Edutopia.org - The American Academy Helps Preserve the Navajo Language

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:13:47 -0500

The George Lucas Educational Foundation's Edutopia website posted an article about how The American Academy helps preserve a fading language - Navajo.

Navajo Language and Navajo Government are but 2 of more than 200 online courses offered by The American Academy. We wish to thank our Navajo language teacher, Ron Singer, and the article's author, Chris Colin for their efforts in helping to keep this proud language and culture alive.

The full article may be found here.

The American Academy Announces "School as a Service" Programs

jbeck — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:54:49 -0500

For Immediate Release

SALT LAKE CITY - February 3, 2009 - High schools that want to offer their students online courses with minimal resource requirements or cost to their schools are choosing The American Academy's School as a Service™ (SaaS) program. This innovative program gives high schools an easy, affordable way to offer students the flexibility and individualized learning experience of online courses to recover dropouts, help students get caught up, give them a way to get ahead, or simply offer a wider range of electives. Rosehill Christian School and Park City High School, like many schools across the nation, are using online courses to provide flexible options for their students.

"We are using The American Academy's SaaS model for students who need more flexible learning options," said Hilary Hays, Park City High School principal. "Trying to meet the scheduling needs of every student was a logistical nightmare. My teachers are excited about School as a Service because it allows us to meet the individual education needs of these students while increasing transparency and accountability for students. In addition, The American Academy manages the operations and technology of the online program, making it a seamless process for all of us."

"We are pleased to offer The American Academy's online courses as an alternative to our students who need added flexibility due to scheduling conflicts as it would be cost prohibitive to offer all our courses at all times. Our students enjoy The American Academy's wide variety of elective courses to augment the courses we already have," said Associate Principal Sheryl Jaksha of the Rosehill Christian School in Texas.

In a matter of days, schools can expand their curriculum with over 200 courses and licensed teachers, with no additional burden on the school's IT staff and no upfront cost – schools only pay for what they use. The American Academy has developed automated enrollment, registration, and reporting tools to make administration and student access easy. Student accountability and progress transparency comes from automated parental and teacher alerts for learning milestones.

"We are excited about the feedback we received from schools in response to this program," The American Academy’s Chief Executive Officer Bill Davison said. "Schools value the integrated systems and operational expertise we can bring to them based on experiences running our own online school; this shows in the exceptional level of quality and value that the program brings to the school, especially in this time of tightened budgets."

The American Academy's Principal, Rebekah Richards adds, "We are proud to make available for other schools our highly qualified teachers and the rich learning environment we have built. Our systems create a flexible and positive learning environment that students can access from any location with Internet access within or outside the school anytime day or night."

About The American Academy

The American Academy is an accredited online high school built on a system that has served more than 80,000 students since 1994. It serves students worldwide who want to supplement their high school program or earn their high school diploma. The American Academy offers a flexible educational experience along with a high quality, engaging curriculum that aligns with state standards. Through its relationships with long-standing education institutions, including the Utah State Board of Education, The American Academy provides leading-edge resources and access to licensed, experienced instructors. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

# # #

PR Contact:

Alex Koritz

Sprout Marketing

801-641-3808

alex@sproutmarketing.com

The American Academy’s Rebekah Richards Addresses Virtual School Symposium

jbeck — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:26:30 -0500

For Immediate Release

SALT LAKE CITY – November 19, 2008 - The American Academy's Senior Vice President and School Principal, Rebekah Richards, recently addressed attendees of the Virtual School Symposium (VSS) of the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL). Richards led a pre-conference workshop and a series of breakout sessions focusing on the unique needs and opportunities of online education. The sessions ranged from "What Online Teachers Need to Know and Do" to "Experiments in Open Source Content."

Online education at the K-12 level is growing at a significant pace. According to bestselling author Clayton M. Christensen in Disrupting Class, a book on disruptive innovation in learning, by 2019 about 50 percent of all high school courses will be delivered online.

"It was a privilege to address and discuss these opportunities and challenges with practitioners, policy makers, and educational leaders at VSS," said Richards. "I've attended the Virtual School Symposium for several years; this year there was a marked transition from visions of the future to addressing operational challenges in delivery of online learning solutions today. The dialog was very substantive: there is a clear need for public, private and charter schools to offer not only complete online learning options but also hybrid solutions that schools can use in and out of class."

