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May 3, 2021

2 min

Mark Holley

Short-term Enrollment at Method Schools

Method is a full-time virtual charter school, with a focus on independent study that's rigorous, personal, flexible, and accredited. We believe in personal attention for each student, small class sizes, and constantly seeking out new and better ways to teach students and prepare them for an uncertain (but exciting) future. Our mission is to aggressively advance K-12 education in California, and our personal approach to learning works. Our teachers know every student they serve, and they deliver curriculum and instruction effectively and uniquely to their students with this in mind.

Method is WASC-accredited, and we feature a comprehensive UC a-g and NCAA-approved online course catalog. We build our own online curriculum, called SmartFox, and we work tirelessly to operate the premier online public school in California. Long before the covid-19 pandemic forced California public school students into an online learning modality, Method was successfully providing advanced online learning to thousands of students each year in Southern California.

Method isn’t a summer school. However, due to the nature of Method being an independent study school, with a year-round schedule format, many students enroll at Method for a short period of time. This has occurred more frequently over the years because our school is referred by districts to their students to catch up on credits or move ahead toward graduation. In fact, more than 100 schools and districts have referred their students to Method over the past three years. We’ve earned the trust of these schools and school districts throughout Southern California, not to mention parents and, of course, students.

Even with this in mind, Method is not a summer school, nor is it built to operate as one. The longer a student stays with Method, the better they do academically and the more prepared they are for the next step on their path to college and career. The State of California has no provision that allows a public school – charter or traditional – to operate exclusively as a summer school. This is unfortunate because there is outsized demand for summer school that far outweighs the supply, ultimately hurting students.

While students will continue to enroll at Method for varying lengths of time – and we’ll be here to help them all along their academic journey – we ask that you consider if Method, as a full-time public school, is right for your student before attempting to enroll.


May 19, 2021 Update: Grades 9-12 Full for New (non-current) Method Students

Enrollment for the 2021-22 school year is open for select grade levels. Spots are available for new students in grades K-8 and current Method students in all grades. Students entering grades 9-12 who aren't currently enrolled at Method can be added to the waiting list by checking the appropriate box on the enrollment form at methodschools.org/enroll.

See how one public charter school used SmartFox K12 to master online learning. Download the Method Schools Success Story. Download the case study >>

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