Student Handbook
Admissions + Enrollment.
All students interested in taking a class from Educational Advantage must first submit an enrollment application. During that enrollment application students can request the course(s) they want to take from Educational Advantage.
Digital Literacy.
A basic level of digital literacy is expected when taking an online course. Students are required to own or have consistent access to a computer with reliable internet service. Students may be required to download software/media players and should be able to navigate the internet with relative ease. If students do not have a word processing program, they may set up a free Gmail account and use the Google platform (Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc.).
Attendance.
The advantage of online learning is that students can access their course 24/7 and can work when it’s most convenient. In that regard, attendance is not taken on a daily basis. This does not mean that students shouldn’t work consistently or that student progress is not monitored by our teachers and staff. Teachers view student activity often and will make contact (via email or phone) if students fail to progress at a reasonable pace or become inactive for a prolonged period of time.
Course Expiration.
Courses are set to expire approximately 4.5 months after the date of enrollment. All assignments, quizzes, and exams auto-assign due dates that create a guideline for course complete based on the expiration date. These dates serve as a great way to pace course progress. Keep in mind that there is not a penalty for missing a deadline.
If students need more time to complete their course, a course extension form can be submitted on our website. There is a non-refundable course extension fee of $125. This adds three months to the life of your course. Course extensions must be received before the course expires and will not awarded if the Ready Assignment for the final exam has already been submitted. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Withdrawal.
Students will be permitted to withdraw from a course within 10 days of enrollment and/or unless a final exam has been requested. If withdraw from a course is requested within 10 days of enrollment, a 50% credit towards a new course, less administrative fees (no refund). After 10 days, no credit will be issued. Students who fail to complete courses before the course expires will not receive credit.
External Credit.
If a student plans to transfer the credit taken from Educational Advantage to another school, it is the student’s responsibility to verify that their class will be accepted. This approval should happen before course enrollment/purchase. We are happy to help with this process, and even request the school/counselors contact information on the enrollment application.
Resubmission.
You are allowed to request one re-take on every assignment, quiz, and exam. To request a resubmission, you are required to complete a Resubmission form on our school site. There is a fee for resubmissions ($10 for quizzes/assignments; $20 for exams). The last grade is the one that remains, even if it’s a lower grade than your previous score.
Please Note: You are required to pass the final exam to earn credit. If you fail the final exam twice, you may submit a petition on our school website where you are asked to write an essay about why you deserve a third attempt. This petition must be received within two business days of the failed exam. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Exams.
All courses have exams. Before an exam can be requested, all assignments must be completed and graded. Student are not eligible to re-submit an assignment or quiz after their exam has been taken. Any assignments or assessments that have not been submitted will be given a zero.
Students are required to complete a Ready Assignment prior to taking an exam in order to review exam policies and also identify when the student wants to take the exam. Students must take the exam at EA or with an EA certified proctor, meaning they cannot take the test at home, but must go to EA or to a facility where an approved person serves as a proctor on behalf of Educational Advantage.
Exams may be a combination of computer and teacher graded portions, and will be graded within three business days of completion.
Plagiarism + Academic Integrity.
Plagiarism is the act of copying another’s work and passing it off as your own. This also includes failure to properly cite or credit an external source.
Academic integrity means that students respect the ideas of others through proper citation. It also means that students are completing their own work and aren’t sharing or purchasing answers or assignments with other students.
Either form of dishonesty will be penalized with a failing grade on the assignment, academic probation, and possible withdrawal from the course. If you feel that you have been wrongfully accused of plagiarizing, you may file a petition through our website. Petitions will be processed within 7-10 business days of submission.
Diploma Eligibility
In order to be eligible to graduate from Educational Advantage, students must complete six full credits (25% of graduation requirements). At least two of these classes must be taken before 12th grade. Students who wish to earn a diploma from Educational Advantage also must graduate within a traditional four year timeline. Student are given until Labor Day of their graduating year to earn a high school diploma; after that cut off, students will earn an “Adult Education” diploma.
Course Completion.
All courses are semester based and are equal to a half (.5) credit. Courses are organized by lesson or unit, and may include assignments, quizzes, projects, and exams. Each course is designed and paced to complete in a maximum time frame of 4.5 months, though students may work at a faster pace (students may also purchase a course extension which adds three months to the length of their course). Failure to make consistent progress in a course will alert the teacher and consequently start a conversation to discuss student activity, needed support, and/or any barriers to success.
Transcripts.
Notice of course completion will be sent electronically to the student and parent/guardian on file. In the event that students are transferring credit to another institution, a formal transcript must be requested by filling out a Transcript Request Form on our school website. Transcript requests typically take 3-5 business days to process and are sent electronically.
Student Expectations.
Students are expected to adhere to all policies in the Student Handbook as well as information covered in the Orientation course and individual course syllabi. In addition, students are expected to abide by the following:
- Treat others with respect.
- Self-advocate! We are here to help and support you as a student of our school.
- Manage time efficiently.
- Work hard.
- Be honest.
Individualization.
We understand and embrace the fact that each student has different strengths and weaknesses. We encourage all students to share any formal accommodations (IEP or 504), information about their learning style, or other circumstances that might require additional support.
Educational Advantage supports a model of blended learning whereby a student has the flexibility of an online course while also working in person with a highly qualified teacher to provide instruction and support. This setup allows our teachers to better get to know and provide instruction to our students.
IEP or 504.
And IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) and/or 504 are established to ensure that students who meet specific requirements receive specialized instruction and/or services.
So that we can honor accommodations established through a student’s IEP or 504, we may request a copy of these documents.