VSS highlights the most recent work in K-12 online education across the nation. It is the only national conference focused on online learning and virtual schooling for K-12. More than 1,100 educators and policy-makers attended the symposium.

As part of America's Promise Alliance, The American Academy will become one among an intricate network of more than 200 businesses, nonprofits and education organizations, elected officials, faith groups and foundations helping to support the needs of at-risk youth across the country.

For a complete list of Richards' breakout sessions or to view the presentations, visit the VSS 2008 Overlay. Richards will be presenting "What Online Teachers Need to Know and Do" again to the International Society for Technology in Education as a part of the organization's webinar series on December 8.

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About The American Academy

PR Contact:

Alex Koritz

Sprout Marketing for The American Academy

801-641-3808

alex@sproutmarketing.com

The American Academy Joins America's Promise Alliance to Educate Struggling Youth

jbeck — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:58:14 -0400

For Immediate Release

Contact Information:
Alex Koritz
Sprout Marketing for The American Academy
801-641-3808
alex@sproutmarketing.com

The American Academy Joins America's Promise Alliance to Educate Struggling Youth

Online High School Will Help Advance Alliance Goals of Improving Education

SALT LAKE CITY – August 12, 2008 - The American Academy today announced that they are joining America's Promise Alliance in order to combat the nation’s high school dropout crisis. The online high school’s dynamic approach to education will aid the Alliance in achieving its mission—ensuring that children receive the fundamental resources they need to lead successful lives.

Headed by Alma J. Powell and Marguerite Kondracke, America's Promise Alliance is the nation's largest partnership alliance committed to advancing education and life skills for the nation’s youth. The Alliance issued a report last April that revealed only half of all students served by the main school systems in the nation's 50 largest cities graduate from high school. To combat this, the alliance kicked off a series of groundbreaking, high-level Dropout Prevention summits to be held nationwide over the next two years.

"America's Promise Alliance is thrilled to welcome the American Academy to our partner network," said Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO, America’s Promise Alliance. "Through their online approach they are helping more young people have access to the academic resources they need to succeed. This innovative approach and the outstanding work of the more than 200 organizations and individuals that make up our Alliance will ensure that we will make a difference in the lives of this nation's most disadvantaged young people and help them graduate high school ready for college, work and life."

"The America’s Promise Alliance is an exceptional organization and we applaud their efforts in bringing this national crisis to light," said Rebekah Richards, senior vice president of academic affairs and principal of The American Academy. "Every 26 seconds, a student drops out of school. We are increasing graduation rates through our innovative approach to education, providing those who have been underserved with an education that prepares them for college or a career."

The online high school offers 233 courses that students can take anywhere, according to their own schedule. Additionally, school districts nationwide can incorporate online learning into their programs through the use of The American Academy's School-as-a-Service™. Schools and their students can enjoy the flexibility of online learning at a fraction of the cost of developing their own online program.

For more information about America's Promise Alliance visit www.americaspromise.org.

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About The American Academy

The American Academy is an accredited online high school built on a system that has served more than 80,000 students since 1994. It serves students worldwide who want to supplement their high school program or earn their high school diploma. The American Academy offers a flexible educational experience along with a high quality, engaging curriculum that aligns with state standards. Through its relationships with longstanding education institutions, including the Utah State Board of Education, The American Academy provides leading-edge resources and access to licensed, experienced instructors. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

The American Academy Announces High School Diploma Program for Adults

jbeck — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:47:03 -0400

For Immediate Release

Contact Information:
Alex Koritz
Sprout Marketing for The American Academy
801-641-3808
alex@sproutmarketing.com

The American Academy Announces High School Diploma Program for Adults

SALT LAKE CITY – August 12, 2008 - The American Academy today announced a new online education program designed for adult students. The online high school offers courses through their School-as-a-Service™ online school platform.

The new courses offer examples that are relevant - the economy, gas prices, mortgages, insurance, politics and more - all written in a tone that respects adults' experiences. In addition, all of TAA's adult course instructors have experience in adult education, allowing them to better instruct and identify with adults.

"Traditional online high school courses were designed with high school-age students in mind; the content reflected that audience in both tone and context," said Rebekah Richards, senior vice president of academic affairs and principal of The American Academy. "Adult students bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. With our new program, adults can return to school knowing that they will be treated like adults. They'll have the opportunity to learn skills that are relevant to their lives while finishing their high school diploma with other students their age."

