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General Information:
Academics:
Socialization:
Enrollment Process:
Technology:
Other:
Any student residing in Pennsylvania may attend the K-12 program offered by PALCS. Students under the age of 21 may attend in order to finish their High School education. Information on foreign students may be found here. The PA Leadership Charter School has as its focus and mission to provide a full educational cyber school experience for students in grades K-12. These policies further the mission of the school by allowing any student to attend PALCS without regard to race, religion, sex or ethnic background or any other factor used to discriminate against groups. PALCS is a public school and as such is required to provide a free and appropriate education to any student in Pennsylvania who wishes to attend. PALCS provides at no cost:
What Special Education opportunities are available at PALCS? For some Special Education students, PALCS is the ideal school. All our teachers are trained to provide an Individual Program of Instruction for every child. This uniquely prepares them for students with IEP’s. PALCS has a full-service Special Education Division with Special Ed teachers working directly with parents / students and other regular ed teachers. PALCS can provide in home related services throughout the state to students with unique needs and does provide telephone / Internet counseling for needs that can be provided via the Internet. Please visit the Special Education section of our website for more information. You may also wish to view this informational .pdf document designed for parents, regarding Special Education in Charter Schools: http://www.palcs.org/specialed.pdf
Why might my child do better in a cyber school than in a regular brick and mortar school? Individualized pacing and scheduling PALCS is an ideal place for students who wish to advance at a pace suitable for their learning needs. Students usually have about a three-week window in which they can complete their work, allowing students to work ahead or spend extra time on assignments as necessary. This setup helps:
PALCS is not just a school for students with unusual schedules or needs. It can be a great place for any student who has a supportive Home Facilitator and would enjoy learning via the Internet. Because we have combined the best interactive curriculum with teachers on line every day, students are engaged more with the material and with their teachers than in the more traditional brick and mortar setting. This is why students may progress faster than in other settings. Health, Safety and the Home Environment PA Leadership minimizes harmful socialization. We reduce the risk of drugs, alcohol, gangs, fights, unhealthy teasing and the fear associated with an unsafe environment. Our school is optimal for students who may have trouble attending school for health reasons. PALCS is also an advantageous choice for young parents. We provide a support group for teenage parents with both an online component and, for those living near our Pittsburgh office, in-person group meetings. Cyber school provides the home-based education environment that many families value, but without the pressure of parents creating the lessons, grading the work, and doing the paperwork required by the Commonwealth in order to homeschool. Qualified, experienced teachers work over the Internet to bring the instruction right into the safety and comfort of the student's home. Parents or other guardians serve as Home Facilitators (HFs) and monitor student's progress and provide basic guidance. By eliminating time zappers – busing, changing of classes, lunch, homeroom and discipline issues – students are able to complete their schoolwork in a fraction of the time it would take to do the same work in a brick and mortar school, so families have extra time to network with their community. Students may build friendships with the faith-based community, community sports teams, neighbors and other home based learning groups.
Why attend PA Leadership Charter School? Several factors make PALCS a unique cyber school experience:
PALCS believes that good communication skills are important for effective leadership. Our program of instruction emphasizes computer skills, typing skills and writing skills from an early age. PALCS is a privately run cyber charter school, as opposed to some charter schools which are run by specific school districts What are the parent and student policies at PALCS? You may view our 2006-2007 Parent/Student Handbook here. Our 2007-2008 handbook is being updated and will be available soon.
Our school is run on a password-protected website, accessible by any computer with Internet access, anywhere in the world. You do not need any special software - just an Internet connection and a unique username and password that will be provided to every student and parent. Our unique website, referred to as the portal, was designed from the ground up to provide full interaction between students, home facilitators and teachers. The portal provides:
Is there an online time requirement?
Students are required to log on every school day – this is typically every Monday through Friday, with exceptions for holidays and in-service days. There is no set hourly time that a student must attend school. When a student logs on, attendance is recorded for the day. Then he or she should check announcements, SchoolMail, and lessons for all classes. Once lessons are complete, a student can be finished with school for the day or choose to work ahead. A student is not required to log on at any particular hour of the day, so long as he or she logs on at some point during the school day. This is particularly convenient for students who have part-time jobs. While weekends and school holidays do not make up for missed days, students may even do schoolwork on the weekend or a school holiday if he or she is behind on work or will be going on a trip. Absences work just like in a public school – excuses must be submitted by parents for missed days. The one exception to flexible online time is for multimedia chats on the web portal. These take place at a time set in advance by teachers but, in most cases, are not mandatory and are recorded for students unable to attend. Certain elective classes like journalism and foreign languages do require chat attendance, but a student will be aware of such a requirement when he or she completes course selection.
What courses are offered and what curriculum is used?
Does PALCS offer a diploma similar to other public schools?
In order to be eligible for graduation, students shall have met PA Academic Standards by earning passing grades in the following required subjects:
This is a total of 20.25 credits. We recommend all college-bound students complete 23.25 credits. Credits will be counted for courses passed in 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade. Students transferring from home school programs will be awarded credits based on previous evaluations. What is the school calendar for PALCS?
CLICK HERE to see our 2007-2008 Calendar (Adobe .pdf file.) PALCS does NOT currently offer summer courses. May students take some courses at PALCS in addition to courses at another public, private, home or charter school?
