5200 SW Meadows Rd. Ste. 150 Lake Oswego, OR 97035 info@cmasas.org
(503) 226-7374 Student/Parent Login

FAQ

HomeThe CMASAS DifferenceFAQ
  1. General
  2. PECs and CIs
  3. Initial Enrollment
  4. Academics
  5. Student Life
  6. Tuition Plans
  7. Finance
  8. Technology
  9. Registrar

General

Christa McAuliffe Academy School of Arts and Sciences is an accredited online school providing K-12 students with a personalized learning experience tailored to each individual student. The school is asynchronous, self-paced, and mastery-based.
We have two large, open enrollment periods throughout the year. These are leading into the Fall and Spring semesters. The enrollment period dates vary depending on the number of new enrollments, so that we can maintain our student to course instructor ratios, to effectively continue practicing our philosophy.
Please visit our How to Enroll page to view our most current enrollment window. Please note that our enrollment window may close earlier than stated in order to effectively implement our personalized education model and maintain our student-to-teacher ratios.
The spark of curiosity and thirst for the knowledge of the world comes alive in students through our self-paced, mastery-based, personalized style of online education. We believe that students can be - and are - as passionate about learning as they are about their other pursuits in life. One of the biggest things that sets us apart is the one-on-one guidance that a Personalized Education Coach provides to a student and family weekly. View the Personalized Education Components Chart for helpful guidance in comparing academic programs to determine which will best meet your needs. You are also encouraged to visit the Learning Model page for an overview of how the program works, and to view the Personalized Education Philosophy to understand the basis for the program.
CMASAS differs from other school through our self-paced, mastery-based, personalized style of online education. It is a personalized education philosophy that embodies everything that we do here at CMASAS. From how we design our courses to how our Personalize Education Coaches and Course Instructors interact and engage with students, the tenets of our model are our guiding principles.
Enrollment is done completely through our website. All you need is to pay first month’s tuition, registration fee, and fill out the registration form. View our How to Enroll page for enrollment directions and requirements.
Our self-paced program means that every student works on courses at their own pace, which live lessons or lectures would not allow for. Our courses are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We also offer live homerooms and clubs where students can interact with other students in a structured setting.
  • Support at home – Daily student and parent/guardian progress check-ins at home
  • Reading things thoroughly
  • Clear, consistent communication between PECs, students, and parents
  • Working alongside PECs to create a personalized plan for success, setting clear goals, and staying on track
Yes. We are accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Please visit the Accreditation page for more details.
Absolutely! Our self-paced program means that students can complete the courses needed to graduate as quickly as they want to. PECs help guide students to reach their goals – whether it’s graduating early or being accepted into a highly-selective college/university.

CMASAS is all about personalization and flexibility, so we have graduation requirements for a basic high school diploma and a college prep diploma.

Twenty-four credits are required for earning the college prep diploma. Twenty credits are needed to earn the standard diploma. A student must complete a minimum 25% of the minimum required credits with CMASAS to be eligible for a CMASAS diploma—thus, at least 5 credits completed at CMASAS to earn the standard diploma and a minimum of 6 CMASAS credits for the college prep diploma. Please note that a student can still gain admission to college with a standard diploma provided the student completes the correct minimum admission requirements in those 20 credits.

We are accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). This means our school is recognized in all 50 states. Please visit the Accreditation page for more details.
Yes, we have an in-person graduation ceremony for high school students every June in San Diego, California. Many of our students and families look forward to meeting one another and celebrating the successes of our graduates. It is also a highlight to our staff to finally see the students they have been working with all these years.
No. As an Oregon private school we are not held to California State requirements. The UCOP official response is included below:

Dated: September 1, 2016

"You are not required to submit a course list because you are an out of state school."

