Existing K-12 Educational Options in Alberta today.

There are currently a number of school options available to parents in Alberta. Parents can investigate and check out the best fit for their family with respect to parental authority and choices for their children. 

Enrollment in some of the options is often competitive. Capacities are sometimes limited so it is important for parents to do their assessments for their family needs early.  

Schools receive their funding for the province on a per student basis according to the number of registrations they have by September 30 of each new school year. 

Types of Education offered to students in Alberta.

1. Public School Boards
2. Catholic School Boards
3. Private Christian Schools
4. French Immersion Schools
5. Outreach speciality Schools – e.g., Edge Sports School, Montessori school
6. Other Private Schools – e.g., Strathcona Tweedsmuir School  
7. Charter Schools e.g., Foundations for the Future, Classical Charter schools (newly approved)  
8. Home Education – With a variety of options ranging from complete autonomy to fully provincially aligned programs. Within this continuum an extensive list of curriculum options exist with both in person and on-line instructional methods available to parents.

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More on Home education options…

As a Homeschooler or Home Educator, registration and funding come under Alberta Education. Alberta is one of the few provinces that allows Home Educators to register with a ‘Willing non-resident board’. This means parents can choose to register with any willing board in Alberta that best meets the needs of their family.

To see a listing of available non-resident board options go to  Canadian Home Education Resources. Alberta Home School Boards   (Note: the terminology is often changing for the choices available to parents, so it is best to clarify the understanding of terms before committing.) 

There are a number Home Education program structures to choose from. These include: 

1. Home Education Program – Traditional. The parent makes their own educational plan with or without help from an assigned teacher consultant/facilitator with visits a twice a year (fall, spring). This is known as ‘traditional’ or parent directed, parent as teacher). Generally, parents are provided $850 per year/ each student to cover off receipted expenses.

1. School Authority Program – Fully Aligned program.  Parents in this option are required to fully follow the Alberta Program of Studies.  Assignments and materials are handed in, marking is done, or on-line courses directed by teachers.  

1. Blended Programs. This is a parent determined combination of the traditional home education and the fully aligned programs based on particular subject areas and individual student needs and interests. For example, some school board you register with may offer classes in science, music (choir), or language arts to cover Alberta learning outcomes certain days a week, and the parents cover math, history, PE from their own chosen resources.   

1. Fully aligned – online courses. Some parents may choose fully 100 % online courses. These programs offer innovative on-line teaching technology.  This can be a choice for traveling students, special international sports students, or a missionary family in other countries. North Star Academy is one Christian example of this type that provides courses on-line, directed by a teacher. The school board registers students, supplies support, some technology and assistance.

1. Notification Only, No Funding (NONF) option for home educators in Alberta. Thanks to the hard work of AHEA (see more below) this parental option received royal assent as Bill 15 “Choice in Education Act”. This option requires ‘notification’ from a parent who intends to home school a child. No funding or further involvement by Alberta Education is required. 

1. Kindergarten (ECS) is not funded for a homeschooling child unless a parent enrolls a child with an approved program of determined teaching hours. Some  ‘willing non-resident boards’ do extend support for 5 year olds e.g. with parent initiated programs that might use support of  monthly Reading Readiness programs offered with newsletters to parents. 

1. Unschooling – Over the years some parents have been known to not notify of their intent to home educate to be totally independent. This is known by the term “unschooling” i.e. Without school notification, intervention or funding. 

     High School options (these are expanding as parents push the limits)

1. Some School Boards offer full time High School core courses and options, that homeschoolers may be able to enroll in to earn ‘course credits upon completion’ (must meet course objectives from High School Program of Studies and/or hours needed). 

-Possibilities might include: Special Projects (often designed by your student’s hands-on connections), Work Experience, Religious Studies (CALM), Music e.g. Royal Conservatory levels, some apprenticeship learning (welding, mechanics etc.). The school obtains funding for such courses completed, and a student may be able to obtain a number of credits that can contribute to a High School Diploma.  This could even be two different school boards for different courses  but not all schools are friendly to this concept. 

1. Self-paced, independent semester learning can be obtained through a variety of options such as Bishop Carroll High School or Chinook College with the Calgary Public School Board.  
2. Some schools make out-of-classroom arrangements for students committed to elite sport athletics or travelling teams.
3. The Alberta Program of Studies Home Education Regulations outline how to obtain high school credits through Self Designed Portfolio Based Homeschooling Courses. Self designed courses offer flexibility both in course content and in procedures for obtaining credit. The Program of Studies identifies several School Authorities that are willing to do portfolio reviews and submit credits to Alberta Education on behalf of the student.“Most people think they have to cram a child into a rigid, structured government online course in order to get credentials in high school courses. This is not true. Most teens can find what they need to learn in high school subject areas, outside the government education system. The internet provides a vast, credible, free, resource of information in print, video or multimedia for math, sciences, English studies, geography, history, art, cooking and many other topic areas. In order to get grade 12 credentials, all teens have to do is petition a supportive Education Authority as noted above, write diploma exams at age 19 or write the SAT (Stanford Achievement Tests).” 
4. Students can also prepare for SAT exams (Stanford Achievement Test) internationally recognized exams which can be independently scheduled;  this mark may be accepted for competitive entrance to universities, colleges in US and Canada without the requirement for a high school diploma. 
5. Often universities will accept students with extensive portfolios without a diploma. 

Other Program offerings for homeschooling groups:  (extensive to local areas)

1. Many parent initiated, homeschool support groups, will offer memberships (small yearly fee) within their area e.g.  Cochrane Home Educators offer classes/workshops set up for various age groups, weekly, day or monthly activities (swimming lessons, learning pods etc.).
2. Librarians often set up programs for homeschooling groups  (parents can ask for specific topics too e.g. using technology).

Many Additional Supports and Organizations:

1. AHEA (Alberta Home Education Association) a provincial board of volunteers that works on behalf of home educators’ needs. They have been instrumental in protecting parents and changes to the Home Education Regulations. They host a yearly conference in Red Deer with speakers on a variety of topics for home educators & educational themes. 

*Next Trade Fair & Fellowship June 3 &4 2022 at Westerner’s Prairie Pavilion in Red Deer, AB.

https://www.aheaonline.com/

1. HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) Canada and US wide legal support for home educators (yearly fee).

1. Parents for Choice in Education PCE “Advocating for Excellence in Education Through Maximum Parental Choice” (This organization provides many topics, i.e., facts on funding, understanding home education in Alberta and details on options.)  www.parentchoice.ca

1. Alberta Educators 4 Human Rights – extensive resources and support. www.albertaeducatorsforhumanrights.com