The American Academy is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools and serves students throughout the U.S. and in several countries. Every student has access to licensed instructors and to tutoring available on-demand, 24/7.

Enrollment is now open at The American Academy, and classes begin every Monday. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

About The American Academy
The American Academy is an accredited online high school built on a system that has served more than 80,000 students since 1994. Its School-as-a-Service™ platform serves students worldwide who want to supplement their high school program or earn their high school diploma. The American Academy offers a flexible educational experience along with a high quality, engaging curriculum that aligns with state standards. Through its relationships with long-standing education institutions, The American Academy provides leading-edge resources and access to licensed, experienced instructors. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

# # #

The American Academy Names Bill Davison CEO

admin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:07:49 -0400

For Immediate Release

Contact Information:
Alex Koritz
Sprout Marketing for The American Academy
801-641-3808
alex@sproutmarketing.com

The American Academy Helps Navajo Nation Preserve Language, History

admin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:40:24 -0400

For Immediate Release

Contact Information:
Alex Koritz
Sprout Marketing for The American Academy
801-641-3808
alex@sproutmarketing.com

The American Academy Helps Navajo Nation Preserve Language, History

SALT LAKE CITY – June 3, 2008 - Navajo students can now learn their tribe's customs and language while becoming eligible for scholarships, thanks to two Navajo courses now being offered by leading online high school The American Academy.

The American Academy offers courses in Navajo Government and Navajo Language. Both courses are intended to enrich the cultural knowledge of students within and outside of the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Government course covers the evolution of Navajo government from its beginnings to the present time. In the Navajo Language course students learn to speak, write, and read numerals, anatomy, conversational phrases and other common terms.

"It's very important to the Navajo people to pass their traditions and language down from generation to generation," said Rebekah Richards, senior vice president of academic affairs and principal of The American Academy. "Teachers who are qualified to educate students about Diné culture are rare, particularly outside the reservation. We help members of the Navajo Nation preserve their cultural heritage by offering these online courses -- students anywhere in the country can access the courses and master the content with the help of a Navajo teacher."

High school credit for both courses is required to be eligible for the Chief Manuelito Scholarship, a four-year, $7000 per year scholarship awarded annually by the Navajo Nation to high-achieving Navajo students entering their first year of college. Several American Academy students are currently eligible for the award; recipients of the scholarship will be announced in July. Previously students outside traditional Navajo regions had little or no access to cultural courses from accredited institutions, but having the courses available online expands the potential scholarship applicant pool significantly.

"We sought availability of online Navajo courses because many schools that serve Navajo children do not offer such courses at the high school," said Rose Graham, director of the Navajo Nation Office of Scholarship and Financial Assistance. "Also, there are Navajo families in just about every state of the union where Navajo Language and History are definitely not taught in schools."

The American Academy is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, which means that credits earned at The American Academy will transfer to public and accredited private high schools across the country. The American Academy serves students throughout the U.S. and in several countries. Every student has access to licensed instructors and to tutoring available on-demand, 24/7.

Enrollment is now open at The American Academy, and 233 different classes begin every Monday. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

# # #

About The American Academy
The American Academy is an accredited online high school built on a system that has served more than 80,000 students since 1994. It serves students worldwide who want to supplement their high school program or earn their high school diploma. The American Academy offers a flexible educational experience along with a high quality, engaging curriculum that aligns with state standards. Through its relationships with long-standing education institutions, including the Utah State Board of Education, The American Academy provides leading-edge resources and access to licensed, experienced instructors. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

States Can Lower Dropout Rate, Improve NCLB Standing With The American Academy

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:47:35 -0400

For Immediate Release
Contact Information:
Alex Koritz
Sprout Marketing for The American Academy
801-641-3808
alex@sproutmarketing.com

States Can Lower Dropout Rate, Improve NCLB Standing With
The American Academy

SALT LAKE CITY – April 1, 2008 - The New York Times reported that states are reporting inflated graduation rates to the federal government. According to the article March 21, 2008), the states are doing this to avoid sanctions due to lack of compliance with federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. Only about 70 percent of the one million American students who start ninth grade each year graduate four years later, a number much lower than the NCLB-mandated graduation rates.