High School Articulation Unit

University of California, Office of the President

1111 Franklin Street Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 987-9570 | hsarticulation@ucop.edu

Personalized Education Coaches and Course Instructors

Personalized Education Coaches (PEC) are families’ main point of contact with CMASAS. They are qualified teachers who take care of students by providing weekly guidance and support on academic progress. They bridge families and our course instructors to ensure that students are well supported throughout their education journey. To help every student achieve their goals, PECs establish a personalized plan for each student with collaboration from the parent and the student. PECs connect with their students on a weekly basis to check in about progress which is, also, communicated to parents as well. PECs, also, communicate directly with course instructors to be sure that student needs are being met. They also lead optional weekly online homerooms that create a fun opportunity for students to meet and interact with their CMASAS peers.
Course Instructors (CI) are teachers who are highly qualified in their subject areas. While they do not have any live lessons or lectures, they do provide assistance to students working through a course. Our CIs provide thorough feedback to our students through the grading of assignments within our Learning Management Platform. Instructors also coordinate with PECs to modify courses or even create custom courses designed specifically for students’ learning preferences and interests. CIs are available by appointment in their virtual classroom. CIs can also offer help via email, Microsoft Teams, and phone.

Students will meet with their PECs once a week during their weekly check-in. These check-ins can be to discuss pacing, support, and overall welfare check-in. If a student has additional questions, they can always email their PEC or send a direct message.

It is the responsibility of the student to reach out to course instructors if they have questions, need review, or have come to a STOP that requests the student to reach out to the course instructors per the classroom expectations. This meeting can be done through Microsoft Teams (on camera or off) or over the phone. Students can send emails to their course instructors as well as direct messages if they have quick questions. For example: If you forgot the chapter you were supposed to read, that could be a direct message or quick email. If you have questions about your geometry course, you would be better served scheduling a one-on-one meeting. These meetings are on an as-needed basis.

Our staff has a combination of bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees. Please visit our Meet the Team page to get to know our staff better.
No, students taking individual courses have the full support of a course instructor, but do not have a PEC or homeroom, and cannot join clubs.
It is our goal to get back to students/parents within 24 business hours or less, pending any life-altering situations. This communication can be as simple as, “Thank you, I received your assignment, and I will provide you feedback next week.”
Depending on our enrollment numbers, our course instructor to student ratio is approximately 1 course instructor to 30 students. PECs can have a student roster ranging from 15-50 students, depending on their experience, requests from families, and if they are also a CI.
PECs are assigned generally based on student grade-level and student’s time zone.
Our CIs provide thorough feedback to our students through the grading of assignments within our Learning Management Platform. They additionally may communicate through email or Microsoft Teams.

Initial Enrollment

You will receive a welcome letter the week before your start date. The welcome letter will provide you with information about the program, who your PEC is (if you have one), who your course instructor is (if you signed up for an individual course.) The letter will include your login information and tuition plan information. In addition, you will also need to fill out our required enrollment documentation through DocuSign.

Your PEC will then reach out to you the week of your start date and set up a time to schedule your courses and set short-term and long-term goals. For full-time students, upon your start date, you will be enrolled in our Foundations in Personalized Learning course, which is our welcome/orientation course.

The first week of your start date, you will meet with your PEC, and they will help you map out your courses for the year or semester. They will look at the courses you have already completed, see what your personal goals are, and develop a plan for your enrollment period.
The iReady diagnostic exam tests a student's reading and math knowledge so we can see where they are at in those subjects. Regardless of the test results, we will always make sure that students feel comfortable in the courses they are enrolled in.
We highly encourage our students to take the diagnostic exam even if they struggle with exams. Like the rest of our program, it’s also self-paced and can be broken down into multiple days. However, if the student is adamant, we can skip the diagnostic exam and go based on previous grade reports.
Full-time Student Withdrawal Suspension of Payment Plan: Students withdrawing who are on a payment plan with CMASAS may be eligible to have future payment obligations cancelled. In order to be eligible, a parent or guardian must provide written notification to Personalized Education Group, Inc., requesting to withdraw the student from the school. It is also recommended that the school’s Executive Director is contacted to discuss the reason for the program withdrawal. *Future payment obligations are calculated based on the table below or at the sole discretion of Personalized Education Group, Inc. Tuition payments are calculated based on the total number of courses enrolled in and/or completed in addition to the “Withdrawal Date” which is the postmark and/or electronic imprint date and time on the written notification. Any written notification with imprint time after 5 pm Pacific Time will be considered as received on the next business day. Specific information on minimum number of payments required or maximum refund available is outlined here.

