Texas Virtual Academy vs Texas Online Preparatory School

[Guest momsince00]

Texas Virtual Academy and Texas Online Preparatory School are virtual public schools in Texas which use the K12 curriculum. TXVA has been around for quite a while now, but TOPS is fairly new. My daughter will be doing public school online starting in the fall for middle school (6th grade). I am undecided between the two schools and there is not much information out there from people who are familiar with both. 

 

Is anyone here familiar with these schools that you can give me impressions so that I can make an informed decision?

 

Thank you so much!

[Tidbits of Learning]

I am not familiar with the TX schools, but will tell you virtual academy's are normally more strict and rigid.  The Prep School is most likely a private school utilizing k12 to gain more funds for a private brick and mortar school.  At least, that is the way it is in my state.  The virtual academy is public school online and the laboratory school is a private school that provides k12 for free to students in the state but they have more freedom on choosing how to implement k12 and on what they require for admission.  In our state, I have tried both virtual academy and lab school and like the lab school much better.

[Lanny]

I would like to provide you with another possible option for your DD.  If we had been Texas residents, 3 years ago, when we were looking for 6th grade for our DD, I would have applied for the Texarkana ISD Virtual Academy.  My gut feeling is that if it is run by a school district like that, you are more likely to have support that so many people I have read about who have used free K12 courses paid for by their state have not received. Here is the URL and GL to your DD!   http://www.txkisd.net/campuses/tisdvirtualacademy.asp

[Ellie]

I would like to provide you with another possible option for your DD.  If we had been Texas residents, 3 years ago, when we were looking for 6th grade for our DD, I would have applied for the Texarkana ISD Virtual Academy.  My gut feeling is that if it is run by a school district like that, you are more likely to have support that so many people I have read about who have used free K12 courses paid for by their state have not received. Here is the URL and GL to your DD!   http://www.txkisd.net/campuses/tisdvirtualacademy.asp

 

I have never heard that people whose dc are enrolled in public school programs feel a lack of support, but that they are overwhelmed by the amount of accountability required--testing, logging time, more testing, and so on. It doesn't matter whether the Internet-based public charter school is through a local district or not; because it is a public school, there are still requirements for attendance and testing and everything.

[Butter]

I am not familiar with the TX schools, but will tell you virtual academy's are normally more strict and rigid.  The Prep School is most likely a private school utilizing k12 to gain more funds for a private brick and mortar school.  At least, that is the way it is in my state.  The virtual academy is public school online and the laboratory school is a private school that provides k12 for free to students in the state but they have more freedom on choosing how to implement k12 and on what they require for admission.  In our state, I have tried both virtual academy and lab school and like the lab school much better.

 

No, this is not the case.  TOPS and TVA are, basically, identical.  The biggest difference is in order to get into TOPS if you have already completed 3rd+ you have to have achieved a certain level of a score on the STAAR test.  TOPS says you can go at your own pace and complete more than one grade per year through 8th, but that is not realistic given the amount of time they require for test prep.  They are hyper-focused on testing.  As far as the curriculum and how they implement K12 there is no difference between the two virtual schools.  My friend's son did TOPS this year for 4th grade.  She loves virtual schools and K12.  In another state, she was a K12 teacher.  She HATED TOPS.  She added it all up and if they did all the "required" stuff it would take 10 hours a day.  She told the teacher flat out that wasn't going to happen.

[Lanny]

I have never heard that people whose dc are enrolled in public school programs feel a lack of support, but that they are overwhelmed by the amount of accountability required--testing, logging time, more testing, and so on. It doesn't matter whether the Internet-based public charter school is through a local district or not; because it is a public school, there are still requirements for attendance and testing and everything.

 

Ellie I have read many reviews, probably here on WTM and on HomeSchoolReviews, written by people whose DC, or, written by the student, where they found it almost impossible to get any help/support from the teachers and staff of K12 schools paid for by their state. I am certain that varies, with the state and also with the individual school.   

[Ellie]

Ellie I have read many reviews, probably here on WTM and on HomeSchoolReviews, written by people whose DC, or, written by the student, where they found it almost impossible to get any help/support from the teachers and staff of K12 schools paid for by their state. I am certain that varies, with the state and also with the individual school.   

 

Oh, you could be right on that. Possibly those comments were also part of the ones I read about the massive accountability. :-)