A Day in the Life
Scroll down to explore the stories of real students, families, and educators.
Each story below takes you through real students' schedules and their classes, and see how they learn in ways that work best for them.
Families Often Ask These Questions; We Have Answers
Who are these students?
The students featured here in Day in the Life are real online students who attend K12-powered schools across the country. Their families worked with our team to help tell their stories so other families can see how online school might be a great fit for them too! Everyone consented to have their photos and videos shared. Explore their stories to learn more about the day in the life of online elementary, middle, and high school students.
What is the curriculum like at K12-powered schools?
We meet learners where they are with a personalized approach. The K12 curriculum is specifically designed to be online and to fit students' learning needs in grades K through 12. Students attend scheduled, live classes where state-certified teachers provide instruction. These live classes are called "Class Connect Sessions" and may involve group work and project-based learning, and they offer opportunities for students to interact with each other and with the teacher one-to-one if needed. Other schoolwork happens through offline assignments and activities that students can complete more at their own pace within the week's schedule.
Do K12-powered schools have extracurricular activities and other opportunities for online students to be social?
Yes, online schools powered by K12 offer a wide range of activities for students to be social, from school-based clubs to national contests and more. Explore the extracurricular programs and events.
What is a Learning Coach?
We call parents, or other responsible adults, Learning Coaches because they are major players in their child's education. The state-certified teachers, other school support staff, and Learning Coaches work closely for each student's personalized learning and success.
What is the expectation of the parent or Learning Coach?
We understand that family time commitment is a big concern when considering online school. In elementary school grades, Learning Coaches typically spend 4 to 6 hours per day helping their student. As students become more independent learners, the oversight of the Learning Coach can lessen. In middle school and high school, the time commitment tends to take 1 to 3 hours per day.
Who can sign up for K12-powered online school, and how do I enroll?
Our curriculum is for students in grades K through 12th grade. There are schools powered by K12 across the country, many of them tuition-free public schools. There are also private school options available. You can use our school finder tool to learn more about the options available in your area, their enrollment requirements, and see how to enroll.
Do K12-powered schools provide a structured daily schedule? How is flexibility built into that schedule for online students?
There is a structured schedule provided by K12-powered school with set live class times, assignment dates, and suggested lesson plans. Outside of their scheduled live classes, students can complete other assignments and activities at their own pace within the deadlines. Live classes are also recorded in case anything has to be made up. Explore the featured Day in the Life of online student stories above to see examples of how the schedule works in action.
Do K12-powered schools follow the same standardized testing as my local school?
The tuition-free schools powered by K12 are public schools that follow the same testing requirements as your specific state (in most cases). Some of the private school options may offer different testing requirements. You can speak to one of our enrollment consultants for more specific testing information for a particular state or school.
These are the stories of real students attending K12-powered schools and their families. Content is a combination of direct quotes and summaries from in-person interviews. Their stories each reflect their experiences at their respective schools. Actual experience can vary by student and school. These pages are designed to reflect a typical day in the life of a student attending an online K12-powered school. Individual class schedules and requirements will vary by state, school, and the individual needs of each student.
