Coastal Academy offers a flexible academic program that allows students to excel at their own pace. Students are encouraged to master the “basics” in an environment that encourages meaningful intellectual stimulation. Each year the academics are divided into six “units,” which are lesson plans packaged into five or six-week increments. These units are written by credentialed teachers to provide instruction based on the standards, with goals to be addressed in core curricular areas of language arts, literature, math, science, and history. Each unit is designed specifically for Coastal Academy parents and facilitates teaching at home.
Supplemental lessons are also provided in character education, and often ties are made with art and music. Unit lessons are posted on Schoology one week before the instruction begins, allowing parents the time necessary to plan and prepare for the coming unit of study.
Coastal Academy curriculum combines the best of E.D. Hirsch’s Core Knowledge Sequence, Common Core Standards, and the best of classical education. Parents receive prepared lesson plans, answer keys, and accompanying books and resources to teach home lessons. Parent training and support is available throughout the school year. Student work is assigned by credentialed teachers and reviewed at parent-teacher conferences, which are held approximately every six weeks.
Program Options
Track A meets on campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 am-2:30 pm. Classes are limited to 20 students per teacher and students learn language arts, math, science, music, and art. Students also have traditional recess and lunch breaks. While at home on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, students complete assignments in language arts, literature, math, and history. Students are required to follow the school curriculum and work independently with a supervising adult on non-workshop days.
Track B is identical to Track A, however, students attend school workshops on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students in Tracks A and B must participate in scheduled parent-teacher conferences at the end of every unit to assess student work.
Track C is for families who would like more flexibility in their curriculum selection. These students work at home five days per week. They are accountable to a credentialed teacher called an Educational Specialist (ES) and must meet with their ES at the completion of each unit. Students and parents on Track C are also expected to be in contact with their ES on a regular basis via e-mail, telephone, or in person.
M Track is a middle school program for 7th and 8th-grade students. Students attend classes three days per week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to better prepare academically for high school. Students receive 3 full days per week of teaching from credentialed teachers in math, language arts, science, history, music, art, and 21st-century learning and technology. Mondays and Fridays, students work from home to complete assignments in language arts, math, science, and history.