How It Works

High School

Who can attend?

The Iowa Virtual Academy (IAVA) high school program serves students in grades 9–12 who reside in the state of Iowa.


What are the costs?

Because IAVA is a public school program, it’s tuition-free. IAVA provides Iowa-licensed teachers and all instructional materials for the program. However, students and families will be responsible for providing some consumable materials (such as printer ink and paper).

Expectations for Completing Schoolwork

At IAVA, student learning and academic growth are paramount. While we offer a level of flexibility, we recognize the importance of classroom pacing and the need for students to complete their work based on set due dates.

IAVA high school uses a semester-based approach where students are required to earn a passing grade on their assignments and online lessons. Due dates are assigned to lessons to encourage consistent, steady progress for academic success.

Attending teacher-led, direct-instruction, online synchronous Class Connect sessions, along with completing coursework, will help students be successful.

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Teachers provide individual and small group assistance via online synchronous sessions called “Class Connects.” Students are expected to attend all required Class Connects and meet with their teacher to receive course assistance, tutoring, and instruction. Students in grades 9–12 work more directly with teachers, but parent/Learning Coach involvement is essential for approximately 10 hours a week.

Attendance is logged Monday through Friday according to a traditional calendar; however, academic progress can be achieved during the weekends as well. High school students are expected to spend approximately 6–7 hours on schoolwork per school day. A student who takes five courses and spends 6 hours per week on each one is devoting approximately 30 hours per week to his or her coursework.


Qualified high school students can participate in our concurrent enrollment program with Northeast Iowa Community College.


Email is the primary form of communication between the school and families. Learning Coaches and students are required to check and respond to emails on a daily basis.


IAVA students must comply with all Iowa-mandated testing requirements.


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