⇒ Registration for the 2023/24 school year and Summer School now open! ⇐
Head to our registration page for more information.
Meet the Principal and Home Education Teacher: Alison Hancox
Alison Hancox is the founding principal at Ignite Centre for eLearning. Alison has demonstrated online teaching, home education and leadership experience with Edmonton Public Schools and Palliser Regional Schools
Alison completed a Masters of Education Technology at the University of Queensland focused on researching best leadership practices for building leadership capacity in schools. Throughout her career Alison has been recognized for excellence in teaching and leadership. She was awarded Outstanding Principal of the year and was the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Alberta Teaching Excellence award.
What if…home education valued you and supported your family’s needs?
The staff at Ignite Centre for eLearning recognize and highly value the parent/caregiver role as a child’s first educator. Our staff are here to provide a high level of support to help ensure your child’s success.
Connection is Key with Ignite Centre for eLearning
Through our ability to serve students and families utilizing various technologies, our high quality of support will include access to digital resources, project-based planning, activities that support cross-curricular activities and that enrich parent-led instruction, especially in the core subject areas.
While the minimum requirement for student/family meetings is two per year as indicated in the Home Education regulation, the certificated teachers responsible for our Home Education program will meet with students and families online and/or in person at least four times per year to ensure the highest quality of programming and that students and parents are well connected to the Ignite Centre for eLearning community. Field trips will also be an integral part of this commitment.
This program will be facilitated online, with in-home meetings as required to support students and families in need of heightened levels of support.
Families will have access to half of the Home Education funding allocation ($850) to support their child’s program. This funding may be used to pay for field trips, courses, instruction and other resources.
For more information about Home Education, parents/caregivers are encouraged to refer to Alberta Education’s Home Education Handbook.
Home Education Program Details
Ignite at Home is our way of igniting learning with you parent educators. Our program can be summarized as follows:
- Parents design their children’s learning experience. Parents have the flexibility to choose resources.
- Parents who register their children at Ignite will have access to a google Classroom of digital resources that have been curated over 20 years as recommendations for tools to support learning.
- Our Home Education teacher has worked with home educators over 20 years and has experience home educating her own children. She understands the curriculum over grades 1-12 and can support parents who are looking to home educate in high school according to section 6 of the home education regulation.
- Where there is interest we will provide online programming and field trips (providing COVID regulations permit
- Our home education teacher will support the parent educator with program planning, resource selection, instructional approaches and methods of assessment.
- Ignite is a willing non-resident board; we accept students from across Alberta.
Refer to these resources:
Home Schooling vs Online Learning
Language is important.
While there are some common threads in each of these programs, it is important to note the differences between these programs as you decide which will best meet your family’s needs.
So often, we hear terms like “homeschooling”, “learning at home”, “home-based learning” etc. used interchangeably without really understanding what these terms mean. At Ignite Centre for eLearning, our experience has helped us ensure that we are using common language that is found in Alberta Education’s policy and legislation documents so that we are all “speaking the same language”, which will help families make well informed decisions regarding program choice.
Choosing Curriculum
As a parent educator you have two choices:
- Follow the Alberta Program of Studies
- choose your own curriculum
Parents who register their children at Ignite will have access to a google Classroom of digital resources that have been curated over 20 years as recommendations for tools to support learning.
The Alberta Program of Studies
The learning outcomes for the Alberta Program of Studies is identified for each grade and subject at these websites:
Choose your own
Parents may choose their own curriculum which meets their child’s needs and reflects family values, culture, language, religion, including parts of the Alberta curriculum.
The outcomes for the Schedule of Learning Outcomes (SOLO) are identified as follows:
1) A basic education must provide students with a solid core program including language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.
