WA state friends: Columbia Virtual Academy questions....

[Beth in SW WA]

Does anyone here participate in the Custom Program?

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Rosy]

I do--it has been a terrific experience for my family, with very little invasiveness. I've heard of the occasional bad experience, but I've had good communication with my advisory teacher and the small amount of time we've had to spend checking in has been worth it for the activities my kids have been able to participate in and the access to materials that we wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise. Feel free to ask (here or by PM) if you have any questions!

[Beth in SW WA]

Thank you, Rosy! :001_smile:

[elinnea]

We love it. There is a fair bit of paperwork but it's not too bad. The kids have to check in with their advisory teacher once a week and I have to write a monthly review for each child but that's pretty much it. We like having access to curriculum and other learning opportunities that we wouldn't normally be able to afford.

[Oakblossoms]

We love, love, love it. Last year was our best year homeschooling yet.

 

I make our plans.

They purchase our curriculum and supplies. They don't purchase religious curriculum. But, we have done just fine. They do pay for fun stuff like music lessons, the ymca, zoo and museum memberships.

 

To get started there is a chunk of paperwork per child. But, after that it's not so much. Once a month I do a report for each child and each subject. I just keep track of what goals they hit and what they do as we go. Once a week they each email their teacher to tell her what they have done. My blog has some of their reports.

[Beth in SW WA]

Thank you!

[Beth in SW WA]

Do you CVA'ers have any thoughts on the email from Keith that was sent yesterday?

 

What does this mean?

 

Thanks!

[joannqn]

If you click the link in my signature to my blog and look for the Columbia Virtual Academy label in my left sidebar, you'll find all of my past posts about CVA. I've written a few long, detailed posts about it.

 

I suspect the changes coming out this year will have a significant change to how the program is implemented. I know a lot of people are freaking out over it, some will drop out immediately without giving CVA a chance. I'm a bit more concerned after seeing yesterday's email; however, I haven't decided to leave the program without giving them a chance. CVA has always been on the homeschooler's side, doing the best to help us within the confines of the law. They were audited this year. The state tried to drop programs like CVA completely out of the budget. They've managed to get the state to keep the budget for ale programs but they'll have to make changes to convince them it's worth keeping in the budget. I believe they'll do the best to make it good for us while doing that. I've decided to take a wait and see approach and evaluate later. I do expect it will change how I use the allocation, though.

[Tap]

My consultant and I talked about these changes that were coming at the end of last year. She wasn't sure exactly what was coming but that one thing was definitely going to change. There wouldn't be a set dollar amount for each child. One thing they wanted to get away from was having families trying to spend every last penny of the money, whether they needed things or not. It sounds like they are going to remove the limit but with doing so, are going to want to see how things meet the educational goals w/o a final dollar amount in mind. Part of this, is using materials in CVAs library more.

 

This probably means they are going to get stricter about things getting returned to CVA than they were in the past.

 

I think it will open up more options for using CBIs, especially if there isn't the 1200 dollar limit.

 

We plan to stay if we homeschool this year. We have really enjoyed our consultant in the past (Ruthana) and have become friends over the past 2 years. The requirements are very easy to meet, and the extra $$ has been welcomed. We already planned to use more CBIs this year, so the change won't be too hard to accept.

[Beth in SW WA]

Thanks, Cheryl! Coffee this week?? Thanks for the text!

[FairProspects]

I was wondering about this after the email too. This is our first year enrolled with them, so I'm not sure how it will work. Will we still have access to funds for lessons, etc.? And will they pay for entrance fees to field trip locations or will we have to go on the "free" days?

[Tap]

I was wondering about this after the email too. This is our first year enrolled with them, so I'm not sure how it will work. Will we still have access to funds for lessons, etc.? And will they pay for entrance fees to field trip locations or will we have to go on the "free" days?

 

From the letter:CVA will continue to fund student and chaperone entrance fees for approved family-planned field trips, as well as CBI fees, provided they support written student learning plan goals.

 

 

 

Curriculum allocation model going away - instead budgets will be handled internally, allowing teachers and families to focus on curricular excellence.

 

No more field trip reimbursement for personal mileage and lodging - instead provide a wide array of CVA-sponsored field trips completely free of charge for students and qualifying parent/guardian/chaperones.

 

Library Management System phased in during the year, which will replace vendor ordering. Families can browse the catalog and check out materials or request that the library stock materials not listed. No more paperwork headaches. Quick, easy and efficient.

[Rosy]

I called Keith yesterday--I had submitted some pre-orders for books for the coming school year, and I wanted to make sure they were going to be filled (since we're starting school on Monday!!). He called me back within 20 min. and explained that yes, the vendor orders will still be filled, and that we can still order the materials we want to use, but it'll go through the library rather than our advisory teachers. Also, that the CBI program will not change, and if the $$ limit is truly going away (and there isn't someone there determining whether or not we "need" more swim lessons to meet our SLP goals), it might be even better this year.

