20 Questions You Should Ask

Before making any decisions, you owe it to yourself and your child to ask these 20 questions of any homeschool provider.

1. Are you flexible with your scheduling?
Your family has unique scheduling needs. Bridgeway empowers you to create flexible daily goals that enable your child to learn at a time and a pace that make the most sense given the realities of your life. By enabling you to determine the months and days that your child receives instruction, we empower you to create a truly customized school year.

2. Do you embrace different teaching styles?
Different parents prefer different levels of involvement with their child s education, particular as the child gets older. Whether you want to be highly engaged or hands-off, we adjust our approach to best suit your distinct needs and desires. Our courses are self-instructional and come with detailed teacher guides and answer keys.

3. Do you recognize that each student has a different learning style?
We allow you to set daily goals for each subject each day. In this way, children who need more time in a particular subject may cut back work in their stronger subjects until they have mastered the area of difficulty.

4. Do you recognize that each child has a unique testing style?
At Bridgeway, we have seen many an intelligent, motivated child perform poorly at first on tests. We work with each parent to adjust expectations and coach the child to overcome their fears without sacrificing academic achievement.

5. Do you provide flexibility in course selection?
Bridgeway provides parents with more control over what courses your child takes especially at the high school level. In addition to fundamental courses in five core subject areas, we offer a wide variety of electives for all age levels. Parents may also provide their own electives and submit them to us for record keeping.

6. Do you have a proven and measured success rate of students going to college?
Nationally accredited Bridgeway Academy has partnered with homeschooling parents and their children for nearly two decades, and our success is measurable. 82% of our students have gone on to college more than three times the national average giving you the peace of mind that you are preparing your child for a successful future.

7. Do you assign a curriculum based on grade/age level or by academic placement testing?
Your child is literally one of a kind, which is why we conduct in-depth placement testing to assess your child s exact comprehension level in core areas. One child may excel in multiplication, for example, but perform poorly in division. Another may have a sixth grade reading level but a third grade math level. We individualize each curriculum plan accordingly something many other cyber and homeschool academies are simply not equipped to do.

8. Do you allow parents to have a say in the choice of curriculum?
By selecting the best educational components from top curriculum publishers around the country, Bridgeway creates a customized course of study for each child. We choose learning materials with just one goal in mind homeschooling success for both you and your child. We have no bias or financial agenda toward one particular curriculum unlike homeschool academies and cyber schools that publish and sell their own private-label materials.

9. Do you offer a challenging, enriching curriculum?
A good curriculum draws material from a wide breadth of sources, improves written and oral communication, and teaches students to analyze and interpret information. At Bridgeway, we choose from the top curricula available, regularly evaluate new options and provide you with the choice to develop your own electives if you wish.

10. Do you offer specialized academic tracks to further tailor a child s education?
Bridgeway Academy offers the following academic tracks: technical/vocational, academic, college preparatory and honors. These tracks serve to recognize your child s unique goals and dreams.

11. Do you take into account each family s unique goals and situation?
Once placement testing is complete, Bridgeway engages the parent in a candid, in-depth conversation about your children s personality, learning style and interests as well as your own long-term goals and aspirations for their education. And because each family has unique scheduling challenges, we help you set flexible daily goals balancing educational progress against the realities of everyday life.

12. Are there any hidden fees?
Unlike many of our competitors, there are no hidden costs at Bridgeway. All of our support services including online tutoring, progress reports, record keeping, resource lists and lesson plans are included as part of your tuition.

13. What level of academic support is available for parent and child?
Our caring, enthusiastic academic advisors are teachers and former homeschool students who understand the challenges and rewards of homeschooling. They are available by email and phone to answer questions on any subject and provide you with tips and techniques to better explain concepts to your child. Our resource-rich members-only website and online tutorials round out an environment of support that empowers you to give your child the best possible education.

14. What teaching support materials are available?
A good education is more than just learning facts and memorizing formulas. Bridgeway selects curriculum materials that teach not only the ideas and concepts, but the underlying principles as well. This creates a lasting understanding for your child and makes it easier for you to fulfill your role as teacher and mentor. We provide you with everything you need for each lesson plan, including carefully vetted background materials from authoritative sources. Your valuable time is best spent interacting with your child and enjoying a full family life, not preparing plans from scratch and scouring the Internet for teaching resources that are potentially incorrect or incomplete.

15. What kind of record keeping and transcript services are available?
Because Bridgeway keeps academic records for all of our students, your own record keeping is kept to a minimum. We manage report cards and transcripts and provide state-required standardized testing services so you can focus on what s most important teaching your child. If the need arises, we work with your school district to ensure that all the proper and necessary paperwork is being handled to ensure your child is getting the deserved credit for his or her hard work.

16. Are you recognized and accredited by reputable sources with high academic standards?
We are registered with the Pennsylvania State Department of Education to issue diplomas and are also accredited through the National Association of Private Schools. This guarantees a quality accredited education no matter where you live in the U.S. or abroad.

17. Do you offer dual enrollment for high school students so they can earn high school and college credits at the same time?
At Bridgeway, we believe your child s motivation to learn and excel should be rewarded. That s why we offer dual enrollment and accelerated learning options to help them get ahead and stay ahead.

18. Do you offer both religious and nonreligious curricula?
Every family is different, and it is important that homeschooling providers provide a range of curricula based on each family s specific goals and needs. In addition to our nonreligious curriculum, Bridgeway offers two different religious options one that fully integrates Biblical principles throughout the core subject areas and one that includes a separate core course on the Christian religion.

19. Do you offer electives to supplement the core curriculum?
At Bridgeway, we offer electives in music, art, foreign languages and more. Not only that, we’re open to your suggestions for electives. Let us know what elective you want to teach, and we ll provide guidelines to help ensure your child gets the deserved academic credit.

20. Do you assist parents in complying with the homeschooling laws of individual states?
In our nearly 20 years of operation, our more than 20,000 students have enrolled in Bridgeway Academy from all over the United States so our academic advisors are familiar with each state s statutes. Bridgeway Academy works with you to meet your state s requirements regarding homeschooling your child.