calvary chapel online school dove icon no shadingPlease find answers below to frequently asked questions about our school.

ABOUT US

When was CPA founded? Calvary Prep has been providing excellence in Christian online education since 2009 when it was founded by Director, Jared Beck.

Are you accredited? Calvary Preparatory Academy is a Christian private school that is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) for grades 7-12. As one of the few regionally accredited online middle school and high schools, this accreditation is recognized across the United States as well as internationally. CPA is also a member of ACTS (Association of Christian Teachers & Schools).

Does CPA offer “a-g” and NCAA approved courses? Yes, CPA offers both UC “a-g” and NCAA approved courses. The “a-g” approved course list can be found here. NCAA approved course list can be found here.

Does my student have to be in a specific geographical area in order to attend CPA? No. Calvary Prep offers education to students in all 50 states and internationally. All that is needed is an internet connection, and demonstrated proficiency in the English language.

Will my credits from another school transfer to your curriculum? Credits will be accepted from transcripts earned at other educational institutions when an official transcript(s) has been received. Transfer credits are awarded on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the school. Transcript analysis will sometimes require further research and contact with prior institutions to determine eligibility of transfer credits.

Will my credits from homeschool transfer to your curriculum? Calvary Preparatory Academy will accept credits only if the transcript credits are issued by a formal educational agency. That agency needs to have clearly defined course descriptions as well as an established grading scale.

Students who completed previous years of schooling in a homeschool environment may still be accepted into CPA, however, only the credits issued or formally accepted by CPA will count towards high school graduation.

Do you offer graduates a U.S. diploma, allowing students to apply for any universities across the U.S.? Yes, our diploma is recognized across the United States, as well as internationally.

Can I enroll in CPA if I am from a different country? Yes, but we require grade-level proficiency in the English language, and perform an assessment during the enrollment process to verify proficiency prior to acceptance.

Will your program prepare my student for college? Yes. All of our courses are college preparatory courses and our program of study will readily prepare your student for entering the college or university of their choice, including the University of California system of schools.

I am a principal of a school and am interested in enrolling students part-time to supplement their education. Is that something CPA offers? Yes! Our heart for this school is to “stand in the gap” with your local school community whenever there is a need we can fill. We love to partner with schools (public and private), churches and homeschool co-ops to provide quality online education to your students. Contact us today for more information and pricing.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CPA STUDENT

How does it work? Full-time students are assigned approximately four hours of school work per day, although some days may require either more or less time. Students have flexibility to arrange their schedules throughout the week, however, all full-time students must participate in their classes for at least one hour per required school day. Full-time students who do not meet these requirements will be marked absent.

Can I attend part-time? Yes! Calvary Preparatory Academy offers a myriad of part-time WASC accredited courses, as well as UC approved “a-g” and NCAA approved courses. Our high school course list can be found here. Our middle school course list can be found here.

How can CPA students socially interact with each other? Students at CPA are very socially active with one another in our forums, workshops and clubs that meet daily/weekly. As we have students from all over the world, it provides an incredible experience for them to learn about different cultures, customs and traditions from one another. Additionally the school offers local field trips that vary from semester to semester. These have included local get-togethers, attending a weekend conference on apologetics, and an Israel tour.

Can students work at their own pace? Yes, to a degree. Full-time students are assigned approximately four hours of school work per day, although some days may require either more or less time. Students have flexibility to arrange their schedules throughout the week and can work ahead so long as they maintain an 85% or better in all classes. Students may be able to work at a slower pace, however guardians must provide written acknowledgment that this may affect their ability to graduate from high school in the normal four year time frame.

Is it open enrollment?

CPA offers the following terms throughout the year: Summer (June-Aug), Fall (last week of Aug. into Jan) and Spring (Jan-June). Additionally, we have an open track for students taking part-time courses at irregular start dates.

What’s the average number of hours a student spends per day on school work? Full-time students are assigned approximately four hours of school work per day, although some days may require either more or less time based on each students’ respective work load.

We live overseas and in a different time zone. Are you able to accommodate?

Yes. We have wonderful teachers here at CPA that are willing to accommodate your schedule, taking into consideration your respective time zone, even if that results in “after hours” scheduling for themselves. All times used by the school and its employees will always be in the Pacific time zone where the school is located.