 

I'm disappointed with the field trips (though I understand the need for putting limits on what people consider a "field trip"). I don't know that any of the CVA-planned trips will be a good fit for our family. One of the highlights of our year last year was a trip to Yellowstone--we had free lodging but got reimbursement for mileage and park entry fees. My kids probably learned more from that trip than all the hours we spent at home with our books.

 

I'm going to stick it out for the year and see how the actual implementation of this new model goes. I have looked into other programs in the past and not come away confident that they know what they're doing--most of them seem to have been formed as a reaction to CVA, though I do have some friends that use OASIS and have nothing but positive things to say.

[joannqn]

Internally, they will still be shooting for approximately $1200 per student, knowing that some students will go over and some will go under. Personally, I'd try to keep that in mind and not try to go way overboard. They will be looking curriculum and CBI lessons that support your learning plan...so be careful how you write those. The teacher and parent should be working together to determine how to best meet the SLP goals in a reasonable manner. If you are asking for a third art class, they may suggest that the ones you are already taking meet the SLP goals and that you pay for the third class out of pocket.

 

If you are a returning student, they will look back at last year's SLP and progress to assist in making these decisions.

 

They will be using their internal library more. When you request curriculum, they will see if they have it already before ordering new. We won't be limited to only what they have in the library. Textbooks, which were previously consumables, are now assets. However, you can still highlight and mark in them as you normally would. They would still ask that the textbook be returned when you are finished with it because they have to process those old textbooks the same way public schools do. This means that we may be shipped a marked up book when we order. If you need a clean copy, state that when requesting. Hopefully, they will be able to honor those requests (I hate marked up books). The library curriculum come with a due date of the end of the school year; however, we will be allowed to keep the books until we are finished with them or we leave CVA. If you expect to use the book again with the same student or future students, keep it.

[joannqn]

I'm disappointed with the field trips (though I understand the need for putting limits on what people consider a "field trip"). I don't know that any of the CVA-planned trips will be a good fit for our family. One of the highlights of our year last year was a trip to Yellowstone--we had free lodging but got reimbursement for mileage and park entry fees. My kids probably learned more from that trip than all the hours we spent at home with our books.

 

Unfortunately, I think parents screwed this one up for us all. The field trips are suppose to support the learning plan but parents were making the learning plan fit the field trips. Parents were going to Great Wolf Lodge to support swimming goals. While it was allowed, I see that as a family vacation and stretching the definition of field trip considerable. Earlier this summer, a friend told me about another friend she has who went to visit her mother in California and called it a field trip by making a couple stops along the way. This latter one is a big no-no. I think the auditor probably looked at some of these trips and didn't care for it.

 

CVA, and all other ale programs, almost lost their funding entirely this year. If they are going to convince the legislatures to keep ale programs, CVA is going to have to align their policies more like public schools. They are still trying to be a flexible as they possibly can though. I believe CVA is on our side as much as they can be.

[elinnea]

Some of the changes sound like they could be good (utilizing more of what they have in their library) but I have to admit I'm a bit anxious about the other changes. I tried calling today to ask some questions but they haven't gotten back to me yet.

 

Does anyone know whether art supplies/ school supplies will still be funded?

[joannqn]

Some of the changes sound like they could be good (utilizing more of what they have in their library) but I have to admit I'm a bit anxious about the other changes. I tried calling today to ask some questions but they haven't gotten back to me yet.

 

Does anyone know whether art supplies/ school supplies will still be funded?

 

 

There is only one AT on staff during the summer so it can take a while to get a call back.

 

Yes, school and art supplies will be funded as long as they are in support of the learning plan. They need to be ordered after the teachers return on August 23rd. Only core subject curriculum can be ordered before the start of the year.

[elinnea]

Only core subject curriculum can be ordered before the start of the year.

 

How do I do this? Just fax my order to the main office? Last year was our first year and we had to wait until we had our SLP approved to order anything. I guess I just assumed it was the same every year. It would be much more practical to have everything beforehand though.

[Beth in SW WA]

I'm hoping for art class, piano lessons, Spanish tutor, swimming lessons & membership fees for local museum, zoo, OMSI, etc.

 

I will have 3 students registered.

 

Does that sound reasonable?

 

I don't need curriculum. In fact, I don't 'need' anything -- but it sure is nice to know that we will benefit somehow from the taxes we pay which are allocated to the public schools.

[joannqn]

How do I do this? Just fax my order to the main office? Last year was our first year and we had to wait until we had our SLP approved to order anything. I guess I just assumed it was the same every year. It would be much more practical to have everything beforehand though.