2) Students are expected to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare them for life after high school. A basic education will allow students to
(a) read for information, understanding and enjoyment,
(b) write and speak clearly, accurately and appropriately for the context,
(c) use mathematics to solve problems in business, science and daily life situations,
(d) understand the physical world, ecology and the diversity of life,
(e) understand the scientific method, the nature of science and technology and their application to daily life,
(f) know the history and geography of Canada and have a general understanding of world history and geography,
(g) understand Canada’s political, social and economic systems within a global context,
(h) respect the cultural diversity, the religious diversity and the common values of Canada,
(i) demonstrate desirable personal characteristics such as respect, responsibility, fairness, honesty, caring, loyalty
and commitment to democratic ideals,
(j) recognize the importance of personal well-being and appreciate how family and others contribute to that
well-being,
(k) know the basic requirements of an active, healthful lifestyle,
(l) understand and appreciate literature, the arts and the
creative process,
(m) research an issue thoroughly and evaluate the credibility and reliability of information sources,
(n) demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills in problem solving and decision making,
(o) demonstrate competence in using information technologies,
(p) know how to work independently and as part of a team,
(q) manage time and other resources needed to complete a task,
(r) demonstrate initiative, leadership, flexibility and persistence,
(s) evaluate their own endeavours and continually strive to improve, and
(t) have the desire and realize the need for life-long learning.
Making a Home Education Plan
This template will be provided for Parents in the Google Classroom, once an account has been created for you:
Parents will:
- provide a draft to the Ignite Home education teacher by September 30, each year.
- meet with the Ignite home education teacher during the year to
- review the plan
- discuss successes, achievements, and revise to help you meet learning goals you have identified.
- celebrate student learning
- provide year end summary including dated samples in a student portfolio.
Completing High School Credits as a Home Education Student
Parents who provide home education programs acknowledge that there are implications when they choose to use curriculum that is different from the Alberta programs of study:
- Students may not be eligible for high school credits (unless pre-established criteria are met following demonstration of acceptable level of understanding of the learning outcomes for a course following the Alberta program of Studies)
- Students may not receive an Alberta High School Diploma.
The home education handbook (page 32) outlines the regulations for high school credit eligibility:
“High school credit eligibility
On the recommendation of a school principal, a student receiving a home education program that follows the Alberta programs of study is eligible to receive high school credits if the student achieves the course standards and outcomes prescribed by the Minister.”
If parents wish to create a plan so that their students may earn credits in high school, this must be approved in advance.
This will require:
- pre-established criteria are met following demonstration of acceptable level of understanding of the learning outcomes for a course following the Alberta program of Studies
- long term commitment
- long term relationship building between the teacher and the family, including parents and student
- trust and open communication
- collaboration between student, parent and teacher who will guide the process
- a long term commitment to design an education plan that will ensure prerequisite learning, skills and evidence of assessment are in place moving into the grade 12 year.
- The ability for the parent and student to track and provide evidence of understanding the learning outcomes.
- you must understand it is not coverage that we are addressing , it is evidence of student learning and performance of those outcomes. Grades are determined by demonstrated levels of understating that are described in a rubric and part of the portfolio assessment.
- a long term commitment to align with the Alberta programs of study
- the ability for the student and parent to direct a student’s learning
- the ability to choose learning resources which will uncover the learning outcomes prescribed by the Alberta program of Study.
- There is not a requirement to follow a course or specific program. You may of course and access can be provided to materials designed for teacher instruction. However the student and parent are responsible for delivery and assurance of understanding.
- Assessment will be administered through a variety of measures as part of the home education process established to meet the regulation requirements, including the ability for the student to demonstrate learning through portfolio presentation
How does a student show levels of performance and that they have addressed the learning outcomes in courses they wish to earn credit?
- summative portfolio assessment can contribute to a school awarded mark
- summative assessments determined in conjunction with the student’s teacher. All formative assessments are part of the parent and student home education responsibility.
- grades are awarded based on summative assessments
- As per the regulation: Any student in a home education program may write a high school diploma examination. However the diploma examination mark achieved will stand alone and will not result in a final course mark unless accompanied by a recommendation for credit by a high school principal. A final course mark requires both a school awarded mark and a diploma examination mark. Arrangements to write diploma examinations should be made well in advance of the writing date by contacting the school for assistance or Learner Assessment Branch at 780-427-0010.
