected to complete 10% of each year-long course every month (20% for semester-long classes). All FLEX students have a required weekly homeroom session to meet Washington Alternative Learning Experience expectations for weekly contact and a monthly progress conference with their FLEX teacher where they share what they have learned, reflect on how the previous month went, and look ahead to the next month. To remain in the FLEX program students must maintain passing grades in all courses, as well as weekly contact and monthly conference requirements.

In the younger grades, many of the online lessons include offline work. Students in grades K–2 spend about 30–40% of their time on the computer, while students in grades 3–5 spend about 50–60% of their time online. Screen time increases in middle school, and by high school, most of the school day is online.

Depending on your child’s IEP, we should be able to tailor instruction to meet your child’s needs. To discuss your child’s needs with us, please contact our office , and we will put you in touch with our special education team.

WAVA 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. High school students have the opportunity to take more advanced courses, including honors courses and Running Start courses for college credit.

Our FLEX Program is a good choice for students who are self-motivated and/or find in-class pacing too slow.

We also offer a Highly Capable Program for eligible students who perform, or show potential to perform, at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments.

Throughout the year, students are invited to participate in school outings, field trips (e.g., to historical sites, museums, zoos), picnics, and other social events. We expect local clusters of students and parents to get together on a regular basis in their areas. Our students also have access to WAVA school clubs and eSports (based on grade level). We are always exploring new ways to interact socially using the powerful reach of the internet. The online Family Directory provides a way for families to network with families in their region of the state. With online discussions and forums, new types of communities can be formed that are based not on geography and place but on shared interests.

There are no home visits as part of the program, and there are no other intrusions into your home. This school was created to help your child obtain a first-class education and serve your family’s needs. If you ever feel that it is not right for your family or your child, you can withdraw at any time.

Visit our How to Enroll section for information on enrolling your student in WAVA.

With the exception of a few school districts, most local schools allow resident students to participate in sports and extracurricular activities without requiring enrollment. Please contact your resident school district regarding their policy.

We are proud to be recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). View our list of approved core courses by visiting the NCAA’s high school selection site  and inputting high school code 480312. To learn more about our NCAA-approved courses, click here.