Professor Paul Zane Pilzer, economist and co-founder of The American Academy, said that states now have affordable, easy options to raise graduation rates and meet NCLB mandates by offering online options to students who can't attend school during traditional hours or who need to make up credits.

"States, school districts, and even individual high schools can use online high schools to help students earn their diploma," Pilzer said. "Students drop out when the traditional model isn’t working for them: some students need to work to support a family, some may have difficult social situations, and some simply don't learn best at 8:00 AM."

"There are very simple ways for school districts to economically serve these students," noted The American Academy Co-founder Anthony E. Meyer. “Our school offers 233 courses that students can take anywhere, anytime, on their own schedule. It doesn't take more teachers or buildings or expensive summer school programs. The schools just have to commit to their students, and we'll do the rest."

The American Academy is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, which means that every credit earned will transfer to public and accredited private high schools across the country. The American Academy serves students throughout the U.S. and in several countries. Every student has access to licensed instructors and to tutoring available on-demand, 24/7.

Enrollment is now open at The American Academy, and classes begin every Monday. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

# # #

The American Academy Presents Summer School Done Right

rebekah — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:55:13 -0400

For Immediate Release
Contact Information:
Alex Koritz
Sprout Marketing for The American Academy
801-641-3808
alex@sproutmarketing.com

The American Academy Presents Summer School Done Right

SALT LAKE CITY - March 25, 2008 - High school students looking to earn school credit this summer can now do so affordably and conveniently, thanks to online summer school by The American Academy.

The American Academy provides accredited online summer school courses that fit into a student's summer schedule and transfer to any accredited high school. Students choose online from 233 courses, are assigned to a licensed teacher, and also receive access to free tutoring sessions from Tutor.com.

"Between summer jobs, camp, and socializing with friends, the traditional model of sitting in a classroom all summer just doesn't work for many students," said Rebekah Richards, senior vice president of academic affairs and school principal. "The American Academy gives them the ability to make up credits or get ahead on their own schedule and at their own pace. They don't have to miss out on summer activities."

Students taking courses at the American Academy this summer have access to individualized academic and study support, including:

Access to licensed instructors for every course
Online tutoring options, powered by Tutor.com, are available on-demand 24x7 for students who need a little extra support
Resources for students and parents on The American Academy website, including a "How to Succeed in Summer School" podcast
Subscription to the Online Summer School newsletter with tips, hints, and reminders to help keep students on track

The American Academy also announced that students who register before June 30 will receive a discount on tuition. Students can use the SUMMER2008 coupon code at checkout.

Enrollment is now open at The American Academy, and classes begin every Monday. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

# # #

About The American Academy
The American Academy is an accredited online high school built on a system that has served more than 80,000 students since 1994. It serves students worldwide who want to supplement their high school program or earn their high school diploma. The American Academy offers a flexible educational experience along with a high quality, engaging curriculum that aligns with state standards. Through its relationships with long-standing education institutions, The American Academy provides leading-edge resources and access to licensed, experienced instructors. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.

The American Academy Earns Accreditation from the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools

admin — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:51:06 -0500

For Immediate Release
Contact Information:
Alex Koritz
Sprout Marketing for The American Academy
801-641-3808
alex@sproutmarketing.com

SALT LAKE CITY – March 4, 2008 – Online high school The American Academy announced today that it has earned accreditation from the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS).

Edutopia.org - The American Academy Helps Preserve the Navajo Language

The American Academy Announces "School as a Service" Programs

The American Academy’s Rebekah Richards Addresses Virtual School Symposium

The American Academy Joins America's Promise Alliance to Educate Struggling Youth

The American Academy Joins America's Promise Alliance to Educate Struggling Youth

The American Academy Announces High School Diploma Program for Adults

The American Academy Announces High School Diploma Program for Adults

The American Academy Names Bill Davison CEO

The American Academy Helps Navajo Nation Preserve Language, History

The American Academy Helps Navajo Nation Preserve Language, History

States Can Lower Dropout Rate, Improve NCLB Standing With The American Academy

States Can Lower Dropout Rate, Improve NCLB Standing WithThe American Academy

The American Academy Presents Summer School Done Right

The American Academy Presents Summer School Done Right

The American Academy Earns Accreditation from the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools

States Can Lower Dropout Rate, Improve NCLB Standing With
The American Academy