SUPPORT—FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions from Students & Parents:
We are always happy to answer your questions. For your convenience, some of the answers to the most frequently asked questions are provided below. If your question is not answered below, please contact us through the chat box that pops up at the bottom of the page or through the Contact Us page.
To understand how to navigate your student dashboard and how our courses work, see our Dashboards page, and watch this video.
Accreditation
Is SVHS an accredited school? Yes, SVHS is accredited by Cognia and WASC. Cognia, formerly called AdvancED, the largest community of education professionals in the world. AdvancED is the trusted partner to 34,000 educational institutions—employing more than four million educators and enrolling more than 20 million students—across the United States and 70 other nations. SVHS is also accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC).
Which commission accredits SVHS? Cognia, formerly called AdvancED operates three commissions: 1) North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI); 2) Southern Association of Colleges and School Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI); and 3) Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC). NWAC is managing the schools in California. AdvancED schools are accredited under all three commissions since a merger in 2012. So SVHS is accredited under all three commissions.
Silicon Valley High School is also accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) with code 44 75432 417.
Diploma Granting High School
Does SVHS offer a high school diploma? Yes. From the top menu, click on the “Diploma” link for further information.
How long does it take to earn a high school diploma? That depends on how quickly you proceed through the required courses. The course are self-paced, so students complete them at their own pace. You’ll see from the Policies page that you have up to 12 months to complete a course from the date that you enroll, so that’s the maximum time you have to take the course. If you dedicate sufficient time and energy to completing a course, you can accelerate your way through the materials. However, the minimum time you should take to complete a course is thirty (30) days. Note: the Physical Education courses cannot be accelerated as they require you to monitor and track your physical activity for an entire semester.
Is there an age limit for earning a high school diploma? No. So long as you pass all the required courses, you can earn your high school diploma from SVHS at any age.
NCAA Approval
Is SVHS NCAA approved? Yes. In 2018 Silicon Valley High School was approved by NCAA, the National Collegiate Athletic Association. SVHS’s NCAA High School Code is: 851733, as indicated on SVHS’s page on the NCAA website here.
California A-G Credits
Will University of California accept credits from SVHS courses through its A-G program? Yes.
I’ve taken UC a-g approved SVHS courses in the past, what do I need to do to have the courses accepted for credit by University of California? We are recognized as an Online School, and listed on the UCOP Portal website.
College Admissions
Will an SVHS high school diploma enable me to gain admission to my chosen college? That depends on the college you’ve chosen. Colleges adopt their own admissions requirements and procedures. For example, here’s the admissions portal for the University of California. Colleges generally want to see your transcript, to see what courses you have taken and the grades you have achieved. SVHS will provide you with an official transcripts that can be shared with the colleges you’re applying to. In addition to having a high school diploma and official transcript, colleges often require that you take an SAT standardized test administered by the College Board. The SAT is separate and independent from your high school diploma. SVHS and other high schools are not part of the SAT testing process.
Do I need a college admissions advisor to get into my chosen college? Many students hire specialist private consultants to help them with the college application process, and help them make sure they understand and satisfy the college admissions requirements. Here’s a link to a the Independent Education Consultants Association and a Princeton Review article on how to choose a college admissions counselor. College Coach is an example of an admissions counseling service.
Can we use SVHS transcripts to apply to universities and colleges? Yes.
Transferring Credits into My High School
How do I know if my high school will accept transcripts and credits from SVHS? Schools and school districts each have its own policies, however, schools usually accept transcripts and transfer credits from accredited schools like SVHS. It would be unusual for a school not to accept credits from another accredited school, but to make sure you should check with your particular school before taking an SVHS course.
Middle School Students
Can I take SVHS high school courses while I’m in middle school? Middle school students often want to earn credits they can transfer into high school, to give themselves a head-start when they enter high school. However, high schools often will not accept credits earned while the student was in middle school. The date that the credit is earned, is the date the course was completed. If the date the course was completed is before the student has completed 8th grade, many high schools will not transfer in the credits. The course is completed when the final is submitted. For students transitioning from middle school to high school, we recommend discussing the dates with our customer service team. Schools and school districts can have their own policies, so it’s important to check with your school counselor to ensure you comply with their required dates and policies.