 

 

Yes, just fax or mail in your orders. You send in orders starting July 1st each year, though they don't start ordering until July 15th. The reason you can only do core curriculum is because it is based on the basic preloaded SLP; they assume everyone will be doing language arts, math, science, and social studies.

[Rosy]

Unfortunately, I think parents screwed this one up for us all. The field trips are suppose to support the learning plan but parents were making the learning plan fit the field trips. Parents were going to Great Wolf Lodge to support swimming goals. While it was allowed, I see that as a family vacation and stretching the definition of field trip considerable. Earlier this summer, a friend told me about another friend she has who went to visit her mother in California and called it a field trip by making a couple stops along the way. This latter one is a big no-no. I think the auditor probably looked at some of these trips and didn't care for it.

 

CVA, and all other ale programs, almost lost their funding entirely this year. If they are going to convince the legislatures to keep ale programs, CVA is going to have to align their policies more like public schools. They are still trying to be a flexible as they possibly can though. I believe CVA is on our side as much as they can be.

 

Yeah, I understand why they need to do it, it is disappointing though. But really, who else gets to travel on the school district's dime? My friend who teaches 4th grade can't do any field trips that require use of the bus. So I'm grateful for what they're able to offer.

 

I believe they're on our side too, for the most part. My concern, though, is that I haven't had much success communicating with the administrative staff. My advisory teacher is great--she always answers my emails within a day or two, and phone calls even sooner. But with the administrative staff overseeing more of what we're doing, I'm wondering what that will do for their communication issues. For example, I sent my pre-orders in early. I followed up more than once. I got an email saying they would be processed after all paperwork was due (the 21st was the date I was given). Then today, I got an email that said they just faxed it this afternoon. If they'd told me at the beginning of all of this that they'd be faxing pre-orders in early Aug, I would have been fine. Now I'm a little stressed because we were planning to start next week and I don't have all my books. :glare: So if my dealings with the administrative staff go better this year, I'll consider staying. The other programs I've looked into seem....reckless. Like they are trying to appeal to CVA-haters, rather than just running a quality program.

[joannqn]

I believe they're on our side too, for the most part. My concern, though, is that I haven't had much success communicating with the administrative staff. My advisory teacher is great--she always answers my emails within a day or two, and phone calls even sooner. But with the administrative staff overseeing more of what we're doing, I'm wondering what that will do for their communication issues. For example, I sent my pre-orders in early. I followed up more than once. I got an email saying they would be processed after all paperwork was due (the 21st was the date I was given). Then today, I got an email that said they just faxed it this afternoon. If they'd told me at the beginning of all of this that they'd be faxing pre-orders in early Aug, I would have been fine. Now I'm a little stressed because we were planning to start next week and I don't have all my books. :glare: So if my dealings with the administrative staff go better this year, I'll consider staying. The other programs I've looked into seem....reckless. Like they are trying to appeal to CVA-haters, rather than just running a quality program.

 

 

Ah, they run on a skeleton crew through the summer so response time is slow. It's a lot better during the school year.

 

With time, experience, and asking a lot of questions, you learn how to work the system to your advantage. For example, I know that returning students can buy curriculum at the WHO Convention if they have preapproval. I got preapproval for a majority of my curriculum so I was there buying what I needed. The only thing I didn't get there was the consumables for my history (Peacehill Press wasn't there so the student pages and test pages weren't available), art supplies, and science supplies. I had approval to get the art supplies but I changed plans, and my preapproval was specific to the old curriculum I was planning on using. Of course, all of that was out of pocket until I get reimbursement in November.

[joannqn]

I'm hoping for art class, piano lessons, Spanish tutor, swimming lessons & membership fees for local museum, zoo, OMSI, etc.

 

I will have 3 students registered.

 

Does that sound reasonable?

 

I don't need curriculum. In fact, I don't 'need' anything -- but it sure is nice to know that we will benefit somehow from the taxes we pay which are allocated to the public schools.

 

 

In the past, they have only covered memberships if the cost of membership was cheaper than a visit. I don't know if the changes this year will affect memberships.

 

You'll have to discuss it with your teacher when they come back as all decisions will have to go through them. It sounds like it will be student by student and based specifically on the student's goals.

[Create Your Ritual]

This is our first year with CVA. We haven't been assigned a teacher yet, nor been able to place our curriculum orders, but I am told it will be this week. I've been enrolled since May, so I am REALLY anxious to get started with everything. I am keeping an open mind about the program, but definitely DO NOT like the sounds of marked up text books or older versions given because that is what they have in the library. So, we will see. ;-)

[elinnea]

Ah, they run on a skeleton crew through the summer so response time is slow. It's a lot better during the school year.

