The Internet Academy (IA or iAcademy) is a public virtual school, a part of Federal Way Public Schools, approved by the Northwest Accreditation Commission[2] for grades K–12.[3] Internet Academy was founded in 1996 and was the first online school in Washington state.[4] Accredited diplomas,[3] online tutors, teacher-to-student web conferencing and online tutorial videos are also provided.[5]

Internet Academy
Address
Map
31455 28th Ave S

Federal Way
,
Washington
98003

United States
Coordinates47°19′08″N 122°17′56″W / 47.318755°N 122.298976°W / 47.318755; -122.298976
Information
School typePublic, Virtual school
Established1996
FounderTom Vander Ark
StatusOpen
School districtFederal Way Public Schools
GradesK-12
Enrollment271[1] (2016)
Student to teacher ratio17.6[1]
Color(s)   Blue and Gold
NicknameIA
Websitewww.iacademy.org

There are two primary websites for Internet Academy. The main website, which was redesigned in September 2010, provides information on the institution, including a course catalog and contact information. The support site is where students and parents log in to access courses and contact teachers within a specific course.[6]

Education process and support

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Internet Academy provides educational content over the Internet as a virtual school. Any student residing in Washington may choose to enroll in the school free of charge. Those out of state, may also enroll for a per-course fee. After a registration and orientation process, the student is granted access to the online courses.[3]

Students meet Washington State standards by performing course work. Internet Academy provides courses throughout the entire year including during summer. Students can work from any Internet-connected computer.[6][7]

Washington State Certified teachers manage materials and create their own lessons which are posted on the school site for students to complete. Teachers also hold live video chats where teachers and students may collaborate on an interactive whiteboard and communicate via headphones and/or a webcam.[5]

Parental involvement

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Internet Academy provides parents of enrolled students with a Mentor/Insight Account.[5] These accounts are separate from the students', and they allow the parent to view data, such as how long said student has been logged in, how many assignments that student has completed, and teacher feedback on assignments and tests. The Mentor/Insight Accounts are also supported by a library of video tutorials.[8]

Location and funding

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Internet Academy parent and student interaction is primarily online, however, a support staff is available during business hours at the location in Federal Way, Washington off of Interstate 5. The offices are located within the same building of Harry S. Truman High School.[9]

Internet Academy is state funded which means that K–12 students who live in Washington state may take up to five classes, free of tuition.[10] Courses offered include Veterinary Medicine, French, Gothic Literature, Forensic Science, Photography, Music, and Art.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Public School; Search". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  2. ^ Northwest Accreditation Commission. "Northwest Accreditation Commission". Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  3. ^ a b c Internet Academy. "Internet Academy: What We Provide". Archived from the original on 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  4. ^ Digital Learning Department. "Digital Learning Department's profile on Internet Academy". Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  5. ^ a b c Internet Academy. "Internet Academy: How Students Thrive". Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  6. ^ a b Federal Way Mirror (March 2013). "We Day: FW students focus on social change, adopt village in Sierra Leone". Retrieved 2013-03-08.
  7. ^ Internet Academy. "Internet Academy: FAQs". Archived from the original on 2010-09-19. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  8. ^ Internet Academy. "Internet Academy: Online Video Tutorials". Archived from the original on 2010-10-16. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  9. ^ "Truman High School". Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  10. ^ Internet Academy. "Internet Academy: We're State Funded". Archived from the original on 2010-09-28. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  11. ^ Internet Academy. "Internet Academy: Course Catalog". Archived from the original on 2010-09-19. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
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