Transcripts and Course Completion Records
Summer School credits: Some schools have rules and policies that require supplemental courses to be completed during the summer, not during a school semester. They often require the summer semester to be indicated on the transcript. It’s important to check if your school has such a requirement, and if so, to check that you will complete your course(s) before the end of the SVHS summer semester. Before taking a course, we recommend you coordinate the dates with your school counselor and SVHS customer service.
Courses completed (the course is completed when the final is submitted) between September 1st to January 14th will be marked as the “Fall” semester. Those completed between January 15th and May 31st will be marked as the “Spring” semester. While those completed between June 1st and August 31st will be marked as the “Summer” semester. Note for summer school students: if your school requires courses to be completed during the Summer semester, you must have submitted all the course assignments in full (i.e., all parts of the assignment are complete and the directions have been followed) on or before August 15th to ensure a summer transcript.
Fall Semester – Sep 1 to Jan 14
Spring Semester – Jan 15 to May 31
Summer Semester – Jun 1 to Aug 31
Will I receive a certificate of completion? Yes. On completion of the course you will find a link where you can download to the certificate of completion as a PDF document.
Can SVHS send a certificate of completion to my school? Yes. On completion of the course you will find an active link titled “Request a Course Completion Record”. Here you complete a form where you can request the certificate to by emailed to your school, or to anyone you wish to receive it. Alternatively, you can use the form: Request a Transcript/Record of Course Completion.
Can SVHS mail an official transcript to my school? Yes. Please click the “Request a Transcript” link on the bottom of the page and complete the form. As an accredited school, SVHS provides transcripts. Supplemental students (those studying at another full-time high school) can have the SVHS courses merged onto their high school transcript to streamline their college application process. Request a Transcript/Record of Course Completion.
What do I do if I requested a certificate of completion be mailed to my school but my school administrator has not received it? Please ask the recipient to check the email spam folder–sometimes messages find their way to the wrong folder. Then, please return to your course, select the “Request a Course Completion Record” link at the end of the course resubmit your request for the certificate to be sent out by email. You can identify yourself as the recipient if you wish, and when you receive the email with the certificate, you can forward it to your school. You can access the “Request a Course Completion Record” as many times as you wish, and trigger the email to as many recipients as you like, in order to make sure you receive the certificate.
Is the Certificate of Completion a transcript? No, although most schools accept a certificate of completion, some require an official transcript to be sent through the mail. You can request an official transcript from our web site at the following URL: https://svhs.co/request-transcript/. Please complete the form and we will send out your transcript.
Is the Course Completion Record a transcript? No. When you complete a course with SVHS you have access to a course completion form: this allows you to generate a course completion record. This course completion record only provides information on one course. You can request for a course completion record to be sent to your school, by doing the following: Go to course page of the course that you’ve completed, scroll down and click on the “Request a Course Completion Record” link.
If you want us to send a transcript that lists all the courses you have taken, then you have to request that; it is not sent automatically. You can request an official transcript from our web site at the following URL: https://svhs.co/request-transcript/.
SVHS Courses
Do classes meet on a specific day and time? No, all the courses are self-paced. The courses can be taken any day, any time.
How many days per week is the class offered and at what time? The courses are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They’re self-paced courses, so the students can take them in their own time and at their own pace.
Note: website maintenance notifications will be posted at least 7 days before it is scheduled to allow you to plan accordingly.
Are summer courses available? Yes, our courses are available online 365 days a year. You can enroll and take our courses over the summer, or any time. The minimum enrollment period for a course is 30 days.
Are your courses “pass/fail” type of courses? SVHS courses are not “pass/fail” courses. You will be issued a letter grade once you have completed any of our courses. When you start the course, you will be provided with the criteria that will be used for calculating your grade.
Do you offer AP or honors courses? At this time we do not offer AP or honors courses. All our courses are college prep, regular courses.
Are the courses restricted to high school students? No. The courses are available to anyone at any time. In fact, we have adults taking our courses; anyone is welcome to enroll in an SVHS course. Middle school students should always check with their counselor about taking high school courses. The school or district will have a policy about what courses a student can take. Typically, a student that has not completed 8th grade is not eligible to earn high school transfer credits for the course.
What is your college board (CEEB) code? Our college board code is 290023. Silicon Valley High School is registered as a private secondary school with the Nevada Department of Education.