 

With time, experience, and asking a lot of questions, you learn how to work the system to your advantage. For example, I know that returning students can buy curriculum at the WHO Convention if they have preapproval. I got preapproval for a majority of my curriculum so I was there buying what I needed. The only thing I didn't get there was the consumables for my history (Peacehill Press wasn't there so the student pages and test pages weren't available), art supplies, and science supplies. I had approval to get the art supplies but I changed plans, and my preapproval was specific to the old curriculum I was planning on using. Of course, all of that was out of pocket until I get reimbursement in November.

 

Argh! I wish I had known that. I guess I haven't been asking enough questions or the right ones.

[joannqn]

This is our first year with CVA. We haven't been assigned a teacher yet, nor been able to place our curriculum orders, but I am told it will be this week. I've been enrolled since May, so I am REALLY anxious to get started with everything. I am keeping an open mind about the program, but definitely DO NOT like the sounds of marked up text books or older versions given because that is what they have in the library. So, we will see. ;-)

 

I don't think they will make you use an older version unless that's what you want. I expressed the concern over marked up textbooks because I like clean copies; I hate dealing with marks in books, even my own. I keep wanting to buy new Bibles because, darn it, I wrote and highlighted in mine and it's driving me nuts. I was told I could request a clean book.

[joannqn]

Argh! I wish I had known that. I guess I haven't been asking enough questions or the right ones.

 

It really does take asking a lot of questions. I've spent hours on the phone with various people over the years. This is our fourth year. Lately, I've been asking questions for other people, or questions I anticipate will be asked, because I'm contacted fairly frequently by people who find my blog in a google search for cva.

[Rosy]

Actually, I've had my share of communication problems during the school year, too. My AT is the only one who answers me promptly.

 

That's good to know about the WHO convention, though! I'll keep that in mind for next year...if that's still an option.

[elinnea]

It really does take asking a lot of questions. I've spent hours on the phone with various people over the years. This is our fourth year. Lately, I've been asking questions for other people, or questions I anticipate will be asked, because I'm contacted fairly frequently by people who find my blog in a google search for cva.

 

I guess part of my problem was that last year was our first year so I wasn't familiar with the system yet. Also it was my AT's first year too. My AT was always really good at getting back to me but I felt that sometimes my questions weren't really answered satisfactorily.

 

Who do you usually ask? Your AT or someone else?

 

Additionally if we're allowed to pre-order curriculum it would be nice if that were common knowledge. Ideally it would be wonderful to be able to submit our SLPs for the coming year in June or so and be able to order the materials so we have the summer to plan and are ready to go when school starts.

[RamonaQ]

 

I believe they're on our side too, for the most part. My concern, though, is that I haven't had much success communicating with the administrative staff. My advisory teacher is great--she always answers my emails within a day or two, and phone calls even sooner. But with the administrative staff overseeing more of what we're doing, I'm wondering what that will do for their communication issues. For example, I sent my pre-orders in early. I followed up more than once. I got an email saying they would be processed after all paperwork was due (the 21st was the date I was given). Then today, I got an email that said they just faxed it this afternoon. If they'd told me at the beginning of all of this that they'd be faxing pre-orders in early Aug, I would have been fine. Now I'm a little stressed because we were planning to start next week and I don't have all my books. :glare: So if my dealings with the administrative staff go better this year, I'll consider staying. The other programs I've looked into seem....reckless. Like they are trying to appeal to CVA-haters, rather than just running a quality program.

 

We have been with CVA for 5 years. Honestly, your experience pretty much matches what I would expect. We adore our advisory teacher, and "put up" with some of the less-than-efficient ways. I generally expect to be a micro-manager in these situations. I can understand that others may not be willing to do this.

 

I am not, in the least, concerned about the upcoming changes. I always write a strong learning plan with carefully linked expenditures, along with having a good, strong communication with our advisory teacher. Frankly, if this helps CVA, or ALE programs, remain a viable public alternative, I am more than willing to support this.

 

Personally, I welcome greater access to materials from the library. It has always been frustrating to me that I could not figure out what was available. I think it can be an asset to our learning, especially as my children discover new ideas that interest them.

 

We stay with CVA because our advisory teacher has been a strong advocate-- truly going over and above all expectations to support our home learning. Likewise, the ability to use high quality resources that meet the unique needs of our individual children has pulled me through much of the annoyance of dealing with the system.

Edited August 5, 2010 by RamonaQ

[joannqn]

I love my current AT. She's great at getting back to me right away, and if she doesn't have the answer, she checks in with me to let me know she's still working on it. Even her first year (my second), she did this.

 

On the other hand, our first AT drove me nuts. I finally got tired of it and emailed the principal, who replied to me very quickly. He listened to my complaints and gave me the option to get a new AT immediately or the next year. Since there were only 2 months left, I told him I could wait and get a new one.