- If the student is an adult (19+), students can earn credit by challenging the diploma exam and do not require a course mark in those courses that have diploma exams.
- Sample student portfolio template
Funding for Parents
Funding will be provided according to the Standards for Home Education Reimbursement
- You may claim up to $850 per child for expenses to support your child’s learning in the 2021-2022 school year. Internet is reimbursed up to 50%
- Receipts – tape them on to a piece of paper.
- Write for each receipt who the expense is for and for what purpose. Ie Alison’s language arts program
- Items that meet the requirements of the home education plan and any discussions we have had regarding resources can be reimbursed. Give us as much detail as you can.
- Either scan to create a pdf or take a picture (please send a clear copy) and upload to the google form
- Please submit one request for reimbursement and maximize your receipts to submit for $850 with one request.
- If the receipts total more than $850 don’t worry. We will reimburse up to the maximum.
- In fact try to submit receipts that total $850 in your submission.
- The form is made available in our Home Education Google classroom, made available one a student is registered.
- Please keep your original receipts in a folder. Ignite can be audited and we may be called upon to provide original receipts.
- Requests must be received by May 1 each year.
- If students were registered after September 30 reimbursements are not available.
Shared Responsibility Program
Ignite Centre for eLearning is pleased to offer a Shared Responsibility program, where the parent and the school share in the responsibility for providing an education program in specific courses to students in Grades 1 to 9. This is an excellent choice for students transitioning from a Home Education program to an online learning program.
Families may enrol their student in a minimum of 20 percent up to a maximum of 80 percent in courses taught by our certificated teachers; the parent is responsible for the remainder of the program under the Home Education Regulation. Families are entitled to a pro-rated amount of the Home Education reimbursement, based on the percentage of the program the parent is responsible for.
Click here for more information and to view course percentages.
Specialized Services
“On February 22nd, 2022, the Government of Alberta announced in the Throne Speech that “Access to specialized services will be expanded to home education families through a new program.”
AISCA is proud to share the following video with our home education parents that contains valuable information on how this program will work. The purpose of the program will be to help parents, as teachers of their children in grades 1 to 12, implement educational curriculum at home by gaining a better understanding of their children’s learning needs.
Beginning May 1st, home education parents in Alberta will be able to access a wide range of support services and an online platform will be created, from which parents will have access to a range of services, including workshops, virtual consultations, and resources. The approach taken to support home education students will be similar to the approach taken in schools. The focus will be on supporting parents to resolve or address any questions or concerns they have through universal supports.”
While AISCA is facilitating the rollout of these supports through a grant agreement with Alberta Education, the supports are available to all parents in Alberta who are home educating their children.
The focus of the program is to further equip parents, as the educator in the home, with universal strategies, and to provide them with access to coaching, workshops, resources, online consultations with specialists, and screenings and assessments.
To hear the presentation: You can access the recording here: https://youtu.be/FPktrg3YLUw (See the attached Powerpoint and Information bulletin)
Beginning Monday May 2, 2022 families who wish to access these services can complete a Home Education Registration Form at Home Education – Khan Communication Services Inc.
Or call (780) 440-3251 ext 1
If you have any questions, you can direct them to: homeed@khancommunicationservices.com
Resources are currently available on AISCA’s Learner Supports page – https://www.aisca.ab.ca/learner-supports/
General Information about Safety and Security online @ Ignite
During the school day, our secure learning environment requires students to log in with a chrome browser, create a chrome profile and enable the synching of the browser. We push out extensions to the browser to support learning (like a Read Write Literacy app) and to ensure the integrity of the student digital footprint. Teachers will instruct students in our orientations how to do this.
We have installed a mandatory browser extension, Student Aware, that will notify administration if students are accessing worrisome websites or engaged in dangerous online activity. Our school will then notify parents. This service is only available if students are using the Ignite email on a synched chrome profile. We will be providing some parent information this year to help parents learn more about setting up computers so children are safe online. More information will come on this topic.
We do ensure that our students understand the importance of not sharing personal information online as well as other important aspects related to digital citizenship/literacy. For more information about keeping your children safe online, see our blog here.