How does PALCS perform on standardized testing? As a public school, PALCS must participate in the yearly PSSAs. Information regarding our placement may be found here. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has more information about PSSAs and Adequate Yearly Progress here. What is Title 1 and does PALCS provide Title 1 services? Title I is a federally funded grant that must be used to improve the academic achievement of students at risk for failure in Reading and/or Math. The percent of PALCS families living at or below the poverty level is below 40%, therefore, PALCS has implemented a targeted assistance Title I program. Funds received from this grant may not be used to supplant services required by law. Rather, Title I funds may be used to coordinate and supplement services otherwise required for students in a Title I program. The student selection process is based entirely on the achievement level of the students, not on the income level of the students. Students are selected based upon criteria chosen by the Local Education Agency (LEA). To qualify for the Title I program students must achieve at a below proficient level in two (2) assessment criteria. These criteria for grades 3-12 must include students performing below proficient on the PSSA and may include the following: attendance/suspension, retention, report card grades, anecdotal records, teacher recommendation, and other appropriate assessments. Criteria for students in K-2 must include developmentally appropriate assessments and may include teacher recommendation, parent recommendation, anecdotal records, and other non-paper/pencil assessment tasks. The Fresh Start K-2, Moving Forward 3-6, and Continued Success 7-12 Title I Language Arts/Mathematics program is designed for children in grades K-12. The Title I program collects initial student assessment data and works collaboratively with the teacher to diagnose areas of weakness and prescribe a plan of action. The students continue to receive instruction in their regular education Math/Language Arts class with the support of the Title I teacher. Other curricular possibilities available to the Title I students include Soliloquy, Imagination Station, and PLATO. A Resource Center is being developed by the Title I team for teacher, home facilitator and student use. Parent/Home Facilitator Trainings held across the state are a very important component of the Title I Program. These trainings are in the form of workshops (live) and web chats. They cover topics such as organization of the cyber student, use of technology and enhancing academic skills. How do I get my transcript from PALCS? The transcript request form is available here. What opportunities does PALCS provide for students to interact?
Students at PALCS are participating in interactive learning every day. They interact with the curriculum, teachers and their classmates in a digital medium. Grade level-based open chats (as opposed to subject-based educational chats) are hosted for students roughly once a month in the multimedia classrooms so students can talk freely to their peers. PALCS holds exciting and educational monthly field trips and events for students. Some examples of field trips we have held or are currently planning:
Regional activity coordinators in various parts of the state will organize events for students state-wide that will be conveniently located. Additionally, home facilitators are encouraged to enhance a student's learning experience by having them participate in community activities – sports, youth groups, extra-curricular activities, volunteering, jobs, etc. May PALCS students participate in local school district extra curricular activities? Yes, according to BEC 24 P.S. § 17-1719-A (14,) students are permitted to participate in extracurricular activities offered by their home school district provided that they are not offered by PALCS. Students must comply with the policies and meet the specific eligibility requirements established by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Students who are members of a sports team with their home school district must continue to meet grade requirements to be part of the team. Coaches needing academic information from PALCS must make a request in writing to the Student Services Director and provide their e-mail addresses. PALCS will only notify the home district when grades fall below a "C." Weekly updates cannot be accommodated. Whenever possible, PALCS will assist students and parents to secure the opportunity to participate in the extracurricular activities for which they are eligible. What is the enrollment process? Please visit our admissions page for complete information. How long must I wait to enroll?
After the school receives the completed enrollment forms, students may be enrolled. Students are not officially enrolled in PALCS until after an orientation has been completed. In order to avoid truancy, a student must remain in attendance at his or her current school until the orientation date. Online classes may be activated immediately. Textbooks may take days / weeks to arrive depending on availability. PALCS has agreements with IBM, HP and NCS to provide computers to the school. Many students go home with computers upon leaving the orientation. If a school computer is not available, students may use a home computer. Computers may be shipped within days if immediately available and may be shipped within weeks if they need to be ordered from the manufacturer. Does the parent have to notify the local school district that their student is enrolled in PALCS?
Within 15 days of enrollment, both the parent/guardian and the cyber charter school shall notify the student's school district of residence of the enrollment through the enrollment notification form, included in the enrollment packet. PALCS does not request student records (transcripts, medical records) from your former school until after a student is enrolled. As these documents are required for the enrollment packet, families should contact the school and request these documents before beginning the enrollment process.
Do I have to travel to the office? Students complete all schoolwork from home, so office trips are not often necessary. However, there are two situations that we request your presence in a location other than your home:
Though optional, PALCS offers many field trips and activities that you may wish to attend. Transportation will often have to be provided by the family, though we have divided the state into six regions to provide interactive opportunities for all students
What kind of computer / equipment is provided?
The school warranties the computer / equipment for normal wear and tear. Parents are responsible for paper / print cartridges and damage to the computer for software not provided by the school. Parents may purchase the computer for the market price after the student’s third year at the school. Students who withdraw from PALCS must return all equipment / textbooks to the school. PALCS will provide a transportation carrier contract to enable the parent to return this equipment / material with no cost to the parent. If I do not know much about computers, can I effectively serve as the Home Facilitator?
PALCS provides detailed instruction on how to set up the school computer and has a phone Help Desk to answer any questions. An online tutorial and FAQs are constantly available to explain how the school works. The PALCS Help Desk and Student Services are available from 9 AM - 4 PM daily (sometimes earlier and later) to answer any questions you might have. Teachers are also available daily to help explain classroom material. Can religious studies be provided?
What opportunities for participation are there for parents beyond the Home Facilitator?
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Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School | A Unique Online Cyber Charter School Experience
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