“Let
every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to
consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus
Christ which is eternal life, (John 17:5) and therefore to lay Christ in the
bottom, as the only foundation of all found knowledge and learning.” – issued
at Harvard College in 1642
Let us
recapture this foundation of American greatness!
Dear
Parents:
Cornerstone
Online Academy welcomes you and your child. We are honored to serve your family’s educational needs. Our
Academy is intended to be a support and extension of the Christian home in the
training of your children for a productive future.
This
Handbook will explain to you the goals and policies of C.O.A. Please review this Handbook carefully and
instruct your children on its contents.
Each student and parent is expected to support the goals and policies
of C.O.A.
The
interest that you have shown in Christian education represents an important
step in your effort as parents to provide a
Christ-centered education for your children, training them up in the way of the
Lord and not in the ways of the world.
“Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the
words of knowledge.” Proverbs 19:27.
Blessings upon your home! The Cornerstone
Online Academy Staff
Handbook Index – click on a topic
Sec. 1 – General Policies Sec. 2 – Basic Academic Matters
Our Purpose Personalized Instruction
Statement of Faith Grading System
Biblical Basis for Education High School Degrees Offered
Admissions Sec. 3 – Other Policies
Attendance Cornerstone Phone Number
Parent Involvement Accreditation Policy
Educational Integrity Agreement
SECTION
I - GENERAL POLICIES
Our Purpose
Ø Cornerstone Online Academy is committed to provide quality distance learning education via the internet at affordable cost to students of Christian families who are looking for a Christ-centered school program combining academic excellence with a biblical world view.
Statement of
Faith
Ø We believe and accept the entire Bible as the infallible Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit; the only and perfect order of our faith and manner of living, to which nothing can be added or taken away, which is the power of God unto salvation to believers. (II Peter 1:21; II Tim. 3:16-17; Rom 1:16).
Ø We believe that regeneration or the new birth is received only through faith in Christ Jesus, who was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. They who are in Christ Jesus cleansed through His Blood are new creatures and have Him for wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption. (Rom 3:24-25; II Cor 5:17; I Cor 1:30).
Ø We believe that the Scriptures teach a life of holiness, without which no man will see the Lord. By power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” Entire sanctification is the will of God for all believers, and should be earnestly pursued by genuine repentance and by obedience to God’s Word. (Heb 12:14; I Peter 1:15-16; I Thes 5:23-24; I John 2:6; Rom 8:3-4).
Biblical Basis
for Education
Ø Parents are mandated by God to educate their children, who are gifts from God ( Psalms 127:3-5).
Ø Parents are responsible to “train up” their children in the way of the Lord and not the ways of the world ( Prov 22:6 and Eph 6:4).
Ø God’s people are told, “Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen….for the customs of the people are vain...” ( Jer. 10:2-3).
Ø Proverbs 19:27 states, “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words for knowledge.”
Ø Jesus said, “ Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matt 22:21).
Ø It
is clear that God has been very careful to instruct parents as to the type
of education a child is to receive.
Ø In God’s economy of things, He has ordained three basic institutions: The Family, the Church, and the State. In fulfilling parental responsibility for the education of children, the family commonly seeks help and support from one of these other institutions, outside the home.
Ø Since there is no Biblical authority for the state being involved in education, the mission of the Christian Academy is to assist the parents in fulfilling their Christian responsibility to “train up” their children.
Basic
Educational Goals
Ø To give God the glory in all things.
Ø To lead non-Christians to Christ.
Ø To develop well disciplined spiritual leaders.
Ø To develop an understanding of one’s unique responsibility to God including a life of true holiness.
Ø To help students realize their capabilities and limitations and how to make the most of them.
Ø To equip each student with the ability to communicate clearly.
Ø To encourage creativity and curiosity.
Ø To teach each student to make constructive use of time.
Ø To teach the fundamentals of Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science and Bible.
Back to Index
Admissions
Ø Cornerstone Online Academy exists to offer Christian education to students grades 3-12.