 

I don't hesitate to go above my AT's head if I need to. I've spent time on the phone with LaLee, who handles the testing, talking about the test in detail (not just scheduling it). I've spent time talking to the library person (her name is escaping me at the moment), and got different answers than I did from my AT. I've talked to two principals at length as well. It all depends on the situation.

 

Here is my preapproval list for WHO purchases. You can see I got approval for more than just core classes.

 

Michael Clay Thompson’s Level 3: Basic Homechool Package (consists of Grammar Voyage TM, Caesar’s English II TM, World of Poetry TM, and Practice Voyage student book)

Michael Clay Thompson’s Practice Town

Institute for Excellence in Writing US History Based Writing Lessons, Vol. 1: Explorers to the Gold Rush (Teacher/Student Combo)

Institute for Excellence in Writing US History Based Writing Lessons, Vol. 1: Explorers to the Gold Rush (Student pages only)

Story of the World Vol. 3 Combo pack (Paperback text, activity book, student pages, tests and answer key)

Story of the World Vol. 3 student pages and tests

Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry Level 1 Student-Teacher bundle (student text, teacher’s manual, laboratory workbook, periodic table of elements and chemistry connects to language workbook)

Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry Level 1 Student Workbook

Artistic Pursuits K-3 Book 1

(2) Art supply packs for Artistic Pursuits

Math-U-See Algebra 1 Instruction Pack

Math-U-See Algebra 1 Student Kit

Headset for Rosetta Stone

[joannqn]

I generally expect to be a micro-manager in these situations.

 

That's a great way to put it. I tend to be a micro-manager anyway so it works well for me.

 

I am not, in the least, concerned about the upcoming changes. I always write a strong learning plan with carefully linked expenditures, along with having a good, strong communication with our advisory teacher. Frankly, if this helps CVA, or ALE programs, remain a viable public alternative, I am more than willing to support this.

 

Agreed. That learning plan means everything. I've always had a very detailed learning plan that covers nearly everything I can think of, though I am planning on making some changes to my learning plan based on my conversations with CVA.

[Rosy]

We have been with CVA for 5 years. Honestly, your experience pretty much matches what I would expect. We adore our advisory teacher, and "put up" with some of the less-than-efficient ways. I generally expect to be a micro-manager in these situations. I can understand that others may not be willing to do this.

 

I am not, in the least, concerned about the upcoming changes. I always write a strong learning plan with carefully linked expenditures, along with having a good, strong communication with our advisory teacher. Frankly, if this helps CVA, or ALE programs, remain a viable public alternative, I am more than willing to support this.

 

Personally, I welcome greater access to materials from the library. It has always been frustrating to me that I could not figure out what was available. I think it can be an asset to our learning, especially as my children discover new ideas that interest them.

 

We stay with CVA because our advisory teacher has been a strong advocate-- truly going over and above all expectations to support our home learning. Likewise, the ability to use high quality resources that meet the unique needs of our individual children has pulled me through much of the annoyance of dealing with the system.

 

I agree about the library. It has always bugged me that we have to return our assets when we're done using them but couldn't access assets that others have returned. It just seemed so inefficient. So I'm glad for that, and I learned a lot last year about how to write my learning plan--I wrote it way too narrow and had a hard time some months talking about what we did in relation to the SLP. This year you can bet I'll be putting down more for Social Studies than "World history 1600-1850." :P

 

My advisory teacher has been great too, and I'm grateful for the ability to choose curricula based on what's best for my kids instead of what I can find used or cheap. And being able to do lessons has been a big deal for us. Definitely worth the administrative headaches. :)

[Rosy]

though I am planning on making some changes to my learning plan based on my conversations with CVA.

 

What kind of changes? I'm still feeling pretty in the dark about all of this, I hadn't heard anything at all until Monday, other than a rumor from a friend who isn't in CVA (and is critical of it).

[joannqn]

What kind of changes? I'm still feeling pretty in the dark about all of this, I hadn't heard anything at all until Monday, other than a rumor from a friend who isn't in CVA (and is critical of it).

 

The biggest changed is for my son's taekwondo. Talking with an AT, I was given the example of one class a week as being a reasonable amount for something like soccer when I asked how they'd be making decisions about what to cover under the new plan. Well, that won't work for us. My son is dedicated to earning is black belt (and beyond) and wants to become an instructor. DH and I have talked about making his high school "business prep" in case DS wants to open his own school after graduation. Once class a week won't begin to meet DS's needs for attaining his goal. However, I'm being assured by the AT I've been speaking with that this shouldn't be a problem. He can see in DS's file that taekwondo isn't a passing fancy. And since the SLP seems to be king with the new plan, I'll make sure that DS's long term goals are included.

 

Usually I write his SLP with a simple PE type goal like "Increase strength, balance, and flexibility through taekwondo classes". This year, I will be emphasizing his long term goals with something along the lines of "Progress towards goal of earning black belt and becoming an instructor through regular and frequent classes" and "Improve sparring capabilities through participation in sparring club". I want them to cover 3 classes a week AND sparring club.

