Now Enrolling for the 2023-24 School Year: Click Here
Now Enrolling for the 2023-24 School Year: Click Here
Have a question about Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA)? Check out this list of CCA frequently asked questions to learn more about our school. Discover answers to questions about how CCA operates, our staff, our curriculum, and even specific information about courses and enrollment.
Founded in 2003, Commonwealth Charter Academy is a fully accredited public cyber charter school serving families with learners in kindergarten through grade 12 across Pennsylvania. CCA is a family service organization with deep expertise in education and strives to deliver a personalized experience that engages the entire family, preparing learners to succeed in school and life.
Many people who are unfamiliar with online school wonder how it works and how children who attend online schooling learn throughout their day. At CCA, we provide a robust and varied education through:
CCA approaches education differently, seeking to unlock a child’s true passions so they see education as a path to fulfill their future goals. Our mission is to produce confident, knowledgeable, and happy children who are prepared to positively impact their communities as adults.
CCA seeks to partner with the entire family to determine a student’s interests and strengths. The biggest benefit of CCA is the flexibility we offer to learners’ families. Our lessons and school days can fit around our families’ schedules so learners don’t ever have to miss out on their education.
CCA serves families with children from kindergarten through 12th grade. Enrollment is open year-round to all Pennsylvania residents who meet the eligibility requirements.
As a public school, there is no additional cost to families to attend CCA. In addition, CCA provides technology stipends for families.
CCA serves more than 22,000 students across Pennsylvania.
CCA can provide the most personalized education to our learners. On average, Pennsylvania public schools offer a 15:1 student to teacher ratio. However, CCA is unlike most face-to-face public schools and offers opportunities for assistance almost no other school does.
While traditional Pennsylvania public school teachers will need to manage entire classrooms for full days, CCA teachers have the added flexibility to work with students on their schedules. This system allows our teachers to work more with students one-on-one, providing your child with more individualized care and attention than they might receive in traditional public schools.
CCA provides extensive training and outreach sessions to give parents and guardians the tools they need to help their learners flourish. By transforming parents and guardians into learning coaches, CCA gives families all the tools they need to succeed in cyber school. Additionally, CCA has family mentors who provide assistance with all non-instructional questions parents might have.
At CCA, we understand the value of individualized learning, which is why we make an effort to create curricula tailored to your child’s interests. With asynchronous learning opportunities, families can build learning schedules that fit their needs, optimizing student interests.
However, CCA helps create daily schedules, regardless of the learning method you choose. CCA teachers will provide a daily school schedule of coursework for students to complete each day, as well as live and recorded instruction sessions, allowing students to experience a comprehensive day of learning that fits their learning needs and preferences.
To mark themselves as present, students must sign in to the learning platform each day on the 180 days of the board-approved calendar. However, families and students have the freedom to tailor school days to fit their learning needs, so each day is unique and individualized.
Every learner at CCA gets a personalized learning path. Along with their teachers and learning coaches, learners receive a curriculum tailored to their interests and needs. Because children learn at different rates and in different ways, the best way to teach them is to give them what they need when they need it.
Unlike traditional public schools, which teach all children the same thing simultaneously, CCA recognizes that every student is unique and has individual educational needs and aspirations. Learners work with their teachers to discover their preferred learning styles and competencies, and teachers use this information to craft a personalized curriculum. Furthermore, through continuous monitoring, teachers can alter learning paths at any time to better reflect each child’s situation.
Learners at CCA benefit from a variety of technological and instructional materials provided for them at no cost. CCA takes care of all technology needs by providing free laptops, a second monitor, a printer, and even subsidies for internet service. We also provide cyber school software that enables students to attend school from anywhere and stay connected to their educators.
In addition to providing laptops, CCA partners with a Pennsylvania-based company to provide quick laptop replacements and repairs, so students can quickly solve technological concerns. The company also provides technical support for families to troubleshoot and assist with any issues that may arise while using CCA technology and software. You can reach technical support at (833)-204-2221.
Yes. Pennsylvania public cyber charter schools are authorized and overseen directly by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. A CCA diploma is a public school diploma, just like a traditional public school. However, CCA differs from traditional public schools in the methods they use to educate children — by crafting a personalized learning path, CCA can meet every students’ individual needs.
Yes. CCA is a Pennsylvania public school, and our curriculum meets state core standards. Additionally, CCA has a personalized core curriculum that’s accredited by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA), which means CCA provides a high-quality education that is reciprocal with other schools. The performance standards by which CCA is evaluated are research-based and examine the curriculum holistically.
The accreditation takes into account more than just student test scores. The 12 major areas that make up the Standards of Accreditation include:
Yes. CCA is accredited by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools.
All of our teachers are Pennsylvania certified. Their focus is on helping learners and their families to customize a unique curriculum to satisfy the interests and needs of the child. Our teachers and support staff are accredited to be qualified and competent in providing every student with a high-quality education in line with our mission.
In addition to being state-certified, our teachers go the extra mile to give each student the educational experience they deserve. Many learners and families form strong relationships with their teachers, fostered by CCA’s practice of individualizing learning approaches and increased opportunities for one-on-one interactions. Our teachers also undergo additional training on the best virtual instruction practices.
CCA teachers perform their duties from the Family Service Centers located throughout Pennsylvania, which gives families the ability to meet with teachers face-to-face in addition to virtually.
If a learner wishes to participate in extracurricular activities offered by their district of residence and not offered by the charter school, the Pennsylvania charter school law requires that the district provide the student with an opportunity to participate.
Yes. World language learning is crucial for students to become better members of the global community. CCA is proud to offer a wide array of world languages for our learners to participate in, starting as early as kindergarten. CCA offers courses in world languages such as:
For learners with an individualized education program (IEP), CCA provides a breadth of virtual education programs, including curriculum, accommodation, and modification. Teachers and staff work with other special education experts to guide instruction.
CCA has Family Service Centers across the state where learners and their families can get one-on-one help, meet with school counselors and access other resources. Open House Information Sessions for prospective learners and their parents are also held at these locations. The Family Service Centers are located in the following areas:
Thomas D. Longenecker is CCA’s president and CEO. His background comprises 25 years of school operations leadership, with previous experience working at Carlisle Area, Conrad Weiser Area and Susquenita school districts. He also served as an adjunct professor at Shippensburg and Wilkes Universities.
You can read more about Mr. Longenecker here.
You can request a transcript from CCA using our transcript release form.
CCA has created an easy checklist of required documents to make the enrollment process simple. Once you’ve compiled all the necessary documents from the checklist, go here to begin the application process to enroll your student in CCA. You can also speak with one of CCA’s enrollment specialists at 844-590-2864. We can answer any other questions you might have about the enrollment process.
We hope you’ve gotten the answers to all the questions you have in this cyber charter school FAQ. CCA provides a personalized learning experience in a flexible and safe environment. If you need more information, please contact a CCA enrollment representative or if you’re ready, enroll your child at CCA today.