Ø Student who are new to the program will begin by taking online diagnostic tests to determine their grade/book level in the Switched On Schoolhouse (S.O.S.) curriculum. This allows for a high degree of individualization in all subjects.
Ø
Notice of
Non-discriminatory Policy:
Cornerstone Online
Academy admits students of any sex, race, color, or national and ethnic origin
to all the rights and privileges, programs, and activities generally available
to students of the Academy. It does not
discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, or national and ethnic origin in
the administration of education policies, admission policies, or other aspects
of the program except where necessitated by specific religious tenets held by
C.O.A.
Ø
How to Enroll
1. Complete and return the Application.
2. The director will notify parents of acceptance or
rejection of the student’s registration.
3. $125.00 registration fee is due upon acceptance. Tuition
and book fees may be paid in lump sum “up front” or monthly.
4. Parents must request previous school transcript record be
sent to Cornerstone, or provide home school records.
Back to Index
Attendance
Ø It is the responsibility of the parent to assist students in keeping a regular schoolwork schedule. This is important for student success and to comply with legal requirements.
Ø The Switched On Schoolhouse program assigns daily work utilizing a computer based school calendar, which makes this regular scheduling very convenient.
Finances
Ø Tuition and Books
1.
Current Tuition for each student is $100.00 per month for 10 months.
2.
Families are charged a $250.00 annual book fee per student ($50 per
course).
3.
Annual National Standard Achievement Testing runs
$20-$30. All full time students are required to test annually.
4.
Families will receive regular financial statements from
COA.
Ø
Some Online School Expenses
may be Tax Deductible or Refundable.
Parents residing in Minnesota may
be eligible to receive a tax credit for school books and a
deduction (subject to income limitations) for
school tuition and other expenses.
Check your state’s tax
website for more information.
Parent
Involvement
Cornerstone assumes there will be active regular
parental involvement in the education
of their children, including:
Ø Providing an Orderly and Organized School Work area. Students should have a designated place for learning, even if using a laptop. Avoid high traffic and noisy areas, such as the tv room. Establish an organized area for storing school materials.
Ø Establishing a Regular Work Schedule for Distance Learning. The home setting and distance learning format offers tremendous flexibility, but students still need the structure of a regular school work schedule. Please note also that Switched-On Schoolhouse requires a minimum of 175 contact days per year for full-time students.
Ø Daily monitoring and assisting with homework as needed. Although Switched-On Schoolhouse is geared to self-study under professional online supervision, students will still need and benefit from your personal help and encouragement. Schedule your time – or the students – so that you are available to help them. Your parental involvement makes a huge difference!
Ø Contacting
C.O.A. staff if special questions or concerns arise.
Ø
Educational Integrity
Agreement. Online
distance education relies heavily on the integrity of both students and
parents. Parents will be given a special passcode to access answer key
information. It is imperative that the passcode NOT be given to students
– intentionally or accidentally. Parents are expected to use this access wisely
and sparingly only to assist their children in learning – not to give them easy
answers which short-circuit the learning process. Parents will sign an Educational Integrity Agreement before
receiving passcode access. Violations of passcode agreement may result in
loss of passcode privileges or in dismissal from the Academy.
SECTION II – BASIC ACADEMIC MATTERS
The basic instructional approach to learning is highly individualized. Curriculum prescriptions are made in each subject to fit each student's needs. The Switched On Schoolhouse program holds students accountable for mastery of content and learning objectives. Important concepts do not get “missed” or passed over. Students do not just “pass on” to the next level without at least an 80% mastery level. Our staff is available via email and by phone (during office hours) to assist in student progress.
Ø Standards of Excellence
o Grades are based on individual performance as compared to set standards of excellence (percent grading), rather than comparing students with group performance (the typical grading “on the curve”).
o Final Grades in each Unit of Study are based on Student Performance on:
· Several unit quizzes
· Unit writing assignments and graded activities (scored by our staff)
· Daily work
· Final Test Score
· These are weighted and averaged to produce an overall final grade for the unit of study in any given subject.