What is the attendance policy? Calvary Preparatory Academy requires all full-time students to work in their courses on each required school day. Attendance is marked by each student’s participation in the Daily Discussion Forum. Please refer to the school calendar for required school days and notify your teacher if you need any days off that aren’t a scheduled holiday. Any unexcused or excused absence must be accounted for.

Student absences will be tracked according to the school’s excessive absence and truancy policy. A full-time student will be identified as excessively absent if the student does not log instructional time for more than 10 consecutive days. If a student is identified as excessively absent the student may be withdrawn from the school.

What kind of flexibility is there if a student takes a few weeks off for vacation? Students are expected to attend at least 90% of the possible instructional hours for the school year AND must not miss school for 10 consecutive school days. Students may need to perform some tasks, online or “offline” while on vacation, in order to stay up to date. Our teachers can use their professional judgment to customize coursework for students.

If an unexpected situation should arise and there is an extended leave of three days or more needed from courses, students must follow these steps: 1) Determine if Internet access is available (through libraries, etc.); 2) Contact teachers to explain the situation and to discuss class alternatives with the teacher.

ACADEMICS

What curriculum do you use? We utilize a blend of the state-of-the-art Apex Learning curriculum customized within our Christian framework, as well as our own Bible and elective courses written in-house.

Do you use a strictly Christian curriculum? Here at Calvary Prep Academy, we identify as first and foremost, a Christian community rather than a Christian product. Our staff, board members, and the majority of the student body are all actively involved in putting their Christian faith into practice. Curriculum is sometimes viewed as a product that is either Christian or non-Christian. CPA staff have evaluated curriculum providers, both Christian and secular, to determine which venue will meet our academic and spiritual standards. Some providers may have strong Christian content, but the means of delivery does not reflect the professionalism our school requires, especially with regard to digital content delivery and content management systems.

In order to meet our students’ academic and spiritual needs, we utilize the world-renowned Apex Learning online curriculum and modify it accordingly, when appropriate, to fit within our standards as a Christian school. Calvary Preparatory Academy maintains full control over what is taught, what is not taught, and how controversial topics are discussed. Click here to learn more about the curriculum.

In addition, we have written our own Bible curriculum that students are required to complete as part of their graduation requirements. We also place a high priority on fostering Christian relationships between the students and teachers, and the student body as a whole. That is why we encourage students to interact and encourage each other in the daily devotions found in the Daily Discussion Forum (required), as well as the Prayer Forum (encouraged) and various clubs and activities, to foster those rich, spiritual relationships as well. We feel this gives our students the full Christian school experience.

What are the Christian courses that are offered at CPA? In order to fully educate students in the articles of the Christian faith, Calvary Preparatory Academy offers a series of Bible school online courses. These courses are designed to familiarize students with biblical studies as well as tenets of the Christian faith. Below is a list of Bible courses currently offered:

Does CPA offer dual Enrollment? Another means by which students can meet the “a-g” entrance requirements for the UC and Cal State systems is to complete college courses in the subjects while concurrently enrolled as a high school student. Any student attending Calvary Preparatory Academy can also dually enroll at a college or university to take individual classes.

Do you have honors or AP (advanced placement) classes? In this day and age, when college courses (dual enrollment) are easily accessible to high school students, the administration here at CPA determined that advanced placement courses (AP) are a dated concept. It is much more beneficial for our students to dually enroll in a community college course and transfer the credits to CPA than to go through the time consuming and complicated process of taking AP courses and the subsequent AP testing that is required to obtain the college credit. Dual enrollment credits are awarded on a case-by-case basis. Transcript analysis will sometimes require further research and contact with prior institutions to determine eligibility of credits obtained.

Do you have annual standardized testing/assessments? Yes. Calvary Prep uses a powerful assessment tool that allows us to pinpoint areas of strength and areas of weakness for our students. We can then use custom curriculum to support students in these specified areas at their individual performance levels. The process is a bit complicated, but we have the professional tools and experience to make it happen, including:

  • Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) testing through Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)
  • MAP Skills- a system to assign lessons specific to students’ areas of need, as targeted by the assessment results
  • More than 200 courses with varying strategies to match students’ needs.
  • A powerful customized database to triangulate students’ assessments, grades, graduation plans, current enrollments, and SAT/ACT results.
  • A product line of adaptive tutorials that offer the most supportive, interactive version of curriculum all the way down to individual topics.