[RamonaQ]

Joann-I think your strategy in writing your SLP is really smart. After I spoke with CVA yesterday, it was my impression we would have to be incredibly explicit and persuasive concerning where we want the money spent-- exactly like you have done for the taekwondo. I think it is really smart to link those expenditures to long-term goals.

 

Plus, I find spending the money on lessons an easy way to budget the money for the year :001_smile:.

[Create Your Ritual]

I would love to be able to get some of these extra reader books from their library to go along with SOTW & science. I am hoping they will have that all set up this month for me to at least ask if they are available. I would say the ONE thing that I am anxious about is the SLP. It seems that it is extremely important, and having never DONE one or SEEN one, I am uncertain as to what they expect from me to get things paid for.

 

Would it be against the rules for me to ask to see some of yours for a comparison, or are they a private thing that one would rather not share? (I had to at least ask, so I hope that is alright). Most likely my objectives for my kids are different than others, just because of the extra-curricular activities they choose & the subject material, but it would be nice to see how things are linked together, and what makes CVA happy. Right now it seems a bit daunting to not only express what we are doing THIS year, but what my goals in the long term are. ;-) Deep Breath ....

[melik]

Would it be against the rules for me to ask to see some of yours for a comparison, or are they a private thing that one would rather not share? (I had to at least ask, so I hope that is alright). Most likely my objectives for my kids are different than others, just because of the extra-curricular activities they choose & the subject material, but it would be nice to see how things are linked together, and what makes CVA happy. Right now it seems a bit daunting to not only express what we are doing THIS year, but what my goals in the long term are. ;-) Deep Breath ....

 

Hey! Another CVA person here.

 

I have to agree with you Sadonna, I am also a little intimidated by the SLP. It seems like CVA doesn't volunteer much information and I'm not always great at asking ahead of time. I really want this to work. I have already purchased all of our curriculum for the year and really just want CVA to pay for the extra curricular activities. I have to say that I have it in the back of my head that is it's too much of a headache I'm just going to drop it......but I am really trying to keep a good attitude.

 

I have to say that this thread has helped though!:bigear:

 

Thanks,

Meli

[Rosy]

http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/default.aspx

 

This is where you find the state's learning standards. This is the jumping off point for your SLP. You can use them, make your own, or a combo. They will expect you to have Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and PE/Health.

 

Basically, what I did was go through the front of my books and write out pertinent information from the chapter headings. Here are mine for 3rd grade math (we were working out of Saxon 65):

 

1. Demonstrate understanding of place value up to 100,000,000

 

2. Add and subtract three-digit whole numbers with regrouping.

 

3. Use basic operational facts.

 

4. Use multiplication facts to 100.

 

5. Identify, construct, and compare fractions with like and unlike denominators.

 

6. Practice short and long division

 

7. Work with mixed and irregular fractions.

 

8. Select appropriate units and tools of measurement to fit each situation.

 

9. Apply a variety of problem-solving strategies and explain answers verbally, in pictures, or in writing

 

10. Apply a new approach when one approach is not working.

 

and here is her PE plan:

 

1. Learn about abuse prevention, first aid, human growth and development

 

2. Demonstrate knowledge of basic health and fitness concepts,

 

3. Understand how personal care procedures (washing hands, brushing teeth) relate to overall health

 

4. Understand safety rules about fires, practice drills and other emergencies

 

5. Practice movement skills like walk, run, jog, jump, hop, etc.

 

6. Improve teamwork and fitness skills by participating in games and activities.

 

7. Continue to gain understanding of rules of various cooperative and competitive games; practice related skills.

 

8. Improve swimming skills and techniques.

 

9. Learn, practice and apply basic Karate: kicks, punches, blocks and stances.

 

I think Joann's advice is good about how to write your plan. I'll be including tournament participation and seminars with high-ranking karate experts in DD's. For DS I'll need to write in a way that shows the potential need for private swim lessons, he made little progress last year until he started getting one on one instruction.

 

I think, too, you can also tell your advisory teacher, "this is what I want and this is why, how do I go about getting it?". As long as they know you're not just trying to milk them, I think they'll be pretty reasonable. And you can edit your SLP as you go, unless they've changed that.

[Create Your Ritual]

That makes a lot of sense Rosy.. thanks for the link and I hadn't even THOUGHT to get the info from the scope & sequence in each book. I am also liking the ideas that Joann had with incorporating the wording to encompass more than just the one class a week. It makes sense that if you have a student that is "serious" in their particular craft that they would want & need more instruction and opportunities to grow in that field. Now I just need to GET A TEACHER and WRITE A SLP in a couple of days....lol. I am NOT loving this last one in line thing, but I am trying to be patient. I know they are growing and busy and I am just going to have to learn a little patience.