Academics

The CMASAS academic concept requires the active participation and supervision of a parent or other responsible adult for optimum achievement. Our experience shows that students really need interaction and encouragement from caring adults. Parent involvement is especially critical in the elementary program, because the parent takes on the role of day-to-day instructor to the student while the PEC/CI provides the academic support as needed for both parent and student.
Research and our experience have shown that when students only take 2-3 courses at a time, they are able to better learn academic concepts and retain information longer, in addition to completing a course more quickly. As soon as a student finishes one course, they can begin another one as soon as they are ready. For example, a student completing one course at a time might only take about a month per course; another student taking two courses at a time might complete the set in a couple months or might stretch one course over a longer period of time while completing the other course more quickly (and immediately adding a new course at that time). View the Learning Model for a diagram of how this flexible scheduling works.
The student course plan, or Annual Course Plan (ACP) for students on a year-long or semester-long enrollment period, is created once per enrollment period and is stored in Genius (our student information system). It is used to plan out which courses students intend on taking during their academic career, meeting graduation requirements, and documenting student progress. Please view our policy on making changes to the course plan.
CMASAS requires all students to obtain at least 80% mastery of all course objectives. Students who receive below an 80% on their assignments and tests are able to redo any lessons necessary to obtain an 80% score on all course objectives. As a result, students become confident of success, learn to excel, and are well-prepared for post-high school endeavors.
Knowing that everyone works at their own pace, CMASAS wanted to create a program that allows that opportunity and does not penalize a student for their pace. When a student is enrolled into a course, they have all course lessons and materials available to them 24/7. They will work with their PEC to create end date goals that align with personal goals or tuition plan. These end date goals can be adjusted based on the student’s progress and allows students to work through courses more quickly if they wish.

As of March 20, 2020, we do use common core (teaching for understanding rather than memorizing) for HS/MS Math. However, as a school, we feel we best serve our students if we take common core math into account. We do not force students to use all of the common core proving methods every time, but we do teach them, so students learn to think like a mathematician and understand why math works. This sets students up for success should they choose to move on from our school. If a student is not thriving using common core, we will personalize the curriculum or provide the student with additional information and resources.

As a private school we are not required to follow Common Core standards. The CMASAS curriculum development team is free to determine what concepts our courses should cover, in what sequence those concepts are presented, and how students show their learning. We look closely at a variety of standards to help us build courses that encourage higher level learning and critical analysis skills. That does include Common Core standards because they have become an important part of the educational landscape in America, but it also includes standards from states that don’t adhere to Common Core.

Whether Common Core or not, we sometimes find that a standard simply doesn’t fit with the rigor and focus of our courses. In those cases, we might choose to leave that standard out and write our courses based on objectives we independently create. Some of our partner created curriculum is built around Common Core standards, but we embrace the same sense of flexibility we use for our own curriculum. If we find that certain standards are not benefiting our students, we make adjustments to the course through the Personalication process.

We do not require students to take standardized state tests. We do encourage them to take the SAT/PSAT/ACTs. If your state requires your student or you would like to sign your student up for state testing, we will support and prepare your student as best as we can. We do not facilitate any state standardized tests, so families will need to find a testing location in the state they reside in.
Students may opt to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses through a partner program. Students complete AP courses in a separate learning management system and are supported by our partner staff. AP courses are very rigorous courses that DO NOT allow for the personalization & accommodations that we offer in most of our CMASAS courses. AP courses are regulated by the College Board & the material, curriculum, testing, & assessments are very structured. Students who take these courses must be prepared for strict timelines, highly structured lessons & assessments, as well as many additional hours of outside reading & homework. For additional information on the AP registration, application process, please see our AP course page. Please keep in mind not everyone qualifies to take AP courses. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and is only offered to students in the 9th grade or above. The AP exam is optional, we do not offer a testing location.
An unweighted GPA calculates your overall average grade out of 4.0 without regard to the difficulty of your coursework. The other is a weighted GPA, which reflects both grades and course levels.
Unweighted.
These courses are still self-paced and asynchronous. The difference is that they are a little more hands-on and project-based and obviously require more parent support and setup. The student's CI and PEC are one and the same, so the student knows who their point of contact will be for the whole year or semester.
As we are a self-paced program, we encourage our students to work on 2-3 courses at a time. While working on 2-3 courses, we encourage the student to work on each course an 2-3 hours per day, so this creates a consistent progress schedule, around 4-9 hours per day. This is subjective, students can work on their courses more or less depending on how it fits their schedule.
Tests are not proctored. Students will either work with their course instructor to discuss a deadline for completing a test or are able to take it when they are ready. As our program is mastery based, we are much more interested in knowing a student has a grasp on the material than to stump them and let them move on from one subject to another with a barely passing grade.
Course instructors use various programs to detect plagiarism. Others may require detailed, step-by-step explanation of answers.