This entire standardized assessment process is included for full-time students grades 2-11, may be requested for full-time seniors, and is available for purchase to part-time students upon request.

How do CPA students perform on achievement testing? For the past 8 years, assessment results have continuously shown that Calvary Preparatory Academy students are performing above the national norm in all areas tested and are making significant growth from fall to spring.

Is SAT/ACT prep offered? Most students prefer to utilize professional testing services (i.e. private companies) that specialize in SAT/ACT prep, but we do offer not-for-credit tutorial classes for SAT/ACT prep that free to our full-time upperclassmen, and $150 for freshmen and sophomores.

What is CPA’s grading policy? Calvary Preparatory Academy grades are determined by the sum total of points a student earns on all grade assignments and tests. Points earned by student/Total points possible=Grade

Example: A student earns 563/700 points possible. 563/700 = 80%

It should be noted that completing the minimum requirements merits only a “C” average grade. Students desiring “A’s” and “B’s” should strive to always go above and beyond the bare minimum requirements when completing their assignments.

Grading

  • A: Outstanding achievement, far above average, extra effort, well organized and clearly labeled, demonstrating understanding and mastery of subject matter. 90-100% accuracy. (A+ = 99-100%, A = 91-98%, A- = 90%)
  • B: Good effort, above average, demonstrates familiarity with subject matter and 80-89% accuracy. (B+ = 89%, B = 81-88%, B- = 80%)
  • C: Average, met minimum requirements, demonstrates adequate knowledge of subject matter with 70-79% accuracy. (C+ = 79%, C = 71-78%, C- = 70%)
  • D: Below average, less than the minimum requirements, work reflects little effort, assignments incomplete and some missing, work is turned in late, punctuality is a problem, 60-69% accuracy. (D+ = 69%, D = 61-68%, D- = 60%)
  • F: Failing, work is far below the requirements, reflects little or no effort, assignments incomplete or missing, demonstrates very little if no understanding of subject matter, attendance and punctuality is an issue, below 60% accuracy. (F = 0-59%)

Who corrects and grades student work? Students meet with their teachers online at the arranged times for live, virtual meetings where all parties are simultaneously engaged in their appropriate tasks. Teachers prompt students to present their completed assignments and proceed to grade the assignments live with the students. At this time, students then elaborate on their completed work and respond to prompts from the instructor. At the beginning and end of each live, virtual session, student’s grades are discussed and any missing or overdue work is handled according to school policy.

Does Calvary offer assistance for students that require a bit more academic support? What distinguishes Calvary Preparatory Academy from other providers is that our program incorporates live, one-on-one, virtual meetings between students and their credentialed teachers, so tailored academic support is built into the program. When students require more support than the once per week live meetings with their teachers, they can attend workshops in the specific subject matter, and each teacher offers “open office” hours where students can “drop in” and meet with teachers regarding any further questions they might have. Furthermore, there is an additional option to purchase tutoring with their specific teacher should you so desire.

Do you serve students with a 504 or an IEP? Our school does not have an IEP or 504 program, however we have found that the accommodations listed on an IEP are almost always already built into our program by default and available to all our students: extended time on tests and quizzes, multiple approaches to instructional materials (multi-media, scaffolding, flexible scheduling and due dates (within the week), as well as one-on-one instructional time and small group tutoring through our workshops. For additional reading, consider the following outline of resources provided in our digital curriculum by clicking here.

TUITION

What is tuition? CPA is an entirely tuition funded school, i.e. we do not receive any funds from the federal or state government or from any church. We offer discounts to students whose families are in the ministry (missionaries, pastors). Scholarships based solely on financial hardship are evaluated on a case-by-case basis; however, it should be noted that any scholarship funds available are due entirely to the generosity of our donors, and vary greatly from year to year. View our tuition page for grades 6-12 here. View our tuition for K-5 here.

Are there any sibling discounts or scholarships? In grades K-5, tuition is calculated on a “per family” basis, so whether you have one child or multiple children attending, the price is the same.

For grades 6-12, a sibling discount is not offered due to the fact that each student is assigned their own respective teacher, and meets with that teacher one-on-one each week. In other words, whereas in a brick and mortar school, an additional student in a classroom would not necessarily add additional cost for the teacher’s salary.

