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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the CDSD Cyber Academy Teachers?
  • Every student, grades K - 12, will be paired up with an invested CDSD mentor teacher for the purpose of providing academic and emotional support throughout their entire tenure at the CDSD Cyber Academy 
  • All CDSD Cyber Academy courses in grades K - 5 will be taught exclusively by CDSD staff
  • All Secondary students will have most of their courses taught by a CDSD staff member and the possibility of another learning management system for other courses
 
What are the class sizes?
  • Class sizes can vary depending on the grade and level of small-group instruction needed.  Our goal is to maximize the frequency of small-group instruction for all students because we recognize the importance of individualized attention our students demand
  • In most cases, small-group class sizes will be below 10 students
  • When whole-group instruction is necessary, the class size will be less than 40
 
How does a family enroll into the Central Dauphin School District Cyber Academy?
  • Enrollment application is listed on our website's main page or you can contact our office at 717-545-4703 ext. 90309.
 
Which grade levels are able to participate in the CDSD Cyber Academy?
  • Grades K - 12 are offered at CDSD Cyber Academy
 
What courses are offered at CDSD Cyber Academy?
  • CDSD Cyber Academy course catalog is aligned with all available CDSD courses K - 12
 
What technology will students receive once they are enrolled in CDSD Cyber Academy?
  • Chromebooks and WiFi will be provided if needed
 
Who can I contact if our school-issued technology is not working?
  • Please contact the CDSD Service Desk by calling 717.346.9452 or submitting a help desk ticket by clicking here
 
How do CDSD Cyber Academy teachers provide feedback and grades?
  • Grades are posted weekly in HAC for grades 3-11
 
Where can families pick up additional materials for school?
  • There are designated pick up days 
 
Are the lessons live or recorded for our blended program?
  • Live small-group instruction for all grade levels will be provided each day  
  • The amount of time required for live instruction will progressively change as students advance through their grade levels
    • Elementary school students will have live, small-group lessons each day for all classes
    • Middle school students will have live whole-group instruction two times a week and will also be provided with instructional support time and small group instruction time on the other school days. 
    • High School students will have live instruction at least 2 times a week for each course and whenever remediation and enrichment opportunities are necessary based on individualized student needs
 
Will there be times in which students are watching pre-recorded instruction?
  • The amount of high-quality, pre-recorded content our CDSD Cyber Academy staff will require our students to preview is dependent on the grade level and rigor of content 
  • As students advance through their grade levels, the more opportunities they will have to preview information by watching high-quality, pre-recorded videos from our CDSD Academy staff
  • For our High School students, our approach for most of our initial exposure of instruction is as follows:
    • Content that is lowest rigor/complexity = asynchronous (pre-recorded videos)
    • Content that is middle rigor/complexity = whole-group and small-group live instruction 
    • Content that is highest rigor/complexity, remediation, and enrichment = small-group live instruction
 
What supports are in place for CDSD Cyber Academy students who have an IEP, 504 plan or GIEP?
  • All IEP, GIEP, and 504 accommodations are required to be followed with enthusiastic fidelity by our CDSD staff
  • All students will receive full access to support services as needed
 
What supports are in place for our English learners?
  • All identified English learners will receive full access to all support services through our CDSD staff
 
Can CDSD Cyber Academy students participate in extracurricular and co-curricular activities?
  • All CDSD Cyber Academy students have the opportunity, and are encouraged, to participate in ALL CDSD events and activities including sports, music, theater, prom, etc.
 
What are the attendance requirements for CDSD Cyber Academy?
  • All CDSD Cyber Academy students are required to: 
    • Log on each school day and complete work 
    • Log into all scheduled live lessons
 
Can students return to full time, in-person instruction if they are originally enrolled at CDSD Cyber Academy? 
Enrollment Commitment:
  • We encourage our CDSD Cyber families to pledge a commitment to our Cyber Academy for an academic year, however, we understand that circumstances change. 
  • The CDSD Cyber Academy is designed to provide flexibility for our families and allow a student to return to in-person instruction, but only during specific times of the school year. 
  • Transitions from our Cyber Academy to in-person learning can only occur at the end of a grading period.  (Trimesters for elementary students and marking periods for our secondary students)
 What support is there for a student that is academically struggling with CDSD Cyber Academy?
  • Our CDSD Cyber Academy teachers and mentors are our frontliners for helping students who are struggling academically 
    • They will be identifying and providing each student with the individualized additional support needed to be successful
  • We also encourage students and families to proactively reach out to our staff if they see any signs or academic problems and struggles 
  • A collaborative approach with families, students and teachers is paramount to academic and emotional success
 
What Learning Management Platform will be used by our CDSD Cyber Academy staff?
  • Our Elementary will use Google Classroom
  • Our Middle School and High School will use Canvas
How does Central Dauphin School District Cyber Academy differ from a Cyber Charter School?
  • All graduates will earn a CDSD diploma and ceremony
  • A consistent CDSD teacher delivers high quality live instruction that is reliable and engaging.
  • 31% more CDSD students consistently achieve Proficient and Advanced on their English Language Arts/ Literature state exams over local Cyber Academy Students
  • 44% more CDSD students consistently achieve Proficient and Advanced on their Mathematics/ Algebra state exams over local Cyber Academy Students
  • 31% more CDSD students successfully graduate over local Cyber Academy students
  • All students will have a CDSD teacher mentor
  • And More!!!
    • “Click here to see some of the ways CDSD Cyber Academy is superior to Charter”
 
Who can I contact about any additional questions?
  • For any academic questions, please reach out to the individual Cyber Academy teacher either by email or phone.
  • For any other questions or additional information and concerns, please contact Mrs. Kristin Martin (CDSD Cyber Academy Principal) by clicking the email icon 
    Grey mail envelope
 
What is the role of the parent in the CDSD Cyber Academy?
  • Families play an integral role in the learning process for all of our CDSD Cyber Academy students and by collaboratively working together we will be able to help all of our students be successful
  • The total time in which our families are asked to be directly involved with their child's Cyber Academy school work is dependent on the grade level and individualized needs for each child  
    • Elementary families can expect to spend about 4 hours a day working with their child
    • Middle School families can expect to spend about 2 hours a day working with their child
    • High school families can expect to spend about 1 hour a day working with their child  
 
What are some strategies CDSD Cyber Academy students can practice in order to be successful?
  • Create a daily schedule of positive routines that allows an appropriate amount of time to complete work 
  • Set short term academic goals 
    • Celebrate those goals when you achieve them
    • If you fall short of achieving your goals, identify what your struggles were, seek out help, and set new goals 
  • Practice consistent and healthy sleeping habits
  • Dedicate specific areas of your residence to complete work.
    • If possible, do not use your bed
  • Make a list of supportive people who will be helping with your school work and use them
    • Reach out to those people during times in which you are struggling
    • Tell them your goals and ask them for help
    • Tell them when you achieve your goals
  • Ask questions when you do not understand a concept or need help
    • Self advocacy is a skill that will help our students be successful
 
Do CDSD Cyber Academy students take the PSSA and Keystone Examinations?
  • Students are required to participate in PSSA Testing in grades 3 - 8 and secondary Keystone testing (Algebra I, English 10, and Biology). Students will be required to take all portions of the PSSA and Keystone exams at the appropriate grade level and course and will be notified of the specific testing arrangements by the Cyber Academy principal. State requirements are subject to change.