ASA FAQs

1. What is ASA?

The American Spirit Academy is a non-public school, chartered by the state of Ohio. As a non-public charter school, ASA can enroll students from across the United States and around the globe. Its graduates will receive a diploma from a fully accredited school, based in the state of Ohio in the United States. The American Spirit Academy is dedicated to providing the highest quality education in a caring and student-centered environment. Courses are delivered online anywhere in the world where the student has access to the internet. ASA provides intensive student support, certified teachers, and cutting-edge curricula to help every student succeed.

2. Who can enroll?

The American Spirit Academy serves students from grades K through 12. Any student between the ages of 5 and 21 may enroll.

3. What if I have questions about admissions or about ASA in general?

We welcome your questions and are here to provide as much information as possible to help you make this most important decision for and with your child. Admissions counselors are available by phone from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, or by email at www.calvertschool.org. For grades 5-12, students will use Lincoln Interactive courses. With over 250 courses in use by students world-wide, Lincoln Interactive is clearly the world’s leader in online curriculum, with its cutting-edge design and engaging, compelling structure. For additional information about Lincoln Interactive courses, please click on the following link: www.lincolninteractive.com. Spend some time reading about our exciting world language offerings, cutting-edge science classes, and broad-ranging electives, designed to complement a student’s core curriculum so that every student who successfully completes our program has the skills necessary to succeed.

6. Do the students receive books with their courses?

Yes. The Calvert School curriculum includes all the materials necessary for the completion of each grade level. Lincoln Interactive courses come with books, manuals, and all materials necessary for the student to complete the coursework. In some cases, the textbook and course manual are online, making it even easier for the student to work anywhere, any time, and at any pace. Parents and students may choose to print these materials, or they may refer to them online only.

7. What about world languages?

ASA is pleased to offer world languages to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Students in grades K-8 may choose from Spanish, German, French, and Latin, while students in grades 9-12, may choose from Spanish, German, French, Latin, Chinese, and Arabic.

8. What about Ohio’s state-mandated tests?

Students in grade 10 begin taking the Ohio Graduation Tests in the spring of their sophomore year. The OGTs are comprised of five parts, and once a student receives a score of 400 points or higher on a part, he or she does not have to repeat that test. Students must retake the test until they have scored a 400 or higher on all parts of the test. Failure to attend any standardized testing scheduled by ASA is grounds for disciplinary action.

9. Can my student take just one or two courses?

Yes. Students may chose to take one or more courses. Please contact us if you have any additional questions about this.

10. When can my student start classes?

Students may begin their studies August 25, 2008.

11. What is your withdrawal/refund policy?

Tuition is due in full before your student can begin any course work. If a student must withdraw, the parent or guardian should contact the student’s Instructional Supervisor immediately and submit a written notification of intent to withdraw.

12. Will my child receive grades on his or her transcript?

Yes. The Calvert curriculum uses the following grading scale: 90-100% earning an A, 80-89% earning a B, 70-79% earning a C, 60-69% earning a D, and a grade of F is awarded for anything below 60%. The parent and Instructional Supervisor will receive a written report for each assessment submitted, prepared by the student’s Elementary Teacher Facilitator. For students enrolled in Lincoln Interactive Courses, the grading policy is outlined in each course manual and on the Lincoln Interactive website. Each course has a maximum of 1,000 points available, with 900-1,000 earning an A, 800-899 earning a B, 700-799 earning a C, 600-699 earning a D, and a grade of F is awarded for anything below 600.

13. What is your attendance policy?

Students must submit work on a regular basis, and record their attendance on their home page each day they do work. Failure to record attendance or submit work for 10 days without permission form the student’s Instructional Supervisor will result in the student being excused from the school.

14. What if I have technical difficulties, or I’m not very good with computers?

ASA has a well-trained, user friendly tech support team, who are on call to help you with any technical difficulties. Your Instructional Supervisor will explain how to reach the Help Desk and the extended hours when they are available. They have been trained to help guide parents and students through the use of technology. They are patient and understanding, and we encourage families to call if they have any problems, rather than try to fix things themselves.

15. What are the hardware and software requirements?
A. Productivity

Microsoft Office products are used in our courses, but for the most part, students should have access to Microsoft Word in order to view documents. Alternatively, students can use some of the “viewer” products. Go to the Microsoft Downloads Page. Enter the word “viewer” into the search box at the top of the page.

B. Media Players

While we have done our best to minimize the number of media types within the courses, there is some content where we have little control over how it is displayed. At a minimum, students should have the following packages available to them on their computer/laptop.
QuickTime
Flash Player
Shockwave
Real Player
Windows Media Player
iTunes* - iTunes can be used to mobilize the pod casts that appear in each lesson.
Java Runtime Environment
(Java is particularly important for Foreign Language courses)

C. Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader

D. Web Browsers

Over the past several years, web browsing alternatives, such as Firefox from Mozilla, have become very popular. We are able to support “most” browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and the like, although it is not uncommon to need to “tweak” some of the security settings. As a best practice, we should test your standard configuration for you to assure compatibility.

E. Firewalls

Firewalls can bring the most complex issues to bear as we get started. Often, organizations consider perimeter security to be of the highest priority. As such, restrictions can add a layer of complexity to the student as they migrate through their courses.

F. CIPA Compliant Content Filters

While we have not seen vast issues that relate from the use of CIPA compliant content filters, we still need to be aware of their presence in the organization. There will be times when a filter can work “too well” and filter what can be legitimate content. Please be certain that you have a “change management” procedure in place so that you can address content-centric issues as they arise.

G. Anti-Virus

The most common issue we experience with Anti-Virus software is the need for some to affect streaming content, both audio and video.

H. Anti-SPAM

If you offer individual email accounts to students, or do not allow students to have individual email accounts, please let us know. If you do issue accounts, we may want to proactively enter your domain into our SPAM filter (and visa versa). If you or your district prohibits email for students, we can issue them via our secure servers so that students can effectively communicate with teachers. Our secure mail only permits students to send and receive email from a trusted list of domains so that we can keep them focused, and keep out what need to be kept out.

I. Proxy Servers

Proxy Servers can be an effective tool for maximizing and controlling content and bandwidth resources. On the other hand, they can also create unforeseen issues, especially related to assessments. If your school uses a proxy server, such as Squid or Microsoft ISA Server, we will be happy to work with you during testing phases to assure that you can get what you need, and to minimize impact on students.