[Rosy]

That makes a lot of sense Rosy.. thanks for the link and I hadn't even THOUGHT to get the info from the scope & sequence in each book. I am also liking the ideas that Joann had with incorporating the wording to encompass more than just the one class a week. It makes sense that if you have a student that is "serious" in their particular craft that they would want & need more instruction and opportunities to grow in that field. Now I just need to GET A TEACHER and WRITE A SLP in a couple of days....lol. I am NOT loving this last one in line thing, but I am trying to be patient. I know they are growing and busy and I am just going to have to learn a little patience.

 

Last year they gave us until mid-Sept to finish our SLPs, and I don't think my teacher made contact with me until around Aug 20. I remember it was after we'd started school, and I was stressed too. :P Communication isn't their strong suit...but it was definitely worth it for us.

[anotherbrother]

Hey! Another CVA person here.

 

I have to agree with you Sadonna, I am also a little intimidated by the SLP. It seems like CVA doesn't volunteer much information and I'm not always great at asking ahead of time. I really want this to work. I have already purchased all of our curriculum for the year and really just want CVA to pay for the extra curricular activities. I have to say that I have it in the back of my head that is it's too much of a headache I'm just going to drop it......but I am really trying to keep a good attitude.

 

I have to say that this thread has helped though!:bigear:

 

Thanks,

Meli

 

 

:iagree:

 

I've been :lurk5: on this thread but I had also purchased all of our curriculum for the year. My AT from last year had originally told me that it should be no problem to use our entire allocation which would still unofficially be $1200 towards CBI's. Her exact response was that the school day was 6 hours and to keep that in mind when choosing the length and/or the number of activities. My feelings were that asking them to pay for things that were approximately 5 hours per week were fairly reasonable.

 

I'm very concerned at this point because my middle son is very involved in dance. He is getting ready to start 9 hours worth of classes a week. It's more than I would like, but something that he really wants to do and he's very committed. I have already committed to this schedule and don't want to back out now. The primary reason that I felt comfortable committing is because I was told that I could use our allocation towards this and now it seems as though I might not be able to. I will of course still have a significant portion of money out of pocket either way. This is causing me a lot of stress because we can't really afford the dance without the extra money.

 

I don't have a lot of interest in using CVA for our curriculum because I really like to be able to keep our books and/or be able to resell them. If this doesn't go smoothly with the CBI's I don't think we'll stay. There isn't any reason to spend all that time filling out paperwork and contacting an AT if we aren't getting anything out of it. I'm sure others have had better experiences, but our AT is good only at the paper pushing part of her job. If we want curriculum and or more particular advice, I'd have to look for that elsewhere.

 

Sorry this got long. I hadn't previously posted, because I'm really frustrated with the situation. This was mentioned last spring, but not in enough detail to be clear. I was basically told that it would be a better situation because there would be no set limit. At this point I don't see it as better just more of a hassle. We have never used our allocation for a field trip (although I don't have a problem with it) and we would never dream of using it on a vacation (especially Great Wolf, how could that be educational?). I don't like being punished because other people have abused the system that was set in place. We pay our taxes just like everyone else and $1200 per child plus an AT that spends maybe 15 minutes tops per week of their time on them seems like a perfectly reasonable trade off. Okay sorry for the vent. I'm stepping of my soapbox now.

[RamonaQ]

I am remembering that there were sample SLP's that are available from CVA. Of course, I can't tell you something helpful about where to find them.......:tongue_smilie:

[Beth in SW WA]

Thank you, gang, for the details. I appreciate your input and I'm trying not to panic now that I have more info. :)

 

I have no idea what an SLP consists of. Does anyone feel comfortable sharing more details -- perhaps via email?

 

Rosy, thank you for the link and samples. I don't see a problem being specific and detailed. It may actually help me see the big picture.

 

For instance, I didn't realize I needed to cover 'Social Studies' a bit so my dds are ready for the CAT/5 or Iowa. I was planning to do history & geography -- but now I'll add in some basic, basic government topics.

 

I have yet to speak with an adviser. When should I expect that?

 

Joann, I love your list of resources. Will you return them to the 'library' when finished?

 

Regarding testing, do they offer tests? Which ones? When & where? Has anyone asked for 'giftedness' testing?

 

I don't mind jumping through hoops. Dd has been taking high school Spanish at our local public school district. I know a bit about reporting. Although, CVA will require more details.

 

Thanks, ladies!!

[anotherbrother]

I'm currently waiting for a call back for our office (Orient). They are trying to find out if it will be okay to use our entire allocation towards CBI's. I certainly hope so. If it's only a small percentage I definitely don't think that will be worth it for me.

 

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Rosy]

I have no idea what an SLP consists of. Does anyone feel comfortable sharing more details -- perhaps via email?