We do work with students’ IEP/504 plans to honor them as best as we can, according to our teaching model. Often, these plans ask for extra time for students to complete assignments and take tests, auditory support, alternatives when taking a test, such as taking it verbally – all of these which are already provided to students.

As a private school, we are not obligated to fulfill an IEP/504 plan to 100% fidelity, but if there is something in particular that a student needs, we highly encourage parents to communicate this to us. And we do ask for a copy of the plan so the PEC or course instructors can know what the student needs, ahead of time.

For majority of our P.E. and music courses, they are log-based. Unfortunately, we do not provide musical instruments. Students will keep track of the number of hours that they are practicing within the field and need to accumulate a certain amount. There are a few additional assignments within the course which are graded by the Course Instructor.

Art courses are very personalized to each student’s skills and interests. The student will communicate with the Course Instructor upon enrollment to discuss what the student wants to be focusing on within the course (I.e., their shading in drawings). The Course Instructor will create various assignments that helps the student to improve their skills in that area.

Yes, all NCAA approved courses are labeled under the course title. Please reference our course catalog to find those courses.
Our students have been accepted to numerous schools internationally. Here is a a list of colleges and universities our students have been accepted to.

Student Life

Students can participate in clubs and homerooms if the student is enrolled full-time. Clubs meet once or twice a month on Microsoft Teams. Clubs are overseen by an advisor. Please see our club page to see a description of the club, when they meet, and who the advisors are. Homerooms meet weekly and are overseen by the student's PEC. All the students in your student's homeroom are assigned to the same PEC. Students can also interact with one another through moderated school chats on Microsoft Teams and attend all-school assemblies.
Clubs meet via Microsoft Teams once or twice a month. They will work with their peers on projects both individually and together. They might present things they have done in their community or work together to do something specific for the school. These activities are optional, and we do not take attendance. One week may have a full roster of students where the next maybe just a few. It’s a relaxed environment where students can get to know one another and create their own community.
Clubs are evaluated once a year in terms of participation, popularity, interest. If your student is interested in starting a club, we encourage the student to pitch that idea to their PEC, and the PEC will see if there is any other interest from other students.
Clubs at CMASAS are a great way for students to connect with other students who share similar interests. Like the PEC homeroom meetings, club meetings are scheduled in advance and held in Microsoft Teams. For a complete list of clubs currently offered, please visit the Student Clubs page.
We have several opportunities year-round for students and families to socialize in person. Throughout the school year, we host regional gatherings where CMASAS students who live in a similar region can get together to meet and explore the local area. Each regional gathering lasts about half a day and is personalized and based on student interests and local attractions. Every year, we also have an international travel experience. These are different from our regional gatherings in that they are extensive multi-day trips that explore a region, such as South Africa or Italy. Our international trips may offer students the choice to receive elective credit as well.

Tuition Plans

View these links to view the differences between our plans: High School, Middle School, Elementary School . Students will always have identical access to our course instructors, no matter the plan.

