Spotlight on Success: Compass Charter Schools
As a leading California WASC-accredited virtual charter school of choice, Compass Charter Schools (Compass) is known for exceeding expectations for how education can be taught through personalized virtual learning. The flexible learning programs offered allow scholars as Compass calls them, to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally in the learning environment that serves them best.
It is important to the staff at Compass to form close relationships between teachers, scholars, and families so that they can understand and match the unique needs of each scholar with the programs and support needed to support their lifestyle and vision for success.
Helping Home Study Scholars and Parents Succeed
Compass offers a home study program called Options, which allows the parents to be fully involved in all aspects of their child’s daily education. Parents become their child’s home study learning coach and must be fully committed to being their primary instructor. Learning coaches (parents) work closely with supervising teachers at Compass to develop a custom learning plan for each scholar.
A shining success story within the Options program is seven-year-old Compass scholar, Alana Walsh.
Alana is in third grade and is currently undergoing chemotherapy for osteosarcoma in her tibia, which requires her to have a unique learning program.
Alana’s Mom Laura, also Alana’s Learning Coach, shares, “She (Alana) has been incredibly strong through everything, from the surgeries and physical therapy to the repeated bouts of nausea. She somehow also manages to keep her positive attitude through it all. She is definitely my hero.”
Compass Scholar Alana Walsh
The highly supportive team of teachers and coaches at Compass, along with the flexibility that the Options program offers, allow Laura to adapt her teaching approach at any time to support Alana’s changing needs and the needs of Laura’s entire family.
“I enjoy teaching my kids. I love that I can individualize the pace at which they learn as well.” Laura shares.
The Options program supports home study families in precisely this way.
Compass Supervising Teacher, Brenda Lasley shares: "The Options program is so uniquely delightful in the way it encourages differentiation for each scholar and facilitates families conducting school in a way that supports their family beliefs and standards. Every Supervising Teacher is committed to the relationships with their families, and respecting each family's unique needs."
Home Study Science Discovery & Success
Alana’s favorite subject in school is science. Many families in home study programs like Laura and Alana rely on Home Science Tools for their science education needs. For almost any science topic a Compass scholar is studying, Home Science Tools offers fun, hands-on science experiments, kits, and equipment to support every step of their learning journey.
Laura purchased science lab equipment from Home Science Tools so Alana could do hands-on experiments as part of her science learning at Compass.
“I feel like we can get science equipment (from Home Science Tools) that is hard to find on other sites,” Laura said.
Alana simply loves that she gets to enjoy her favorite subject with her Mom. “I love doing science experiments with my Mom!” Alana said.
The hands-on science experiments Laura is teaching Alana as part of the Options program are doing more than simply sparking Alana’s excitement and enjoyment of her favorite subject. These hands-on real science experiments help Alana, and thousands of other scholars, develop critical life skills like problem-solving and critical thinking.
Studies have shown that scholars who engage in active learning approaches like hands-on science retain a deeper understanding of the concepts presented and often score higher on tests long after doing the science experiments.
Being able to do real science experiments with their own hands, rather than reading about science in a textbook, helps scholars like Alana develop another critical life skill - curiosity.
Kids are naturally curious, and doing hands-on science experiments encourages them to ask questions and be even more curious about the world around them.
Laura and Alana have plenty of fun science experiments to tackle together as part of Alana’s science education at Compass. Supporting schools, scholars, and parents like Alana and Laura, is at the heart of why Home Science Tools exists.
CEO and Home Science Tools President Frank Schaner shared, “We love that our products support Laura and Alana in their science learning and discovery. ” and added, “The work that the Compass organization is doing to help students and families in California is so important, and we are honored to support them with quality science educational products. Inspiring scholars through hands-on science learning is why we exist.”
Compass Superintendent & CEO Liz Brenner added, “At Compass, our mission is to inspire and develop innovative, creative, self-directed learners, one scholar at a time. We are proud to provide a personalized learning environment for scholars like Alana to ensure that they have the opportunity to thrive.”
About Compass
Compass Charter Schools is a WASC-accredited virtual personalized learning public charter school serving thousands of scholars throughout California. Catering to TK-12 grade scholars, Compass offers two personalized learning programs. Compass is committed to creating a collaborative virtual learning community, inspiring scholars to appreciate the ways in which arts and sciences nurture a curiosity for lifelong learning, and preparing scholars to take responsibility for their future successes.
For more information, visit Compass.
Do you have a spotlight on success story using Home Science Tools in your school or organization?
We would love to spotlight your school in a future issue of Spotlight on Success! Email Scott Burns at [email protected] for more information.