Consistent, Safe, and Comprehensive: Why ORCA is the Better Choice for Some Students
The neighborhood public school has played a central role in American education for generations. While these institutions have successfully served many students over the years, it’s important to recognize that some students face challenges within the traditional brick-and-mortar model. Fortunately, the rise of the school choice movement has helped bring attention to the idea that every student has unique skills, opportunities, and challenges and deserves to choose an educational environment that best suits their individual needs.
Since 2011, National School Choice Week has reminded caretakers to explore alternative education options for their students. In recognition of this important week, Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) is sharing helpful resources, including information on the ORCA enrollment process. It's important for caretakers to know that their students don't have to stay in their current environment if it's not working, and for certain families, ORCA may be the better schooling option.
Why Students Choose ORCA
Students choose to come to ORCA for many reasons, the most common of which are safety concerns. In our polling, 40% of students enrolled because "ORCA provides a safe (social, physical and emotional safety) environment" during the 2022-2023 school year. As an online public charter school, ORCA offers its students the opportunity to pursue their education from the safety and comfort of their homes, with a reduced likelihood of encountering bullying, toxic social situations, health risks, and violence.
ORCA also appeals to families who cited "my child needs a flexible school option" as their reason for enrollment. Some of our students have jobs, play competitive sports, or live in single-parent households and can't easily accommodate a set school schedule. Other ORCA students are neurodivergent and may not thrive when required to sit through a long day.
While safety and flexibility are attractive to many families, our award-winning curriculum and ample enrichment opportunities motivate many students to enroll. In 2021, ORCA was one of only 79 schools internationally to receive the Cognia School of Distinction award. We were also named an Exceptional Charter School in Special Education by the National Association of Special Education Teachers. And because a well-rounded education should support exploration and self-instruction, ORCA offers more than 50 student-led clubs covering diverse topics like gaming, science, reading, and physical fitness.
ORCA is Consistent, Safe, and Comprehensive
ORCA seeks to deliver a high-quality education to every student, regardless of their reason for enrolling. To do this, we focus on being:
Consistent
Too often, in-person student learning time is interrupted by everything from adverse weather conditions to threats of violence. By being online, ORCA students have continued access to their learning — no disruptions, no extended school years, just consistent instruction. That consistency is supported by a cohort of teachers who choose ORCA because they want to teach in an online environment built on a culture of student growth and support.
Safe
Over the last few years, American public schools have experienced an uptick in violence and student behavioral issues. Unfortunately, these systemic problems can negatively impact other students. Attending an online school like ORCA removes many of these external factors. In addition to supporting physical safety, online learning also improves feelings of emotional security.
Comprehensive
ORCA delivers consistency and safety without sacrificing educational quality. High-achieving students can earn dual credit through our College Now program, while our AVID program fosters college and career readiness for students looking for an edge after graduation. Students in ASCEND, our career and technical education program, can gain on-the-job experience and professional certifications in five different in-demand pathways.
Students who want to explore their interests can also participate in over 50 student-led clubs like our NASA club, which exposes kids to science careers, our coding clubs for kids who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math topics, or our animal club which is an opportunity for our younger students to share their love of animals.
The ORCA Enrollment Process
Enrolling in ORCA is simple and open to kindergarteners through twelfth graders throughout Oregon. First, caretakers should visit oregoncharter.org/enroll to begin the application process, which includes contact information and the student's name. Then, someone from our enrollment team will reply via email outlining the next steps as well as reach out over the phone to answer any questions. Parents or legal guardians will need to provide a copy of the student's birth certificate, immunization records, and their latest transcript, among other documents that are required for any public school enrollment. Each family will have their own enrollment advisor to help navigate the process.
Once our enrollment team verifies a student's documents, they go on to placement, where they are assigned courses in their grade level. Once enrolled, students will also receive their free Chromebook, which they'll use to access online classes, and any needed school materials, like workbooks, reading books, or science equipment.
Explore Available Options
Students now enjoy a host of options that can better cater to their individual needs and foster success after graduation. National School Choice Week is a fantastic opportunity for caretakers to start a journey of exploration that could lead their students to new worlds of possibility.
Join Us for a Virtual Info Session
If you'd like to learn more about ORCA's curriculum or our approach to virtual learning, join one of our virtual information sessions to connect with ORCA staff and preview our learning platform. We hope to see you there!