Online course Providers in CA

Hi everyone,

I really want to take an online AP class and I live in California. I’m not quite sure which AP class I want to take but I would prefer a self paced program with ongoing enrollment. I looked at FLVS and it looks good so far, but it’s a little expensive since I don’t live in FL. Does anyone know if there is a California equivalent of FLVS? So basically does CA have an online state virtual school? Otherwise, please discuss your experience with any online AP classes. I am open to looking at other programs. Your help is really appreciated. Thank you!

Are you looking for test prep or high school course credit?

I feel like I’m not really looking for either, but they’re both added advantages. I just like the idea of taking an extra class online with assignments, tests, projects, etc.

Right but my answer will differ depending on what your are looking for. You can look for teacher led online courses that will give you credit and can be used in your GPA, or you can look for a self paced online course (no teacher) to help you prep for a test, but you won’t get a grade.

I think the first option is more what I’m looking for

In other words California has a bunch of programs like FLVS but unless you are homeschooling, you can’t just take classes. That is why I am asking what I am asking.

I’m not homeschooled and I go to school during the day. I was hoping there would be a California online public school with individual courses. But I will continue looking for more options. Thank you

California has a whole bunch of charter schools that are online like FLVS but the problem is that you cannot be enrolled in two schools at the same time. For example there is CAVA, Connections, Cal-Pac, and Inspire. They all use online courseware and have teacher led courses, BUT by law you cannot enroll in their courses and also enroll in a regular school. You choose one or the other. These programs are used for homeschooling/independent study.

There are other options for taking online AP courses, but you typically cannot use the public charter system and it won’t be free like a charter school.

If you are interested in something that would not be a charter there are other options such as CTY (Johns Hopkins) or EPGY (Stanford). But these are pricy. You might also check with your school to see if they contract with any online providers. When pressed our district used APEX for an online course in math. They paid but it took some work to get then to do it. APEX has AP and is used by many school districts. There are other companies that offer courseware individually that your school may contract with as well.

If you don’t need teacher led and are willing to do self paced I highly recommend Thinkwell. They are not expensive and are excellent. They are used as courseware by other online programs.

http://www.thinkwell.com

Thank you so much for your help. I will definitely check out thinkwell. How was the quality of the APEX class? Where the teachers good?

My son thought the APEX class was dry and boring, LOL. There are a lot of online providers - APEX, K12, Edgenuity, etc.

You might want to also take a look at which are considered A-G. You can look up different online courses though the UC doorway. Just put the company name in, like APEX to see if the UCs have OKed them.

https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/all