List of FAQs
Do you provide the curriculum?
How do I choose an Academy Northwest Teacher?
How long have you been in existence?
Can I enroll after the school year has begun?
What if I only want a bit of help?
What are the legal requirements to homeschool in Washington State?
If I live outside of Washington State, can I still be enrolled in Academy Northwest?
You are a Christian school. Do I and/or my students have to be a Christian to enroll?
How Can I Start a learning center in my town?
What is Your Policy on Social Media Moderation on Official ANW Channels?
Though most private schools can give a specific amount, this question is difficult to give a flat answer due to the unique features of the Academy Northwest program. Generally, our tuition is 50-75% less than most private schools. The amount will vary by grade level (higher for high school), teacher, and the services requested. The best answer to this question is to review the Enrollment page and note the procedures to interview a local Academy Northwest teacher in your area. Each teacher will set his/her fee according to the specific services that the family is wanting.
As a school, Academy Northwest does not require a student to use specific curricula or resources. One of the reasons home education is so effective is the adaptability of the learning program to meet the student’s learning needs. Academy Northwest wants to maintain that flexibility for our students. The teachers job is to help the parent select what resources will work best for the student. For specific course offerings, certain resources for those classes will typically be required.
Do you provide the curriculum?
No, the parent must purchase/locate the curriculum. The teachers job is to help the parent select the resources that will work best for a given student depending on the student’s learning needs. For specific courses that a teacher is offering, certain resources for those classes will typically be required. The teacher often knows the best sources to purchase resources from at the best price.
My student is an athlete looking to play sports in college. Does your program meet the requirements of the NCAA Eligibility Center?
Yes, we can help your student receive NCAA approval. Due to the nature of our individualized program, NCAA has a designation of “Pending Individual Review” for each of our eligible courses. This means that you will need to retain all work the student completes for core courses and your teacher will help you through the process of receiving approval. It is imperative that you understand completely what is required to make sure you have everything you need to pursue NCAA approval...ALL coursework must be saved and matched up exactly to class syllabus's. Printed proof must be produced for all online testing in your students courses as well. All work will need to be scanned by grade and course so that files can be submitted to the NCAA clearinghouse. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is that you, your student, and your teacher faithfully follow the requirements necessary...
Yes, we are fully accredited through Cognia.
How do I choose an Academy Northwest Teacher Consultant?
We recommend that you go to our Locations page and select any of our teachers who are within a reasonable commute and are working in the grade range of your students. Interview teachers over the phone to learn about their particular services and fees. You know your own child and can often tell which teacher will work best with your student. See the Learning Center Location page for details.
No, we currently do not offer scholarships for tuition. However, many of our students earn college scholarships because they are able to develop a learning program that challenges them while integrating their passions and interests. Tuition credit can be earned for referring new families to the Academy Northwest program for the new school year.
Why would I choose to enroll my children in Academy Northwest since I could home educate on my own. What are the benefits of a Extension Program?
Many families home educate very effectively on their own. There are, however, significant benefits from enrolling in a formal Extension Program, such as having an official transcript from an accredited school. Also, having a certified teacher “play the heavy” on the parent’s behalf can greatly improve the student’s educational program and parent/student relationships. As students move toward becoming an adult, having other caring, professional adults speak into their lives is important for life preparation, whether for work/career and/or for college. This can include “raising the bar” by re-doing an assignment, keeping due dates, requiring challenging projects, term papers, oral presentations, difficult courses, etc. In addition, even though a family may “save money” by home educating independently, this does not always position the student well to earn scholarships for college. By having that official transcript, many of our college-bound students earn far more in college scholarships than paid in Academy Northwest tuition. Thus, Academy Northwest tuition is an investment in your student and for college.
How long have you been in existence?
Academy Northwest started in the early 1980’s with a few experienced classroom teachers who didn’t want to put their own children into the system they had left. So they created a setting that blended home education with private education and invited others to join them. The name went through some changes but core essentials have remained while constantly improving the program and services available.
Yes, each year we host a graduation ceremony for all of our graduates. Please see our Graduation page for more detailed information.
