The Olathe District Schools' eAcademy courses serve the needs of home schooled students, those needing credit enhancement, and students in tight scheduling situations who need elective options, in grades nine through twelve, living within the Olathe District's attendance boundaries. eAcademy courses are generally completed outside of the school day and away from the school campus.

Olathe public school students should first meet with their counselor to discuss enrollment.

If the eAcademy is right for you, see the enrollment page for enrollment information.

eAcademy offers a variety of courses that are designed and taught by certified Olathe teachers, utilizing the Board-adopted Olathe curricula and instructional materials. Students who enroll in courses must adhere to strict deadlines and complete all the coursework outlined by the instructor. A variety of instructional methods are utilized to deliver content including print and online texts, video and audio, CD-ROM, streaming media, discussion boards, and more. Student email accounts are utilized as the primary tool for communication..

Students in eAcademy use Internet-based course management systems to complete their course work - primarily Blackboard. Assignments will be completed using basic office software which the student must provide. All assignments are sent to the teacher through email. Grades are posted in an online gradebook with full parent access.

This content delivery model is true virtual learning since the instructor is never face to face with the students and the entire course is built into the course management system. Students are required to take final exams (and in some courses, mid-terms) face to face under the supervision of the eAcademy staff.

Each student and one of their parents is required to complete an online Orientation in Blackboard that is approximately one hour long. Parents may also be required to submit records of student online attendance.

In some schools, students may have limited access to a computer to take an online course during their school day as one of their scheduled hours. This is referred to as eLearning. The only difference is the time of delivery. Because the courses are online, students have the ability to, and should expect to, access the courses from home as well, to complete homework and other assignments just as they would in the traditional classroom.

Typical eAcademy students are:

• Students wanting to supplement their regular class load
• Students who are home schooled
• Students who regularly attend private school, but want a course that is not offered at their home school
• Students who due to circumstances are homebound
• Students who desire an alternative learning style from the standard school model
• Students who are highly motivated, self-directed, independent learners who do not need a high degree of encouragement from adults in order to stay on a rigorous timeline

Your school counselor can help you determine if an eAcademy course is right for you, or contact the eAcademy office for more information.

eAcademy also administers the Olathe District's Computer Proficiency Exam.
Information is available from your counselor and on the eAcademy Enrollment page.