Can you tell me what the discount is for multiple students attending online school is? Calvary Preparatory Academy is willing to negotiate group pricing for multiple students from the same organization, such as a church or school. To initiate a discussion for group pricing please contact us.

Registration fee?

  • New Students:
    • Full-Time $175 (Non-Refundable)
    • Part-Time $50 (Non-Refundable)
    • Summer school: $50 (If continuing into the fall, this registration credit will apply to your fall registration fees (non-refundable).
  • Returning Students:
    • Full-time: From 02/01 until 03/31: $125 (non-refundable)

      • After 3/31, late registration fees required: $175 (non-refundable)
    • Part-time: $50 (non-refundable)
    • Summer school: $50 (If continuing into the fall, this registration credit will apply to your registration fees (non-refundable).

What is your refund policy? We hope you will be completely satisfied with the services and materials of Calvary Preparatory Academy. If for any reason you are not satisfied, we will refund your money based on the terms and conditions described below.

Tuition Commitment Balance: Tuition Commitments reflect the enrollment selection made by the parent guardian. Multiple payment options are available, including options for monthly installments. These are not to be confused with a monthly subscription. The tuition commitment due is either an annual amount, or single semester amount, depending on the enrollment selection made by the parent guardian, regardless of progress made on monthly installments. Any remaining tuition balance is due at the point of withdrawal, subject to the following:

  • Single semester Enrollment (Fall or Spring): If enrolled for only one semester, only one semester’s tuition is committed, subject to the terms below. If a student decides to continue into the next semester, new registration fees apply and enrollment is subject to availability.
  • Annual Enrollment (Fall & Spring Semesters): If enrolled for both semesters (annual enrollment), the annual tuition is committed subject to the terms below. There is no need to register a second time for the spring semester if enrolled annually.
  • Summer Enrollment: Summer school tuition commitments are specified below, separate from annual, or fall and spring enrollments.
  • All credit card transaction fees are not refundable.

Annual Enrollment & Fall or Spring Single Semester Enrollments:

From 7 Calendar Days Prior to Enrollment Start Date to 30 Calendar Days After Enrollment Start Date

  • Fall Semester Only Enrollment: 25% of the semester tuition is committed (non-refundable).
  • Spring Semester Only Enrollment: 25% of the semester tuition is committed (non-refundable).
  • Annual Enrollment (both fall and spring semesters): 25% of the annual tuition is committed (non-refundable).

31 Calendar Days After Enrollment Start Date

  • Fall Semester Only Enrollment: 100% of the fall tuition is committed (non-refundable) for a student enrolled for only the fall semester.
  • Spring Semester Only Enrollment: 100% of the spring tuition is committed (non-refundable) for a student enrolled for only the spring semester.
  • Annual Enrollment (both fall and spring semesters): If a student who is enrolled for both the fall and spring semesters (annual enrollment) is withdrawn after 30 days, the following applies:

    • Fall semester is due in full AND
    • Spring semester tuition is due in part, at the rate of $150 per course (e.g. $900 for six courses)

Summer School Enrollment:

From 7 Calendar Days Prior to Enrollment Start Date to 5 Calendar Days After Enrollment Start Date

  • 25% of the tuition is committed (non-refundable).

6 Calendar Days After Enrollment Start Date

  • 100% of the tuition is committed (non-refundable).

Non-Refundable Items

  • Registration Fee
  • Credit Card Transaction Fees
  • Shipping and Handling
  • Bank Charges

Why Isn’t Tuition Entirely Refundable?

Like all private schools, we are funded by tuition commitments made by our families who attend (our school is exclusively funded by tuition). In response to those commitments, we hire staff and purchase materials including curriculum, assessments, and other expenses. These expenses exist for the entire school year; even if a student decides to leave mid-year, the expenses remain. Very often, the school has had a waiting list to be enrolled and one or more students were turned aside in order to maintain a student’s seat. As a non-profit, we charge the lowest tuition possible to simply cover the expenses for each student. The 30 day withdrawal period is a period of grace that our school offers and is consistent with other private schools (some have shorter windows). Should a student withdraw, those expenses accrued as a result of the family’s tuition commitment still remain, and that is why the tuition is still due to cover those expenses. There is no other source of revenue to cover a family’s expenses other than the commitment made by the family in the Enrollment Agreement as well as the online transaction portal if paid by credit card.