West Shore

School District

Staff Parents Students

Online Learning (Cyber)

West Shore School District - Capital Area Online Learning Association (CAOLA)

West Shore School District is partnered with CAOLA, the Capital Area Online Learning Association, for full and part-time online learning.

Why should you enroll your student in West Shore CAOLA?

Your student can earn a West Shore School District diploma from home at his or her own pace.
Your student can participate in all sports, clubs, and events offered by the West Shore School District.
West Shore CAOLA provides the laptop and technical support… for free.
Live teachers work one–on–one with your student during the day and live tutors are available for homework help.
West Shore CAOLA provides more time and schedule flexibility than a typical cyber school.
It’s FREE!

West Shore CAOLA is a district–level online learning model that is vastly superior to the lessons offered in cyber charter schools.

Based upon our student needs, the District’s program will allow the flexibility of both a cyber component as well as a traditional “bricks and mortar” format. Our program is tailored to meet the needs of individual students, providing the best of both worlds.

The West Shore School District will offer the same bundle of products and services that cyber charter schools offer free of charge (computers, live support from instructors, technical support and maintenance). Also offered will be several key advantages over other cyber charter schools such as:

Students graduating from West Shore CAOLA will receive a diploma from the West Shore School District.
Your student will participate in daily content presented by teachers certified by the state of Pennsylvania.
Our online lessons utilize the latest forms of video–based instruction, educational multimedia, webquests, interactive reading exercises, and online teacher support.
Our counselors will personally plan, with students, each semester in order to ensure every student is on track for a timely graduation.
Both remedial and advanced courses are offered.
The West Shore Cyber Learning Center is available to support students, on-site, in a face-to-face learning environment.

Article: Is Cyberschool Right for My Child?

This excerpt is taken from the website of Dr. Jesse Matthews. For the complete article, click on the link:
https://drjessematthews.com/2013/04/15/why-not-cyberschool/

"Cyberschool seems to be becoming more popular, and I have been hearing about more families choosing it. I have heard various reasons for this, but a lot of them sound like avoidance- avoiding bullies, academic struggles, or unhappiness in a regular school environment. As a therapist I see a lot of avoidance, and I know that avoidance is rarely healthy. When we allow our kids to avoid things that are unpleasant or difficult for them, we send the wrong message.

On the other side, I’m sure there are positive reasons for attending cyberschool, for example, when attending a regular “brick and mortar” school just isn’t possible. This could include a child being an actor/actress, serious musician or athlete, or having a physical or medical condition that makes attending school on a regular basis difficult. Tianlang Guan, the 14 year old who played in the Master’s golf tournament this past weekend, likely attends cyberschool- or at least he will be if he continues doing well in the PGA."

Contact

Jen Taylor

Assistant Principal, Red Land High School

jetaylor@wssd.k12.pa.us

717-938-6561

Information Request

If you would like to find out more about our online learning (cyber) program, please click here and complete a brief form. Someone will then contact you with additional information.

Handbook

Cyber Handbook (revised January 2019)