Our English Language Development Programs

Commonwealth Charter Academy’s English Language Development Program offers students a first-class curriculum and customized learning opportunities, and it celebrates the cultural diversity of our students.

CCA’s robust program for English learners celebrates cultural diversity while combining a quality education with socialization opportunities through numerous school field trips and events.

As an online school, CCA can provide English language learners with services that extend far beyond traditional English lessons and fully support and integrate English learners into the CCA family.

A childhood education in a cyber school like CCA offers English learners a double benefit: They can learn at their own pace from the comfort of their own home, and they can enjoy socializing with students from across the state. It can be stressful for EL students to navigate learning a new language and new customs while trying to interact with classmates all at the same time. But online ESL courses at our cyber school allow students to progress at their own pace, set a schedule that works for the whole family and build diverse friendships with students across the entire state, not just classmates in a traditional brick-and-mortar school building.

What We Provide for English Language Learners

CCA’s robust English Language Development program celebrates our English learners’ diversity while providing customized learning and socialization to welcome everyone into the CCA family.

CCA provides:

We provide targeted language development instruction in listening, speaking, reading and writing delivered by PA-certified ESL teachers. CCA’s goal is for our English learners to be successful not just in the classroom but in their communities and for them to be equipped with the skills they need for life after high school.

We provide a variety of educational resources, including National Geographic’s English Language Development curriculum. National Geographic Learning brings the world to the classroom and the classroom to life. Through stories, ideas, photos and videos, the English lessons provide a global experience for our students.

CCA offers more than 1,000 in-person and virtual field trips a year across the entire state, both educational trips such as visits to museums and cultural centers and purely social events like visits to petting zoos and trampoline parks. With dozens of clubs that meet virtually and in person, as well as cultural diversity and other events at our Family Service Centers, EL students have socialization chances at their fingertips every day.

At CCA, the family is key to a quality education. Parents or guardians serve as learning coaches to their students, and it’s vital that they receive the support they need to stay current and help their children find success. We provide interpreters and translations for all school-to-home communication.

We offer in-person support at CCA’s regional Family Service Centers for all our families. CCA operates regional Family Service Centers across the state, and our EL students and their families are encouraged to participate in a wide range of cultural events there. We want to make sure everyone is supported and feels like they are a part of the CCA family.

CCA student looking at his computer

Want to Learn More about English Learner Instruction in Cyber School?

Our Online English Lessons

Generally, English language development is delivered to students by way of small-group instruction. English learners are grouped with others of similar ages who are in similar grades and have a similar level of English proficiency.

Our online EL students receive daily instruction that aligns with the Pennsylvania Basic Education Circular for Educating English Learners, which lays out a framework for English lessons that facilitates the student’s achievement of English proficiency and state academic standards. The instruction also is aligned to PA Core Standards and PA English Language Development Standards, and it is supported by a high-quality, research-based language acquisition curriculum.

Each child’s ESL specialist teacher collaborates with their classroom teachers to monitor progress in the general curriculum. Information, strategies and resources are regularly shared to ensure that the child’s language needs are met. At CCA, a student’s learning coach, typically a parent, guardian or other adult appointed to serve in this role, is an integral part of the education process, communicating with teachers and ensuring lessons and coursework are on track.

CCA recognizes that our students come to us with diverse skills, needs and interests, as well as varying levels of English mastery. Just as we customize our students’ education to meet their overall educational needs and interests, CCA customizes our online English lessons to accommodate students with little or no English proficiency. These English learners are enrolled in an intensive program that offers:

  • Small-group class for social language and basics of English conversation
  • Small-group English for beginning English learners class
  • ESL instruction and support in math, science, social studies and electives
  • Access to Rosetta Stone’s English as a Second Language program

Benefits of Enrolling With Us

CCA’s English Language Development program is a perfect fit for families and students seeking a quality public school education that provides not just English lessons but strong career- and college-ready skills without having to seek financial aid to afford that level of education. CCA is a public cyber charter school in Pennsylvania that customizes our curriculum to meet your child’s educational needs, skills and interests.

Because we are a cyber school, your child can take general education courses and English lessons online from the comfort of home. Our EL students can participate in real-time virtual lessons or, because all of our lessons are recorded, they can watch and learn at a time that’s best for the family. That also means they can revisit the lesson as many times as they need to understand it.

Our flexible scheduling means English learners can progress at a speed that’s comfortable for them.

Socialization is critical for these students, and CCA offers hundreds of field trips, virtual interaction with students from across the entire state of Pennsylvania and in-person support as well. We operate regional Family Service Centers across the state where students and their families can visit for extra face-to-face support, cultural activities and school social events, and to meet with school counselors and teachers.

Perhaps most importantly, family is the center of a CCA education. Because parents, guardians or a designated adult serve as the learning coach for their children enrolled in CCA, they have hands-on knowledge and involvement. From English lessons to math to social studies, a CCA education ensures families are involved in the entire process.

Learn More About Our Online English Language Development Program

Are you interested in our online English Language Development Program for English learners? Contact us for more information, or enroll today!

Download Our Free Guide to EL Instruction in Cyber School