Finance

Yes, you are committed to paying the tuition before enrolling in another plan or being provided with transcripts. The student is still completing six full-year courses, they are obligated to pay for the entire tuition amount for the plan.
We do not offer scholarships or financial aid currently. We do have opportunities for discounts through our family, military and friends, saver plan.
Fees are applicable on a case-by-case basis, dependent on student grade level, courses taken, graduation, etc. Please look at the school fees page.
Official transcripts, final transcript review, diploma, and cover.
We only have Honors fees for students on our Silver tuition plans.
Precalculus and Lab Materials
Enrollment is done completely through our website. All you need is to pay first month’s tuition, registration fee, and fill out the registration form. View our How to Enroll page for enrollment directions and requirements.
Full-time Student Withdrawal Suspension of Payment Plan: Students withdrawing who are on a payment plan with CMASAS may be eligible to have future payment obligations cancelled. In order to be eligible, a parent or guardian must provide written notification to Personalized Education Group, Inc., requesting to withdraw the student from the school. It is also recommended that the school’s Executive Director is contacted to discuss the reason for the program withdrawal. *Future payment obligations are calculated based on the table below or at the sole discretion of Personalized Education Group, Inc. Tuition payments are calculated based on the total number of courses enrolled in and/or completed in addition to the “Withdrawal Date” which is the postmark and/or electronic imprint date and time on the written notification. Any written notification with imprint time after 5 pm Pacific Time will be considered as received on the next business day. Specific information on minimum number of payments required or maximum refund available is outlined here.
Yes, depending on the tuition program. Please see our Enrollment and Tuition Policy for details.
Yes, through July 31, 2022, there is a 5% discount for paying in full. If you pay by eCheck/ACH, you do not have to pay the Convenience Fee.
Log back into our store, go to My Account, and then click on Payment Methods.

Technology

No, we do not supply any physical materials aside from science kits (for a fee) for US students. Parents are responsible for providing all electronic devices.
Tablets, including iPads and Chromebooks, are not compatible with our learning management system (LMS).

We recommend a PC/Mac computer. Students will use Google Chrome or Firefox as their browser to access our learning management system (LMS). Tablets, including iPads and Chromebooks, are not compatible with our LMS.

  • Operating system - MacOS or Windows, which will be a Mac or PC. Windows 10 or 11 both work, and students can use either the Home or Pro editions.
  • Processor - We suggest the Intel i5 or Ryzen 5 as it they are a bit more robust compared to the others. Our next suggestion would be the Intel i3 or Ryzen 3 processors. The other two processors can work if needed and that is all that can be found.
  • Storage and RAM requirements - Memory and RAM – For memory, we suggest 128 GB at a minimum. For RAM, we suggest 8 – 16 GB.
If the student is full time, there is no need to purchase Microsoft Office with their system. We do provide a Microsoft account, which includes an email address, cloud storage, and access to Microsoft Office.
We suggest investing in a quality pair of headphones with a microphone, especially if a student is planning to take a foreign language course.

Registrar

  1. An unofficial transcript: report cards, progress reports or transcripts - any current documentation which may assist in initial course placement
  2. Proof of age document: birth certificate, passport, or state ID
Upon enrollment, student transcripts and proof of age documents can be emailed to our Registrar or faxed to (866) 920-1619.
Official CMASAS transcripts can be requested through Parchment, our third-party transcript service. If you have not used Parchment before, you will need to create a New Learner Account in order to request the transcripts.
For current students, unofficial transcripts can be accessed through Genius SIS at any time.
After notifying your PEC of your upcoming withdrawal, please fill out our Withdrawal Request Form. Please note that the withdrawal process may take several business days to complete. Once the process is complete, you will receive an email indicating that your student has successfully been withdrawn.
Individual courses can be paid for by visiting our Individual Courses page . After logging into your CMASAS account, select the “Pay Now” button for the course you would like to purchase. Additional information can be found on our How to Enroll page.
If you are unable to finish your individual course by your official end date, a monthly course extension fee can be paid to give you more time to finish your course. This extension fee can be found on the School Fees page on our website. Additionally, if this fee is not paid before your official end date, you will be withdrawn from our system and will receive a “W” on your transcript for the course.
Individual course extensions can be paid for by visiting our School Fees page. After logging into your CMASAS account, select the “Pay Now” button for the Individual Course Extension Fee and proceed with the checkout process.
The 8th grade High School Course Fee can be paid for by visiting our School Fees page. After logging into your CMASAS account, select the “Pay Now” button for the 8th Grade High School Course Fee and proceed with the checkout process.
If you have questions regarding your student’s course end dates and you are a full-time student, please contact your assigned Personalized Education Coach (PEC).

CMASAS is fully accredited through WASC and has recently been recognized as being in the top 10 of the 50 Best Online High School Diploma programs named by The Best Schools - an independent website which ranks schools on quality based on a number of criteria including accreditation, academic success rate, personal attention, and cost.

Contact Us

503.226.7374
888.832.9437
866.920.1619 (fax)
info@cmasas.org
5200 SW Meadows Rd. Ste. 150
Lake Oswego, OR 97035

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