Students at Georgia Cyber Academy, an accredited, full-time, online public charter school, will begin their 2016-2017 school year on August 15th as the program marks its 10th year of operation in the state. According to a spring 2016 survey conducted by Edge Research, 91% of the families with students enrolled in the school during the 2015-2016 school year felt that their child had benefitted academically from the curriculum.

The first virtual charter school in Georgia history and currently the largest public school in Georgia, GCA is open to all students who reside in Georgia and serves students from all 159 counties across the state.

The rigorous and engaging curriculum offered by the school includes courses in language arts/English, math, science, history, world languages, art and music, as well as elective and Advanced Placement courses for high school students. State-certified teachers provide instruction, guidance, and support and regularly interact with students and parents via email, web-based classrooms, online discussions, phone and face-to-face meetings. As a public school option, there is no tuition.

“We chose GCA because my daughter, Mary-Kate, was participating in a pre-professional dance program which required her to be in the studio several hours a day, making it nearly impossible to attend a traditional school,” said GCA parent, Ann Billings. “Thanks to GCA, Mary-Kate was able to keep dancing and keep up her fantastic academic record. Through GCA’s student groups and clubs, not only has Mary-Kate been able to meet more diverse and like-minded students, but also develop strong leadership skills while strengthening her self-motivation and independence. She has grown both academically and as an individual through the rigor and support GCA provides and we have no doubt that switching to online education was the right move for Mary-Kate.”

GCA gives advanced learners the ability to progress faster through subjects in which they excel, while students who need to spend more time in certain subject areas are able to do so. Teachers work closely with each student’s parent or guardian to identify the best path for success.

“An exceptional education means having choices. Georgia families appreciate the ability to select an individualized public school option which suits their needs. At GCA we offer a wide variety of courses so students can learn at their own level, and explore the areas that interest them the most,” said Matt Arkin, Head of School at GCA. “Whether competing in the Olympics, going on to Ivy League Schools, winning statewide community service awards, or taking dual-enrollment courses at over 40 colleges across the state, our hardworking students are driven to succeed, and we look forward to what the 2016-2017 school year has in store for each of them.”

Earlier this summer GCA challenged enrolled families to prevent summer ‘brain drain’ by offering students free access to LearnBop, a self-paced solution that simulates a one-on-one, personalized math tutoring experience. The award-winning online program will continue to be available free of charge throughout the fall and can be used alongside the regular math curriculum to build math skills or prepare for high-level exams.

The school, which serves a higher population of low-income students than the state average, has also been credited for reducing the achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students, who benefit from the individualized online program.