PALCS Information Team

The Student Opportunity for Academic Recovery (SOAR) Program is designed for students in grades 6 through 8 who are over the traditional middle school age because of retention, truancy, or other challenges.

“Over the years, we would have students in our classes who were over the traditional age for middle school grades (i.e., 16 and in the 8th grade),” Ms. Amy Sarno (Middle School SOAR Program Coordinator) tells us. “We felt that it was difficult for those students to maintain interest in school; after falling behind in their grade levels for a wide variety of reasons, these students often become demotivated, and the thought of staying in school for five or more years of school – until they turn 20 or 21 – is overwhelming and unrealistic.”

The goal of the SOAR program is to provide academic recovery in the form of a pathway for students to complete middle school and transition to high school.

“We realized that offering these students the same program of full-year courses wasn’t going to work, so we started to think of ways to accelerate the Middle School experience, while still teaching all of the content needed to prepare students to move on to high school,” Ms. Sarno explains.

SOAR courses differ from traditional PALCS courses. Each grade level will be completed in half a school year, accelerating the transition to high school. Content areas will be blended together (Math/Science, and Language Arts/Social Studies), while foundational skills and concepts of each content area will be taught in separate lessons or modules, thematic units and projects will use a cross-curricular approach, combining content from multiple disciplines.

“Students have commented that the layout of the program is more manageable; and consistent times for daily Virtual Lessons and […]

Did you know that when it comes to your child’s education, you do have a choice?

Each year, National School Choice Week (NSCW) is held in January to raise awareness of all types of education options for children.

During this past NSCW, The Putt family spoke out about why school choice is important to them, and why they feel they made the right choice for their family, and their son Levon.

“School choice to us means the privilege of being able to be a part of a fantastic school that we wouldn’t normally have the chance,” states Jessica. “It means having a chance at a much better education than Levon would have normally been offered. We wanted more opportunity for him. We wanted options and choices. But above all, we wanted the best education he could get.”

Just like all public schools, charter and cyber charter schools also provide their students with all services and resources needed, including counselors, special education services, state certified teachers and school nurses. Students may also participate in extracurricular activities through their home district, according to the PA Department of Education.

“When most people think cyber charter school they think no socialization, and limitations. Our concern, because he’s so young, was making sure he had interaction with peers and teachers,” Jessica explains. “PALCS was one of the only schools to offer it, and a lot of it,” she assured. “When we discovered PALCS and began to learn all of things they offered for his education AND his social well-being, that combined with how well others spoke of PALCS, it was pretty much an instant choice. Our alternative was sending him to a local brick and mortar school that faced an uncertain future. A school that […]