Can I enroll after the school year has begun?
Yes, in most cases an extra “catch-up” instruction may be needed if enrolling in a class that has already begun.
What if I only want a bit of help?
1) Full enrollment — The teacher works with the parent to help plan out the student’s learning program. During that planning stage, the teacher and the parent will determine which parts of the student learning program will be taught by the teacher, which parts may be taught by others (i.e. music, dance, occupational education, career prep, sports), and which parts may be taught by the parent. With full enrollment, the teacher provides general oversight of the learning program, collaborating with the parent who coaches and supervises the student in the daily attending to assignments. The student and the teacher must meet either in a class setting or one-on-one at least one hour each week. Through quarterly conferences and on-going communications, the teacher will work with the parent and student to adjust the learning program if something isn’t working.
For high school students, the teacher submits grades and credits each semester to Academy Northwest for all the courses the student is working on and thus builds a transcript for that student. For non-high school students, the teacher and the parent prepare an annual assessment. Achievement testing is also annually offered but not required.
2) One-credit or less enrollment – The teacher will provide instruction for one or two courses per semester, but does not provide help for other subject areas. For high school, the teacher submits grades only for these courses they are teaching and only these courses will appear on the Academy Northwest transcript.
3) Dual-enrollment – If a student is attending another school part-time, this option allows for either #1 or #2 above.
Other helpful services without enrollment:
4) Some teachers offer tutoring and enrichment classes. Check with the local teachers for those services.
Do parents of Academy Northwest fully enrolled students residing in Washington State have to file “Annual Declaration of Intent” [DOI]?
No. Our students remain anonymous to the state officials. Their information is only given to the state by demographic data: sex, race, age, grade level, immunization status. Parents are not prohibited from filing a DOI, if that is a requirement for participating in a given support group or co-op. Filing a DOI will eliminate some bureaucratic steps of interface with the local public high school if seeking to participate in the Running Start program at the local community college.
What are the legal requirements to homeschool in Washington State?
Washington State offers two options for homeschooling: Independent home-based education and private school extension program (hybrid homeschool program).
Services available through the local public school or online state-supported cyber-schools are not part of the Washington State law on homeschooling, but rather under “Alternative Learning Experience” [ALE] and are paid for with state funds and must follow public school legal constraints, including all curriculum and instruction is to be non-sectarian / free of religious instruction. With these programs you are legally limited as if you were a public school teacher and not free to teach your children how you want with resources you select unless these can also be used in the public school. ALEs are “free” but come with significant strings attached. We understand that many of the state-paid people running these programs don’t enforce the legal constraints given here, but they are breaking the law if they don’t. If you aren’t willing to follow the law with state tax money, don’t participate in these programs. It is a bad example for your child.
If I live outside of Washington State, can I still be enrolled in Academy Northwest?
Yes. This can be accomplished in one of two ways:
1) Enroll and work with an Academy Northwest Teacher Consultant online.
2) Have a local certified teacher train to become an Academy Northwest teacher.
Note: students living near Washington State border may have an Academy Northwest teacher nearby.
You are a Christian school. Do I and/or my students have to be a Christian to enroll?
No, but instruction will be presented from a biblical worldview. Student and parent behavior must be consistent with Academy Northwest standards. Please see our ANW standards.
How Can I Start a learning center in my town?
Academy Northwest is not limited to a building. We exist wherever we have a teacher, so we are looking for creative, gifted teachers (not just “information exposers”) who hold and teach with a biblical worldview. If you know a teacher with a heart to re-examine the difference between “school” and “education,” Academy Northwest can train teachers on how to “retool” their skills to effectively partner with families.
To affiliate with Academy Northwest, each teacher must first go through a self-screening process included in the application. References, resume, a pastoral recommendation, and an application fee are required to initiate the process. All applicants must complete an initial orientation with the Academy Northwest administration and then complete assignments which prepare them to become contracted with Academy Northwest. Go to our Employment page, or call 206.246.9227 for more details.
What is Your Policy on Social Media Moderation on Official ANW Channels?
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