Frequently Asked Questions

The mission of GOA is to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society.

• We deepen learning through courses that equip students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be successful in high school, college, career, and life.
• We coach teachers to think differently about how they design student learning experiences.
• We work with educational leaders to ensure they have the strategies and tools to lead innovation and change.

Yes, we are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Yes.

Member schools are accredited public, independent, charter, and international schools that are interested in providing their students with an exciting array of courses to explore their interests and pursue their passions, cultivating durable skills that will set students up for success after high school, and furthering their teachers’ ability to engage and support their students’ ability to apply their skills to an ever-increasing set of complex tasks.

GOA semester and yearlong courses are designed for high school students and are open to students from our member schools. Additionally, GOA offers certain courses for students in Grades 6-8. All GOA students must be 13 years of age or older at the time of enrollment. Summer courses are open to all students. Semester 1, Semester 2, and Yearlong courses are available only to students from GOA Student Program member schools.

GOA courses are designed to require the same commitment and engagement as any single class at your school. We've created this brief slideshow with an overview of what's expected of GOA students as well as questions to ask yourself as you consider taking a GOA course.

Yes: Most of our courses are NCAA-approved. The notation “NCAA-approved” appears in the descriptions of approved courses in our course catalog.

Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, GOA secured accreditation from WASC, which was the final requirement to receive UC approval as an online course publisher and appear in their portal. This communication from UC explains the details of this approval process, and they provided this list of FAQs to share. Please check with your school counselor for more information.

GOA does not grant diplomas.

GOA classes are designed and taught predominantly by teachers from Student Program Member Schools. In some cases, we hire experts from outside of our member schools to teach specific courses. All teachers at our member schools are eligible to teach a GOA class.

GOA courses are observed and evaluated by our staff to ensure they meet the standards of our exemplary schools. All GOA teachers receive 60 hours of professional development prior to teaching a course and are paired with an instructional coach for ongoing mentoring and support.

Our courses are small (average roster is 20 students) so that teachers can engage with their students on a regular basis. In addition to scheduled 1:1 meetings with their students, every teacher has regular office hours when they are available to video chat or talk. Just as with a teacher on campus, students can also schedule individual meetings to discuss something or ask a question.

Students make connections and form relationships with classmates through partner work, group projects, and discussion forums. Students can ask a peer for support, input, or just strike up a conversation via a live video chat feature or through instant messaging.

No. These classes are taught by teachers who approach the design of their course the same as any other class they teach. In most cases, a full load of courses is seven classes, including art and physical education. GOA classes should not be added as an eighth class, or as a sixth academic class.

GOA courses are primarily asynchronous, meaning that students do not need to attend pre-determined class meetings times. Instead, teachers design and publish coursework and calendars, and students can, within that framework, work on their own schedules. All student work is submitted and assessed in our Learning Management System. In addition, students communicate frequently with teachers and peers via tools like email, chat, and video call. Students can expect to connect synchronously with teachers and classmates via video on a weekly or biweekly basis.

Over 90% of GOA students report that the intellectual challenge of their GOA course is comparable or exceeds that of courses they take in-person on their school’s campus.

All Student Program Members award school credit for GOA courses. GOA teachers assess student work in our Learning Management System in an open gradebook, meaning students, schools, and teachers can get real-time updates on performance. In addition, GOA sends a narrative grade report to students, families, and schools at the midterm and end of each semester.

The majority of our courses are one semester – 15 weeks — long. We also offer a handful of yearlong classes.

Sections of our courses are limited to 20 students.

Colleges should view students who take GOA courses as curious, driven, and responsible. Students learning with GOA are excited to share their voice on a global stage, and pursue topics that will fuel their passion and help prepare them for success in higher education.

GOA curriculum is created and curated by our member school teachers, who are proven exemplary educators in their school communities. Teachers model creative thinking, research, and discussion skills by curating interesting and relevant content, designing interactive and hands-on learning experiences, and collaborating with students to make meaning together. Read what Stanford University’s Dean of Admissions has to say about GOA.

GOA courses do carry an enrollment fee. It is up to the member school whether that fee is covered by the school or the student. Summer courses, which are open to all students, carry an enrollment fee for both member and non-member school students.

Students report a high level of engagement with their GOA teachers, including 1:1 conversations. Interactions are both asynchronous and synchronous: students can expect to communicate with teachers via tools like email, chat, and video call.

GOA courses are designed to be as challenging and as interactive as courses at a home school. In a typical week, students commit five to seven hours to a GOA course and log in five to seven times to interact with their teacher and peers. Teachers publish a calendar and coursework, ensuring that there are multiple touchpoints for students to show their learning and connect with others. Learn more about the GOA experience.

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. Algebra I, Geometry, and Precalculus, 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 time 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. Required and recommended course materials can be found here.

Summer Term 2025 Key Dates
Thursday, February 14 (12:00am UTC): Enrollment opens.

Monday, June 10: Course welcome pages published for students and access emails sent.

Monday, June 16: Courses begin.

Friday, June 20 (11:59pm UTC): Last day to ADD/DROP a summer course with no financial penalty.

Tuesday, June 24 (11:59pm UTC): Last day to DROP a summer course with 50% refund of the enrollment fee.

Friday, August 1: Summer courses end.

