Pioneer Online Academy: Academic Policies and Student Guide
Welcome to Pioneer Online Academy! This guide provides comprehensive information about our academic policies and procedures, as well as a detailed overview of MLA formatting guidelines, which is required for most assignments. Please review this information carefully to ensure a successful educational experience.
Admission and Enrollment Procedures
- Eligibility: Students who are feel ready for high school are eligible to apply. There are no formal age or accomplishment requirements. Homeschoolers are welcome!
- Application Process: Complete the online application, filling it out as completely as you can. If you have access to previous academic transcripts or testing scores, please submit those also.
- Enrollment: After acceptance, finalize your enrollment by reviewing our orientation materials and paying for tuition or communicating that you are participating in your state’s voucher program.
Course Structure and Requirements
- Academic Calendar: We study asynchronously, at your convenience. Students may enroll at any time and have 12 months to complete their work. The workload is generally planned so that, if a student reads one “page” per subject, Monday through Friday, they should be able to complete their coursework over a nine-month period, provided they work on their assignments concurrently. The lessons are brief, engaging, and custom-designed for Pioneer, so students who focus should finish more quickly. Students may advance at their own pace — quickly, slowly, or off-and-on, for students and families who are traveling, competing, or performing. Our faculty will support your life and learning plans!
- Attendance: Regular participation is monitored through course logins, assignment submissions, and interaction with instructors. There are no “seat-time” requirements. Parents may observe and review their children’s whenever they like.
Academic Integrity
- Plagiarism and Cheating: Any form of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, is strictly prohibited. Incidents of plagiarism — using another’s work as your own, including content generated by AI — will result in severe penalties such as failing the assignment, possibly failing the course, or other disciplinary actions.
- Consequences: Violations can escalate from having to redo their assignments or accepting a failing grade, up to academic probation, suspension, or expulsion depending on severity and frequency.
Assessment and Grading
- Submissions: Assignments and quizzes can be attempted multiple times, with the highest score considered final. Quizzes and assignments require an 80 percent or higher score to continue.
- Grading Scale: Each course
- A+: 97-100
- A: 93-96
- A-: 90-92
- B+: 87-89
- B: 83-86
- B-: 80-82
- C+: 77-79
- C: 73-76
- C-: 70-72
- D+: 67-69
- D: 63-66
- D-: 60-62
- F: <60
- Feedback: Feedback on assignments is provided within three business days, but are normally graded within 24 hours.
Student Support Services
- Academic and Technical Support: Students may contact their mentor with any academic, tech or other support questions or problems. Mentors are empowered to solve any issues presented to them.
- Accessibility Services: Students with disabilities can request accommodations.
Communication
- Instructor Communication: Students are encouraged to use Pioneer’s messaging system to contact instructors. Responses are typically provided within one business day.
- Announcements: Students should keep an eye on their email accounts, registered with Pioneer, for important updates.
Withdrawal and Refunds
- Withdrawal Policy: Students can withdraw from a course within the first month for a full refund. Thereafter, refunds are calculated on a prorated basis.
- Course Cancellation: Full refunds are issued if a course is cancelled by the academy.
Technology Requirements
- System Access: Students need a reliable computer and internet connection.
- Required Software: A word processor that can save documents in DOCX or PDF format is necessary, such as Google Docs (which is free to users).
Privacy and Data Security
- FERPA Compliance: All student records are confidential and handled in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
- Data Protection: We employ robust security measures to protect personal data.
MLA Formatting Guide
- General Document Format: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides.
- First Page Setup: Include a header with your last name and page number. Add a title block at the top left with your name, instructor’s name, course title, and date.
- In-Text Citations: Cite sources within the text with the author’s last name and page number in parentheses.
- Works Cited Page: List all references on a new page at the end of your document, alphabetically by author’s last name, formatted with a hanging indent.
- Detailed Examples: Refer to the detailed citation examples provided for different types of sources including books, articles, and electronic sources.