Internet Safety.
Internet safety includes refraining from accessing unauthorized content or disclosure of information, transmitting inappropriate content, hacking, etc. Disciplinary action will be taken upon the first offense and may include course withdrawal, suspension, or expulsion.
Student Success Plan.
At the beginning of every class you are required to submit a Student Success Plan where you will define goals for course completion and discuss any obstacles that may prevent the achievement of those goals. This plan will be submitted to your teacher(s) and reviewed often to ensure that you are on track. You can edit this Student Success Plan at any time simply be re-submitting it.
Petition.
In the event that you wish to contest any area of your learning experience, a formal petition form must be submitted. Petitions forms are submitted electronically through our school website. Petitions are generally processed within 7-10 business days after they’re submitted.
Materials.
Course lesson content is available online and all assignments are submitted online. Some courses may require added resources like a novel or Gmail account. All required materials are listed in our course catalog and in the course introduction.
Academic Acceleration.
Courses are active for 4.5 months from the date of enrollment, however it is possible to complete the courses in a shorter amount of time.
Standardized Tests.
As a private institution with a majority population that does not attend EA full-time (thereby participating in the standardized testing in their school system), we do not require our students to take formal standardized tests. We do, however, strongly encourage our students to take the ACT in 11th and/or 12th grade. This test is timed and is comprised of four sections: English, reading, math, and science with an optional writing section. The ACT is required by most colleges/universities for admissions. The SAT may also be required depending on the school.
High School Graduation Requirements
The following are graduation requirements for students seeking to graduate from Educational Advantage:
Standard Diploma
(4) English
(3) Math
(3) Science
(3) Social Studies
(1.5) Fine Arts
(1) CTE (career + technical education)
(.5) Digital Studies
(.5) Financial Literacy
(.5) Health
(1.5) PE
(5.5) Electives
TOTAL: 24 credits
Advanced Diploma
(4) English
(4) Math
(3) Science
(4) Social Studies
(1.5) Fine Arts
(1) CTE (career + technical education)
(.5) Digital Studies
(.5) Financial Literacy
(.5) Health
(1.5) PE
(6.5) Electives
TOTAL: 26 credits
*Please note: these may not be the same graduation requirements at your school
Students who wish to earn a diploma from Educational Advantage also must graduate within a traditional four year timeline. Student are given until Labor Day of their graduating year to earn a high school diploma; after that cut off, students will earn an “Adult Education” diploma.
Feedback.
We love hearing from our students! Whether voicing a complaint, applauding a teacher, or suggesting a new course, we want to hear what our students and parents have to say. Comments can be shared via our school website 24/7 or can email us at info@educationaladvantage.com.
Students will take surveys as part of their course, and parents will get periodic surveys as well!
Technical Support.
If a student needs technical support, there are a few different ways to get help: submit a contact form on our school website, email the teacher (through the communication tool in your course), and/or call a member of our administrative staff. We realize that technical glitches can be very frustrating and may temporarily prevent you from working on your courses. We take all technical matters seriously and strive to remedy them as quickly as possible.
Digital Safety + Cyber-bullying.
Cyber-bullying involves abusive and/or humiliating acts bestowed on another individual electronically, for instance via email or social networking sites. Cyber-bullying will not be tolerated and should be reported to the teacher, administrator, and/or director immediately. Students who are aware of cyber-bullying but who may not be directly involved should still report violations. Students involved in cyber-bullying may be subject to disciplinary action, suspension, and possible expulsion. Formal legal charges may also be filed.
Bullying and hazing involve abusive and/or humiliating acts bestowed on another individual and both are against the law. No kind of bullying and/or hazing will be tolerated and should be reported to the teacher, administrator, and/or director immediately. Students involved in bullying and/or hazing may be subject to disciplinary action, suspension, and possible expulsion. Formal legal charges may also be filed.
Harassment.
Forms of harassment include: the act of making physical and/or sexual advances, exerting pressure, or engaging in unwanted touching or other behavior, using obscene gestures, explicit and offensive language including teasing, joking, or innuendos, direct and offensive comments, jokes, or innuendos regarding the race, ethnicity, religion, gender, culture, or sexual preference of another individual.
No kind of harassment will be tolerated and should be reported to the teacher, administrator, and/or director immediately. Students involved in harassment may be subject to disciplinary action, suspension, and possible expulsion. Formal legal charges may also be filed.
Retaliation.
Any form of retaliation, including but not limited to intimidation, harassment, or reprisal should be reported to the teacher, administrator, and/or director at first offense. Parties involved may be subject to disciplinary action, suspension, and possible expulsion. Formal legal charges may also be filed.
Student Collaboration.
Students may have the opportunity to work collaboratively via message boards, summer trips, and if attending our Tutoring/Blended Learning Center.
Parent/Guardian Involvement.
We encourage parents/guardians to make a habit of monitoring their students’ progress. This can be done by logging into their account, communicating with the teacher and/or administration, and participating in the goal setting exercise at the beginning of each course (Student Success Plan). We have found that students who have a caring adult who is interested in their academic success typically earn better grades and complete their courses in the designated time frame. We appreciate any and all parent/guardian support!
Students who attend Educational Advantage in person will also receive emails after every session to the parent/guardian on file to detail what the student learned, worked on, and how they are pacing in their course overall (as well as any homework).
Technology Requirements.
Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari
Software Installations: Adobe Flashplayer, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Quicktime Player
Payment + Fees.
- Course fees: Each semester course is $250.
- Course extension, transcript requests, and lesson/exam resubmission incur additional fees