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Forest Trail Academy | Accredited K-12 Online Homeschool

Forest Trail Academy: Online School Reviewed by Valid Education

Established in the year 2007, the Forest Trail Academy is a renowned online school dedicated to the endeavor of extending educational opportunities through virtual learning. By far, it has enrolled 10,000 students with around 8000 graduates.

Let’s delve deeper into the offerings of this accredited online school.

Accreditation

Accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Middle States Association – Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA CESS), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). And this accreditation action was approved by Cognia. 

International Partners of the Forest Trail Academy

  • Atlantis Leadership Academy
  • Premier Educational Solutions
  • Sea of Strengths Academy
  • Kids Way School
  • The American Daycare
  • Stanford High Academy
  • Inner Changes for Girls and Boys
  • Digistudents Ltd

Programs Offered

Online Elementary School (Kindergarten to 5)

With an interactive elementary school curriculum, this institution helps students thrive conveniently and builds a solid academic base. The subjects at this level include Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, and Social Science.

Online Middle School (6th, 7th and 8th)

As a leading accredited online school, Forest Trail Academy provides a quality middle school experience. At this stage, the school focuses on building good study habits and stronger study skills. Subjects at this level are Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, and Social Science. Students can also opt for enrichment electives at this level (Art, Physical Education, and Technology). However, this choice depends on their academic plan.

Online High School (9 to 12)

High schoolers can discover their path to academic success with Forest Trail’s high school online programs. These self-paced programs are perfectly backed with online classes and one-to-one teacher support. Students enrolling in the FTA can opt for Advanced Placement courses, 2 electives, foreign languages, over and above the core courses.  Only the students completing at least 25% of their total coursework at the FTA are eligible to earn a diploma. Those opting for individual courses are not eligible for a diploma.   

Credit Recovery and Online Individual Courses

To help students earn credits that they missed, the Forest Trail offers credit recovery courses. With personalized instructions, tailored strategies, and a conducive environment, this online school supports student success with the right amount of flexibility. They can learn with interactive lessons outside the traditional classrooms, and get their academics back on the right track. Many students and parents are also using these courses to supplement their homeschool curricula. Many others are making use of these courses to earn credits in a cost-effective way.

Fee Structure:

K-5 Elementary School6-8 Middle School9-12 High School
$3,069.00 Per Grade$3,669.00 Per Grade$4,269.00 Per Grade
Downpayment: $480Downpayment: $530Downpayment: $580
Monthly Payment: $236/month (11 months)Monthly Payment: $286/month (11 months)Monthly Payment: $336/month (11 months)

Features:

Dedicated Teacher Support

Like the best online high schools, the Forest Trail Academy provides dedicated teacher support to help students throughout their academic journey. FTA’s expert teachers connect with parents and students proactively through live chats, conferences, and the message center.

As of June 2023, the FTA had 39 teachers, and 80% of these had an advanced degree. These teachers have an experience of 10 years in teaching (on average).

Teachers employed at the FTA need to respond to student queries within 48 hours. They are also supposed to share their feedback on the same within 72 hours (after receiving the assignment). If a student does not receive a proper response from his/her teacher, the school provides a student service contact number and an email address to raise this issue. 

Innovative FTA Homeschooling Program

Homeschooling is a growing trend, and the recent numbers show a remarkable increase in the number of homeschooled students in the U.S.

Take a look at the figures below:

Back in 2018-19, 2.8% were homeschooled. By 2022-23, this figure rose to 3.4%.

Considering this paradigm shift, top accredited online schools like the Forest Trail Academy are supporting the homeschooling movement with dedicated homeschooling programs. This leading institution supports homeschooling families to help them comply with their state-specific homeschooling attendance laws. Once a student completes the program successfully, the school also awards a proper transcript with grades and a diploma. This valuable credential helps students further in their college admissions, employment verifications, and any other school transfer validations.

Presently, this online school offers a homeschool program only for grades K-8. The school supplies printed material, interactive lessons, and engaging activities to make homeschooling more convenient for families. This program can be opted for in the form of a ‘Secular’ or a ‘Christian correspondence course’

You can check more details of these programs here.

Curriculum

The FTA has a national curriculum to help young students thrive in an online learning environment. This school prioritizes student learning at each step with its visionary curriculum design and carefully planned pedagogies.

College Acceptance

Students graduating from the FTA are accepted into leading colleges and universities such as:

ABRAHAM BALDWIN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
ADELPHI UNIVERSITY
AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE
ALBION COLLEGE
ALMA COLLEGE
BAKER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BARTON COLLEGE
CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
COLGATE UNIVERSITY
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
DARTON COLLEGE
DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY IN MANILA,
PHILIPPINES
DE PAUL UNIVERSITY
DEVRY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
DUKE UNIVERSITY
DURHAM UNIVERSITY (ENGLAND)
EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY IN OKLAHOMA

Final Thoughts

For superior quality online schooling, the Forest Trail Academy is a promising option. If you can thrive in a purely asynchronous learning environment, do consider this school.

Thanks for Reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does the Forest Trail Academy offer live online classes?
    The Forest Trail Academy offers asynchronous courses only. This means that they do not offer any live online classes.
  • Is there any hidden charge levied by the Forest Trail Academy?
    The school makes payment options and its fee structure clear through its official website. However, you can connect with the school directly to learn more about any additional charges.