Officials with the CAM Community School District and the Iowa Connections Academy have announced a new, virtual public school will be available for students statewide, in grades K-12.  As an Iowa public school, there is no tuition or fees to attend, however there is an important open enrollment deadline of March 1st, 2012.  Enrollment in the Iowa Connections Academy (IACA)  will begin immediately, as part of the state’s open enrollment period for the 2012-2013 academic year, and will offer informational meetings for interested families in February across Iowa.

The virtual school is said to offer a high-quality, highly accountable, tuition-free, public education option. IACA’s teaching and attendance center will be based in the greater Anita area. It will combine Iowa-licensed teachers, an Iowa Core standards-aligned curriculum, unique technology tools, an extensive selection of electives and clubs, and community experiences to create an individualized alternative to the bricks-and-mortar classroom.

All IACA students will participate in the nationally accredited Connections Academy program that combines resources from leading publishers with cutting-edge, yet easy-to-use, technology and hands-on materials. Learning from home, students will work closely with a licensed Iowa teacher using detailed daily lesson plans that can be personalized to meet individual student needs. A parent or another adult “Learning Coach” monitors progress in the home. Students enrolled will receive learning materials such as textbooks, science kits, and more.

CAM Community School District Superintendent said “The CAM Community School District is committed to providing our students with a 21^st Century education. We have been utilizing technology to creatively support and enhance our teaching for some time and developing a virtual school is a natural extension and expansion of our efforts and ideas. This is about offering the best educational options for CAM students and students throughout Iowa – about meeting, exceeding, student needs and successfully preparing them for their future.”

Pelzer says “Through technology, students will gain access to programs they may not have had access to before – an expanded Talented and Gifted program, additional Advanced Placement courses, foreign languages such as Mandarin Chinese, an option for credit recovery for high school students.”

Iowa families seeking more information about IACA and its approach to personalized public education can visit http://www.ConnectionsAcademy.com or call 800-382-6010. Informational meetings will take place throughout the state in February.