· All grades are easily accessible by parents and students on the students’ home computer at any time, so progress on assignments and subjects is easily monitored.
Ø Letter Grades and Percent Scores
Percent scores on daily work, quizzes, special assignments, and finals are converted to letter grades by the following standard:
A = 94 – 100 % B = 86 – 93 % C = 80 – 85 % Below 80 % = No Credit
Students not earning at least an 80% on a Study Unit will be given opportunity to review and re-test on the material. If this does not produce at least an 80% result, the unit will be redone by the student to achieve mastery.
Ø Cornerstone Online Academy offers three high school graduation degrees to full-time students: Vocational, General, and Academic:
o The vocational degree is designed to meet minimum high school graduation requirements for students with no future college plans.
o The general degree is the most common goal for high school graduation. This degree meets high school graduation requirements in preparation for most colleges.
o The academic degree is our most advanced college preparation course, and requires the highest level of high school coursework.
Ø High school graduation requirements for all three degrees must be met in two areas:
o Total Credits earned in high school work
o Unit Levels completed.
o During the first year of high school work, our staff will assist students and parents in designing a high school academic projection plan with one of the three degrees as a goal. This plan will meet total credit and book unit level requirements, while taking into account individual interests and future plans.
Ø Full-time Cornerstone Online Academy graduates are eligible to attend graduation ceremonies at Cornerstone Christian School of Emily, Minnesota. Contact us for details.
SECTION III – OTHER SCHOOL POLICIES
Ø The basic school calendar runs from the day after Labor Day in September through the end of May, with two days at Thanksgiving, two weeks off at Christmas and one week at Easter. Presidents’ Day is normally a vacation day. The school calendar provides 175 student contact days per year. If your local requirements or family needs differ, please contact the school director for assistance. Beyond this basic school schedule, students are free to work on their own flexible schedule, as long as they meet or exceed basic program requirements.
Ø Teacher office hours will be posted on this website for live assistance. Teaching staff may be contacted by phone during these hours for academic help. During other times our staff may contacted via email.
Ø The phone number at Cornerstone is: (218) 763-2939, USA
Ø Cornerstone Online Academy will maintain and provide student progress records and transcripts to be available at request of family/student.
Ø Right of Access to Student Records
The Buckley Amendment of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 grants the right of access to educational records accumulated subsequent to December 21, 1974. Access must be granted within 45 days of making a written request. A request must be submitted to the school administrator. Available records include grades, evaluations and standardized test results. These records cannot be released to persons or institutions outside the school without written request of the parents.
The Buckley Amendment affords the right to challenge the accuracy of recorded information. A parent may challenge the content of the records by making a written statement of his position. That statement shall be inserted in the records.
Accreditation by a state or regional government agency is an administrative mechanism designed to ensure uniform education for all children in secular public schools. Accreditation was established as a governmental means for determining whether minimum academic and faculty standards were being met by secular tax-supported schools. Cornerstone Online Academy has not sought accreditation by any governmental agency for several reasons:
Ø Cornerstone is not interested in using curriculum adapted or approved by the state. Many of these materials are developed by secular authors who reject fundamental Christian principles and embrace secular humanistic values that deny man’s need of God.
Ø C.O.A. utilizes Switched On Schoolhouse curriculum, developed by Alpha and Omega Publications. This mastery learning program commonly meets and exceeds public school performance standards.
Ø Cornerstone Online Academy believes it is unreasonable for parents to withdraw their children from a government school and place them in private institutions with the same curriculum methods and objectives. To accept secular school curriculum and accrediting would deny Christian parents the distinct alternative of Christian education.
Accreditation of a Christian school should not be necessary for a graduate who wishes to enroll in a college or university. The main criteria for college admissions are normally student aptitude and achievement as determined through high school grades along with nationally normed standardized tests. Our curriculum is designed for academic excellence.