Ambridge Area Cyber Academy - Ambridge Area School District

The Ambridge Area Cyber Program is a new way of looking at how we offer learning to our students.

The purpose of the Ambridge Area Cyber Program is to offer students the education they need to prepare for life in the 21st century. It provides students with opportunities they may not have previously had through their public education experience. Ambridge Area is proud to meet the needs and wants of students and their parents in the same quality academic environment with which stakeholders have become accustomed.

What you will find on this site is a compilation of all of the aspects of the Ambridge Area Cyber Academy. The programs are explained in detail on the linked pages, and as we grow, more will be added.

The staff of the Ambridge Area School District is proud to offer various new offerings through the Cyber Program combined with the traditional offerings of past years. The quality of education with which you are accustomed remains as high as ever, but the courses are presented in a different way. No matter the program in which students choose to enroll, successful completion will result in an Ambridge Area diploma. Parents and students can be assured that they are prepared for the next steps life has to offer.

Cyber Academy Application

Credit Recovery Application

Cyber Student Handbook

Cyber Academy Overview

On August 28th, 2013, the Ambridge Area School Board approved a partnership between Ambridge Area School District and Seneca Valley Academy of Choice, resulting in the creation of our own cyber/hybrid alternative for students. Highlights of the Ambridge Area Cyber Academy are as follows:

FREE personalized education plan for AASD students
Resources of caring, highly qualified AASD professional staff
A Cyber Lab to utilize at the high school
An array of extracurricular activities and clubs
Flexibility of scheduling, guidance counselor services, and scholarship opportunities
Opportunities to be creative, productive, discover, and explore potentials
Teaches students responsibility, time management, self-discipline, dedication, independence and a global perspective
Upon completion of all graduation requirements, students will graduate with an Ambridge Area Diploma
Courses are aligned to the AASD Common Core Curriculum
Students will earn letter grades on both report cards and transcripts
Students can participate in all Ambridge Area-sponsored events including Homecoming, Prom, graduation, athletics and activities
Physical Education can be completed at a local gym as a Pass/Fail course
Health screenings are offered at school
Students required to take the Keystone Exams based on courses scheduled must report to the school to do so
Seniors must complete all graduation requirements

Please check out the links above for more information, including our brochure, student handbook, and application.

Once an application is received, it will be reviewed by our educational team to determine the best placement for the student. The criteria that are examined include the following. The higher the score, the more likely the student will be to succeed in a cyber program.

NAME	5	3	1
Attendance	Student has a medical issue or social issue that is causing poor attendance. This medical or social issue will not keep the student from logging on to complete work successfully at home or in the cyber lab.	Student has poor attendance, but due to no extenuating circumstance. Administration and cyber staff has reservations about the attendance problems persisting and/or getting worse in a cyber setting.	Administration, guidance, parent or student believes that attendance in cyber will not be to a level where the student can be successful in their necessary credits.
Motivation/potential for success	A successful cyber student is a self-advocate and has good time management skills. A successful cyber parent is supportive, encouraging and helps to foster the communication between the student and teachers.	Either student or parent desires cyber for an option, but self-discipline or motivation on the part of the student is questionable. If student has an IEP, the student and parent realize that now adaptations and modifications are extremely limited, and the amount of individualized attention and support will be significantly decreased due to the isolated nature of course delivery.	Student just “doesn’t like school” and thinks cyber school will solve this problem. Both student and parent must be informed that the cyber curriculum is typically much more rigorous and often more difficult than the corresponding face to face class. Any student with an IEP will have it altered and the level of accommodation will be significantly decreased.
Academic Success	Both student and parent are prepared for more challenging material in a cyber course. The student is very intelligent and motivated, and should be able to succeed in the courses.	The student realizes this may be more difficult than their traditional classes and the student may choose to work in the cyber lab rather than from home to get extra help in classes from cyber teachers of record while in the building.	Student grades are very high in traditional classes and it is believed that switching to cyber classes will actually cause a drop in academic performance. Or… Student grades are so low in traditional school that there are very strong concerns that cyber course grades will be even lower.