Feel free to PM me and ask whatever you'd like.

 

For instance, I didn't realize I needed to cover 'Social Studies' a bit so my dds are ready for the CAT/5 or Iowa. I was planning to do history & geography -- but now I'll add in some basic, basic government topics.

You'll be fine with just history and geography if that's all you want to do. However, one thing I learned it to make your SLP as broad as possible. They won't hold you to any of it (unless this aspect has changed), but it does give you some latitude if you want to work in something different later in the year.

 

I have yet to speak with an adviser. When should I expect that?

Probably not until Aug 15-25, I would imagine. You can start school whenever you want, though.

 

Will you return them to the 'library' when finished?

I'm not Joann, but you're required to return "assets" to the library when you're finished with them. Assets are basically non-consumable items.

 

Regarding testing, do they offer tests? Which ones? When & where? Has anyone asked for 'giftedness' testing?

They administer the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress). The only test I've taken besides that is the CAT, which I didn't like. The MAP is computer-based and adjusts based on the student's ability level, so I feel that its results are more accurate than a paper test. I haven't tested for giftedness and they didn't offer it with DD9, who scored well above the averages for her age. They didn't offer services for my low testers, either. In the past, they've restricted field trips for kids who tested below 30th percentile, I'm not sure if that will be an issue this year. Honestly, I haven't decided if I'm going to test through them again, something about them having my test results didn't sit well with me.

 

I don't mind jumping through hoops. Dd has been taking high school Spanish at our local public school district. I know a bit about reporting. Although, CVA will require more details.

 

Details were a big deal for my Advisory Teacher (and probably others). As long as I could tell her "we read books x, y, and z" and "we played this game and ran laps weekly", you shouldn't have any problems with your monthly reporting. Mine was pretty lax about the weekly check-ins--as long as we did them, she didn't really care what the kids told her. Many teachers ask more specific questions for the kids to answer, like "what did you work on in math this week" or something.

[anotherbrother]

I'm currently waiting for a call back for our office (Orient). They are trying to find out if it will be okay to use our entire allocation towards CBI's. I certainly hope so. If it's only a small percentage I definitely don't think that will be worth it for me.

 

Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

I just got a call back. The person that I spoke with, spoke with the principal in our district, so hopefully this will hold true. We will be able to use our entire allocation towards CBI's if that's what we want to do. She didn't seem to think that 5 hours worth of classes would be too many. Everyone will be asked to clearly define what curriculum they are using. I'm very confident in my curriculum choices, I don't foresee having any issues with this.

[Create Your Ritual]

Since I have you all here... I have a question to ask. I have LOADS of additional readers picked out for SOTW (Ancient Egypt, China, Science in Ancient Rome, etc) grammar (Ruth Heller, etc), as well as just reader books like Summer of the Swans, Island of Blue Dolphins. Does CVA typically pay for these things? Do any of you order these kinds of books through them? Have you ever been able to check them out of the CVA library? I am concerned about being able to find some of these titles at our local library, and having to wait on them through mail order. Thanks for any information.

[anotherbrother]

Since I have you all here... I have a question to ask. I have LOADS of additional readers picked out for SOTW (Ancient Egypt, China, Science in Ancient Rome, etc) grammar (Ruth Heller, etc), as well as just reader books like Summer of the Swans, Island of Blue Dolphins. Does CVA typically pay for these things? Do any of you order these kinds of books through them? Have you ever been able to check them out of the CVA library? I am concerned about being able to find some of these titles at our local library, and having to wait on them through mail order. Thanks for any information.

 

In the past they have paid for these types of books. It sounds like in the future if they're available from the library then they would come from there. I've always made it my personal policy to order them through CVA if they were available through Rainbow Resource if not order them through Amazon myself. CVA does allow you to order through B&N if there aren't other vendors that have what your looking for, it's just not there first choice.

 

I'm not going to order these types of things from CVA this year because I don't want to be constantly shipping them back. When we first started the policy that was stated to me was that we could keep our assets until we no longer had a child enrolled with CVA. For me that would have been 14 years so I wasn't at all worried about it.

[Create Your Ritual]

I know it's supposed to change a bit this year, but are they planning on being sticklers about the $1200 or $1500 per child? Between the CBI's I use for my kids (Piano, gymnastics, possibly swim lessons... I could eat up one child's funds with just the activities. I know some of you are just using CVA to have them pay for the CBI's, so that must mean that there is a definite limit to how much they will pay?? This being our first year, we don't have ANYTHING and some of the things I would be buying this year would work for more than one year, or for more than one child down the road... so it a lot UP FRONT and I am curious how it's going to go.

 

Also... regarding swimming lessons. Ours are only available June - August (no inside pool). Will they pay for those, or does it have to be only CBI's during the 36 week school term??