What is Columbia Virtual Academy (CVA)?
When was CVA founded and how many students attend?
Where is CVA located?
What are Partner Districts and who are they?
What is the cost for my student to enroll in CVA?
What grade levels are covered by your program?
What does it mean to be enrolled in a district?
Can I enroll my student in CVA on a part-time basis?
Can I live in another state or country and school my children through CVA?
Why are schools collecting race and ethnicity information?
What programs are available for my student?
What are CVA’s four basic requirements?
Who will be my student’s teacher at CVA?
What if I have trouble resolving issues with my CVA teacher?
What kind of classes will my student be able to take?
Can my child work at his or her own pace?
Can I use the curriculum of my choice?
Can my student graduate and get a diploma through CVA?
Does CVA accept students who have an IEP (Individual Education Plan)?
Can CVA students take dance or music lessons?
Do I have a spending limit for curriculum?
What is the difference between “home-based instruction” and CVA’s alternative learning experience program?
Does CVA’s curriculum meet Washington State Standards?
Does CVA provide textbooks?
Does CVA provide computers?
What are the technical requirements for CVA's online curriculum providers?
How does the CVA curriculum align to state standards and the MSP?
Does CVA offer students the option of Running Start?
CVA is a statewide, K-12 public education program that supports parents as the first and most important educators of their children. With CVA, parents can choose the time, the place and the curriculum that is right for their child, all with the guidance, resources, and the support of CVA.
CVA is an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) program under the legal authority of Washington Administrative Code WAC 392-121-182. Since this ALE law provides that parents may substantially participate in the education of their children, this public school option can provide for much of the learning to be done in settings alternative to those of traditional schools.
CVA was founded in 2003 and the student population is 3,900+ and growing.
Our main campus is located in Valley, Washington, but the CVA program is offered through our partner districts all over Washington State.
A CVA partner district is any Washington State public school district that offers the CVA program. Our current partner districts are: Cheney, Colville, Eastmont, Freeman, Inchelium, Kettle Falls, Naselle-Grays River Valley, Onalaska, Orient, Raymond, Stevenson-Carson, Sultan, Summit Valley, and Valley.
CVA is public school program, so there are no enrollment fees. All kindergarten through 12th grade students in Washington State may enroll free of charge.
CVA is for students K-12 (kindergarten all the way through high school).
All students “choice in” to Valley, but because we have partner districts, you may be placed with another district. This is a huge benefit to families as it’s our goal to keep you in regional proximity to your teachers and district staff when possible. Learn more about partner districts here.
CVA offers a personalized learning experience through flexible options, both online and by more traditional means. Every student has his or her own program. A family who chooses an online curriculum allows their student to learn anywhere he or she can access the Internet. CVA supports flexibility that respects diverse family preferences.
CVA teachers can vary the pace of learning based on family input, arrange for students to make up missed credits, or provide curricular stability when students face health or discipline issues at school or at home. This is also an ideal program for educational consistency for families who relocate during the school year.
Yes, CVA accepts part-time students.
No. Due to legislative budget cuts to both ALE and Running Start, CVA can no longer provide Running Start as an option.
Each newly-enrolled student will be assigned a CVA teacher who becomes the family's primary point of contact. The CVA teacher is responsible for student accountability and serves as the family’s educational professional and guide.
Although every effort is made to ensure that family and student needs are met through the CVA teacher, we recognize that sometimes a third party can help. Families should contact their CVA teacher’s supervising principal in the event that any concern is not answered adequately by the CVA teacher.
CVA offers everything from the traditional textbook coursework to online “virtual” instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Yes, your child's CVA teacher can vary the learning pace based on individual learning needs and circumstances.
CVA has carefully reviewed all instructional resources offered in the CVA Course Catalog to ensure quality and that they support course learning goals. If parents and guardians choose to meet course goals with resources not provided by CVA, they have right to do so, but CVA cannot pay for resources not listed in the catalog and will not include them in a student’s Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP). High school students do have the option of seeking academic credit for non-CVA courses through a portfolio review process.
Yes. Once your student has met all the Washington State graduation requirements, the enrolling CVA partner district will issue a diploma to your student.
Students are able to receive a Washington State High School Diploma by completing a minimum of 20 credits. Students will need to complete a High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) and a Culminating Project. Students must also meet the standard on the High School Proficiency Exams (HSPE) or earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement through alternative means. CVA will issue a Washington State standardized transcript.
CVA requests that parents or guardians and students indicate their high school goals and future plans upon enrollment. This gives CVA’s Counselor time to work with both the parents or guardians and students in providing an action plan to ensure meaningful courses of study.
Yes. The Special Services Coordinator will review your student’s IEP and discuss your child's educational needs during the enrollment process.
Yes. Quality fine arts and PE courses can be a part of your student's CVA experience.
CVA does not set specific spending limits because each student's individual learning plan varies. All of your student’s learning needs, based on the approved Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP), will be met and provided to you without cost.
Home-based instruction means that students are not part of a public school program and their instruction is provided solely by the parent or guardian. Students receiving home-based instruction are therefore not subject to rules and regulations that govern public schools and the public school is under no obligation to provide instruction.
When students are enrolled in CVA they become part of a public school "Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) program." Students enrolled in a public education ALE program can attend part-time or full-time and are subject to the rules and regulations governing public schools, which include being supervised, monitored, assessed and evaluated by a certified staff person.
Yes, all curriculum made available through CVA is aligned to state standards.
Yes. All instructional resources identified in the student's Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP) are provided to the student free of charge.
CVA will provide used computer hardware with Microsoft Windows operating system to students who do not have access to computing resources. No software applications are included with CVA student computers.
Example: Apex Learning - System Recommendations; System Check-up
All CVA curricula are aligned to state and federal standards. We have found that students in CVA do just as well or better than their counterparts in a traditional education setting on the Measures of Student Progress (MSP) and the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). We attribute this success to increased parental involvement, personalized learning approaches, close teacher contact and quality curricula.
Columbia Virtual Academy (CVA) serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade with a variety of program and curriculum options.
The simple answer is because we have to. Here's a bit more about it...