Is a 10-credit (1 Carnegie credit) course the equivalent of a two-semester (full year) course? Yes. A 5-credit (0.5 Carnegie credit) course is the equivalent of a one-semester (half-year) course, and a ten-credit (1 Carnegie credit) course is the equivalent of a two-semester (full-year) course.
Are your courses suitable for recovering a subject that a student has failed? Yes, they are often used by students to catch up on credits. You should check with your school counselor that your school will accept our courses for high school credits.
Are tests online? Yes, the tests are incorporated into the online courses.
Is there a textbook? The materials are all provided within the online course. You don’t need to buy a textbook. The materials comprise videos, readings and other materials. No textbooks are required.
How does the online course work? Students log in to the course, they watch videos, view reading materials, take quizzes, submit assignments, take tests and they take a final. Once all the tests, assignments and finals have been completed, the student earns a grade and receives a certificate of completion online. Please refer to the video titled “How Our Courses Work” on this page.
Is the final multiple choice? Yes, the final is multiple choice and has a 3 hour time limit. Quizzes are not timed and are designed to reinforce and enable you to master what you have learned.
How long does it take to complete a 5 credit (0.5 Carnegie credit) course? It depends on how quick the student is able to move through the material and how many hours per day the student spends on the course. A diligent student that allocates several hours a day to studying can complete a course in a month or two. Students must be enrolled in a course for a minimum of 30 days before they can take the final exam.
Can we just take the second semester of Algebra 1? Yes. Algebra 1 Part 1 covers the first semester, Algebra 1; Part 2 covers the second semester. They are each 5-credit (0.5 Carnegie credit) courses. We have divided the core courses into two semester parts, which can be taken separately.
Do your courses have teacher support? How are the courses graded? Yes, all our courses are teacher-supported. Assignments are submitted to SVHS teachers who grade them and provide feedback. Instructions are provided within the course.
Are all the lessons in your courses video-based, or are some of them text based? We prefer video and almost all of our units have a video component accompanied by a reading component to help students gain a deeper understanding of the materials.
How long do students have to complete the courses? A student has up to a year to complete a course. The courses are all self-paced; students work at their own speed and should easily be able to complete the course in this timeframe. Students must be enrolled in a course for a minimum of 30 days before they can take the final exam. Students can petition for the course to be extended if it expires before they are finished. Course extensions will be reviewed on a case by case basis for approval. Use the Ask a Question form on your dashboard to submit your petition for review.
My school requires me to provide a grade update for a course I take online so they can monitor my progress. Do you provide a grade update? How do I get it to my school? You can view and print your grade at any time. Login to your account, click on your course, then under the administration block click “Grades”. You can print your grade and turn it in to your school, or take a screenshot and email that to your school. Alternatively, your counselor can create an account with SVHS to monitor your progress. Discuss with your counselor these options, and contact us if you need help.
Are any of the math courses appropriate for middle school students? Yes, if the student is ready for high school math. See the section above regarding Middle School students.
How much do your courses cost? Our mission is to provide quality, personalized, affordable and ever-improving educational paths for all students to pursue their ambitions. Please click on a course in our Course Catalog page for the price of a particular course.
When setting up the account and payment information, how does the enrollment name work? Is it the student’s name, and if so, how does that work with the payment method, which would be in the parent’s name? Please create the SVHS account in the student’s name. The system will provide the student with a certificate of completion, and it will pull the name from the user’s account. After your student has an account with SVHS, you will be able to enroll them in a course. We use Stripe to process our transactions. It is during the check-out process that you provide the payer’s name and payment details.
Is credit card information secured on your website? The pages that collect credit card and sensitive information are operated by Stripe and encrypted with a secure socket layer (HTTPS). We do not collect or store any credit card information on our site. Along with more than 80,000 other learning institutions, we use an industry-standard learning management system called Moodle. However, Stripe takes care of the payments using SSL. Our site simply receives a message from Stripe that payment has been collected–all the credit card information is stored by Stripe using their security systems and is never exposed to us.
Does SVHS issue a Tax Form 1098-T? No. Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement, is an American IRS tax form filed by eligible education institutions (or those filing on the institution’s behalf) to report payments received and payments due from the paying student. An eligible educational institution is a school offering higher education beyond high school. It is any college, university, trade school, or other post secondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program run by the U.S. Department of Education. SVHS is a high school and is not an eligible institution.
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