School of Hope continues to offer the option for families to explore education on their own through their Vermilion Home Schooling Parent Directed Program. The Parent Directed Program (also known as Traditional Home Schooling) is a parent directed facilitator supported program. Parents choose the curriculum, plan, teach and assess the students' learning.
Success at Home-Based Learning requires:
- Students to be self-motivated
- Parents to be supportive and available for the student during the "school day"
Home-educated children benefit from:
- Concentrated educator-student interaction
- Enjoying a unique educational freedom unconfined by time and space barriers
- Individualized instruction and programs for all students, including those with special needs
Home-Schooling Facilitator (VHS):
A Facilitator is a teacher who is assigned to support and guide each child's learning program and ensures that expectations of Board Policy, the School Act and Alberta Education guidelines are met. The Facilitator will meet with the family at least twice a year; further visits can be arranged by the teacher or parent if needed.
Curriculum:
Parents can choose to use the Alberta Program of Studies or, in consultation with a Home Schooling
Facilitator, they may choose other programs (commercial or parent developed) to meet goals they have
set for their children.
Assessment:
- Parents are to maintain a portfolio of student work samples demonstrating student progress.
- Students enrolled in a Parent Directed program are encouraged to write Provincial Achievement Tests in grades 6 and 9.
- High school Parent Directed students who wish to be awarded Alberta High School credits are required to write the School of Hope subject final exam for core courses and present a portfolio for non-core subjects.
- If Parent Directed high school students wish to earn a high school diploma, they must write the diploma exams in the grade 12 core courses in which they are enrolled, and they must meet all credit requirements outlined by Alberta Education.