The Internet Academy is a publicvirtual school a part of Federal Way Public Schools, approved by the Northwest Accreditation Commission and open to all students in grades K-12. Internet Academy was founded in 1996 and was the first online school in Washington state. The institution provides courses for other public schools, home-schooled students, as well as out-of-state students. Accredited diplomas, online tutors, teacher-to-student web conferencing, and online tutorial videos are also provided. There are two primary websites for Internet Academy: The main web site, which was redesigned in September 2010, provides information on the institution, including a course catalog and contact information. The support site is where student and parents log in to access courses and contact teachers within a specific course. The institution has contributed towards local and international community charities.
Education process and support
Internet Academy provides educational content over the Internet as a virtual school. Any student residing in Washington may choose to enroll in the schoolfree of charge. Those out of state may also enroll for a nominal fee per course. After a registration and orientation process the student is granted access to the online courses. Just like a physical building school, students meet Washington State standards by performing course work. The student logs into the course website, an ANGEL Learning-based learning management system. The student navigates and performs course work within the course's hierarchically organized material. The student meets project requirements and assignments to meet a specified deadline. Assignments are graded by Washington State certified teachers who also answer student questions and inquiries. Internet Academy provides courses throughout the entire year, including summer. Students have access to their assignments 24/7 and can work from any Internet-connected computer. Washington State Certified teachers manage materials from a variety of publishers 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. Teachers often respond to student or parent inquires within 24 hours, and administrative staffing responds promptly as well if correspondence occurs during regular business hours.
Parental involvement
Internet Academy provides parents of enrolled students with a Mentor/Insight Account. These accounts are separate from the students, and they allow the parent to view a variety of data, such as how long said student has been logged in, how many assignments that student has completed, and even view teacher feedback on assignments and tests. The Mentor/Insight Accounts are also supported by a library of video tutorials. Internet Academy also provides an Open House where parents, mentors, and students may meet their teachers or ask questions. Open House sessions are scheduled on two Saturdays, in the fall and in the spring. The Internet Academy building is also open one Saturday a month for students to drop off assignments, or to have questions answered in person.
Location and funding
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 across from the Truman Community Garden. 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. Students may take a variety of classes including Veterinary Medicine, French, Gothic Literature, Forensic Science, Photography, Music, Art, etc. online.
