Summer at GOA

GOA courses are designed to be passion-driven learning experiences. We want students to learn deeply about a topic they care about in an environment that's flexible, supportive, and interactive. Taking an online course allows you to learn on your own schedule, building GOA course time around other summer experiences.

GOA is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. We will deliver an official transcript to students from non-member schools who complete the course. Students from member schools might be eligible for credit from their schools for summer GOA courses: they should check with their GOA site director.

These 7-week courses are intensive. Most of them cover a semester's worth of material and expect a 10-12 hour per week commitment from students. Geometry and Spanish 1 are designed to replace yearlong high school courses, so students should expect to dedicate 15-20 hours per week to these courses. While GOA courses are mostly asynchronous and thus allow for flexibility in schedule, students should plan on logging in to their GOA course multiple times a week to check in, participate in discussions, and share their work. Teachers offer opportunities to connect synchronously via video call on a weekly basis.

Students with plans to miss more than 7 total days of the course (ie: vacation, camp) should not enroll. Students who will be taking time off from the course for a personal commitment of 7 days or fewer should communicate time conflicts with their teachers within the first days of the course. Students, in collaboration with their teachers, must come up with plans to complete the work in advance.

Our courses are designed to accommodate students from many different times zones. Our teachers leverage online learning tools, such as Canvas, Twist, Flipgrid, and Padlet, to foster relationships in the course asynchronously. Students can expect at least one video call per week with their teachers or classmates, but there will not be moments in the course when the entire section gathers on a video call. We encourage students to advocate for themselves and communicate to their teachers and peers about schedules and time zones, especially during occasional small group projects. Students should be able to log in to Canvas regularly, but they will not be expected to log in at specific times of day.

All GOA courses require a computer or tablet with a reliable, consistent internet connection. Courses will take place in GOA's learning management system, Canvas, and once the course begins, teachers will let students know which specific free web-tools will be used in the course. Information for courses requiring or recommending additional textbooks will be communicated to students before courses begin.

Friday, April 30: Students who enroll by 7p EST on April 30 will get a seat in a class. While enrollment remains open until June 16 for Summer 1 and July 7 for Summer 2, students who enroll after April 30 may encounter waitlists for some courses.

Summer 1 Key Dates
Monday, December 14: Enrollment opens
Monday, June 6: Homepages published for students and access emails sent
Tuesday, June 14: Courses Open with 2-day Orientation (includes synchronous teacher/student video call). Thursday, June 16: Last day to DROP without financial penalty.
Monday, June 20: Last day to ADD/DROP. Drop entails 50% refund of enrollment fee.
Monday, August 1: Summer 1 ends
Friday, August 5: Final learning reports distributed

Summer 2 Key Dates
Monday, December 14 : Enrollment opens
Monday, June 30: Homepages published for students and access emails sent
Tuesday, July 5: Courses Open with 2-day Orientation (includes synchronous teacher/student video call). Thursday, July 7: Last day to DROP without financial penalty.
Monday, July 11: Last day to ADD/DROP. Drop entails 50% refund of enrollment fee.
Monday, August 22: Summer 2 ends
Friday, August 26: Final learning reports distributed

Most GOA teachers are also teachers at one of our Member Schools. They are experienced online and in-person educators who have been trained by GOA and are deeply skilled in teaching and supporting students.

GOA uses the Canvas Learning Management system, which maintains an open gradebook, meaning students have real-time access to their work and feedback. GOA will deliver a learning report with a grade expressed as a percentage to students and families twice during the course. When faculty at summer students' home schools request a copy of these records, we also share the information with them. At GOA we use a competency-based approach to assessment, which means that students receive actionable feedback aligned with the articulated goals of the course. Their progress toward these competencies is what drives their grade in the course.

Most GOA summer courses cost $750 per enrollment for students from member schools and $1,000 per enrollment for students from non-member schools. Spanish Language Through Culture I and Geometry are more intensive than our other summer courses and cost $1,000 for students from member schools and $1,200 for students from non-member schools. See the "important dates" question above for information on course drops and refunds.

Yes, you can take a GOA course if you graduated from a GOA member school within the last 12 months.