Friday, August 8: 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 $800 per enrollment for students from member schools and $1,200 per enrollment for students from non-member schools. Algebra I, Geometry, and Precalculus are more intensive than our other summer courses and cost $1,100 for students from member schools and $1,400 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.

No. The GOA team will be able to see how many courses you have completed with GOA and in which pathway, so you will automatically receive a Pathway Certification or a Global Learning Certification when you have completed the eligible courses.

If you are at a GOA member school, consult with your college counselor as to whether your school plans to include GOA certifications to your transcript or if it's better to include your GOA certification as an addendum.

Yes. These will be emailed to the student. The GOA-issued certificate includes a list of courses the student has taken, the competencies mastered in those courses, and Pathway Certification earned.

To earn a Pathway Certification, you need to take three (or more) GOA courses within one of the eight learning pathway subject areas. To earn a Global Learning Certification, you need to take any three (or more) GOA courses no matter the pathway. All semester, yearlong, and summer courses count toward a Global Learning Certification.

By pursuing a Pathway Certification or Global Learning Certification, students demonstrate their knowledge and expertise, strengthen their credibility, get a head start in college and career preparation, and stand out in college admissions and job searches.

Geometry and Precalculus are core requirements at most schools, and therefore they are not included in the Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning Pathway.

We anticipate making students' progress toward certifications visible to member school Site Directors in their portals during the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Nevertheless, if a student has satisfactorily completed two courses, know that we have a record of that and will follow up with certification when they complete the third. The graduating class of 2024 will be the first students eligible to receive a Pathway Certification or a Global Learning Certification.

All courses eligible for Pathway Certification must be completed through GOA.

If a course is in a Learning Pathway, it is listed on the course's information page on the website and in the course description in the student registration portal. You can also see a list of each Pathway and the courses in each Pathway here.

You can join any of our educator courses. You can have GOA facilitate an online workshop for your school. Your school can become a GOA member.

Participants will need a working computer, access to the internet, and a functional webcam. Unless specified in the course description, there are no prerequisites for GOA Educator courses.

Educator courses are free for educators from member schools. For non-members, please see the specific course page for pricing.

Most GOA online courses are asynchronous, meaning you can do work at your own pace and time during the time frame that the course is open. We also offer optional synchronous video chats with facilitators and coaches during a course. Again, these are always optional and recorded if you cannot make it.

This is really up to you. We say the expectation is anywhere from three to five hours a week. This can be in one chunk, or you may spend time a few days a week in the course. Courses are also open on the weekends if that’s more convenient for you. The amount of time is really up to you and what you want to get out of the experience.

Educators from GOA member schools and beyond. We have education leaders and educators from secondary, middle, and elementary schools that take our courses. We have people in our courses who work at independent schools as well as public and charter schools.

We keep our professional learning online courses open for up to two weeks after the course ends, so you will have time to peruse resources even after the course is over. We do not leave courses open indefinitely because the hallmark of our online courses is the relationships between participants and the coaches. We will communicate the course close date with you the ahead of time.

Yes. We encourage collaboration in all of our professional learning courses. Relationships and collaboration are hallmarks of our online learning experience.

You will receive an email with your Canvas login information and invitation to join the course. If you do not receive this and are registered for the course, please email: hello@globalonlineacademy.org.

Most online courses are one week long. Some are shorter. We also offer some synchronous, coached experiences that are longer in duration.

We believe in the power of networks to transform learning. GOA educator courses allow you to engage with colleagues from other schools to push your thinking or share inspiration and ideas that can impact the way you teach and lead. We mix the practical with the theoretical. You will explore playlists of resources, engage in dialogue with peers, share your own experience, ask questions, and create something with your new knowledge.

You can register for educator courses here.

Our courses are designed to be hands-on and highly interactive. Participants are expected to log into their course frequently and commit approximately 30 minutes per day for a total of 3-6 hrs of work each week. Whether it’s a discussion, work on a shared project, or reading for the course, clear timeframes for the completion of coursework will be provided by the instructor. Just as with a traditional learning environment, participants are expected to communicate and collaborate with peers both synchronously (at a set time, using video conferencing), and asynchronously (at different times, using online discussion tools).

Our educator courses are designed and facilitated by education leaders and teachers with practical experience and expertise in the subject area.

If you are registered for an educator course or program and cannot participate, you may cancel, or drop, the course or program at least two weeks prior to the start date in order to receive reimbursement.

We are sometimes able to accommodate a switch to another course offering with at least two weeks notice.

Our professional learning courses allow teachers to expand their professional knowledge, develop new ways of thinking about their practice to match the modern world, and prepare students for a global future. Specifically, participants will enhance their current practice and have the flexibility to learn at a time that works for their individual schedules.

We do offer participation certificates. To obtain one, you must complete the course in its entirety; you cannot generate a certificate until the day after the course is completed. On your honor, you may generate your own certificate here. You will need your unique id, which was sent in your enrollment confirmation and welcome email (participants from courses before May 2020 may need to request their unique id by emailing Hello@globalonlineacademy.org with a certificate request that includes your email address, class name, and the date of the course). Some people generate certificates and are able to turn it into their schools as proof of completion and/or clock hours/CEUs. It really depends on the school and individual.

We do not offer college credit for weeklong courses, only the certificate mentioned above. For longer courses and programs, we can offer CEUs through OSPI in Washington state.