How It Works
Elementary School
Who can attend?
The Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA) elementary program serves students in grades K–5 who reside in the state of Washington.
What are the costs?
WAVA is a public school, so there is no tuition. We provide state-certified teachers and instructional materials. Students and families will be responsible for providing some common household materials (such as printer ink and paper). In addition, families are required to provide their own computers and internet access to participate in the program.
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
Parent/Learning Coach daily involvement is critical and approximately 10–15 percent of this time is online.
Grades 3–5
Students begin to have increased independence, but parent/Learning Coach involvement is essential for about 70–80 percent of school time and approximately 15–25 percent of this time 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 in to 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
Does WAVA offer full- or half-time kindergarten?
Kindergarten is offered as a full-time program.
Mastering Lessons
In the elementary grades, students are required to show mastery of each lesson by achieving 80 percent or better on all lesson assessments. If your child is having difficulty mastering a lesson, let their homeroom teacher know as soon as possible. Teachers offer many support sessions to help students gain mastery.
Choice of Standard or FLEX Program
Families can choose the standard WAVA program or the new FLEX Program. The standard program is best for students who value time with their peers and require live instructional time with teachers. The FLEX Program is well-suited for independent learners with engaged Learning Coaches.
Working with Teachers in the Standard WAVA Program
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.
Working with Teachers in the FLEX Program
Families in the FLEX Program set their own structures and schedules for learning. FLEX students have just one mandatory Class Connect each week: a homeroom session. This weekly requirement provides an opportunity to connect with other students, and makes sure students are aware of important information and opportunities. Rather than attending other Class Connects that are required by the teachers, FLEX students and their Learning Coaches determine their own monthly learning plan.
Dedicated FLEX teachers are available via email and phone on school days and have regularly scheduled and posted office hours each week. These are set times when teachers are in a Class Connect session, ready to answer questions from students and Learning Coaches. Think of it as coming into the teacher’s classroom; they will be there in the Class Connect whether anyone joins at the beginning or not. Pop in, get what you need, and pop out. Students with IEPs receive all the services called for in their plans, including specifically designed instruction time with special education teachers.
Time Commitment
Attendance is logged Monday through Friday; however, academic progress can be achieved during the weekends as well. K–5 students are expected to spend approximately 4–7 hours on schoolwork per school day.
- Grades K–2: Estimate approximately 4–5 hours of productive schoolwork 5 days per week
- Grades 3–5: Estimate approximately 5–7 hours of effective schoolwork 5 days per week
State Testing
Families enrolling at WAVA must be willing to participate in all required areas of the program.