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Ignite Christian Academy is the K-12 online school of Alpha Omega Publications. With multiple start dates each month, your family can decide when to begin enjoying the assurance of an accredited private school. Ignite Christian Academy also includes incredible teacher support and individualized learning plans, as well as dual credit for college and graduation ceremony opportunities. Choose from full-time enrollment or individual course enrollment.
Website: Ignite Christian Academy (formerly Alpha Omega Academy)
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(142 Reviews)
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Contributor Reviews
Reviews are solely the opinions of the contributor.
Cons: Unecessary curriculum material
Grades Used: 11,12
The past two years I have spent at Alpha Omega Academy have been great. All of the teachers I have had have been very helpful and kind. I love that you can go at your own pace and do the assignments on your own time. My only complaint is the English curriculm is really difficult, and they spend way too much time focusing on authors lives and who the authors of books or poems were.
Cons: If you get in a big rush you may be blocked because you can not move on until the completed unit is graded.
Grades Used: 8, 9, 10,11
We first used Alpha Omega as a summer school option. My daughter loved working at her own pace so much that she started taking additional classes so she could graduate early. We are so happy we found AOA. She has just completed all of her High School requirements and is graduating a full year ahead of her class! She will be starting college next fall as a 17 year old.
Cons: Wish we started sooner
Grades Used: 5, 3
We just started Ignitia and love it! I'm able to schedule the lessons and everything to our own pace. Don't feel bad if assignments claim they're overdue; you can reschedule them which is great. My oldest daughter said she's learned more about science in our short time than all her years in public school!
Alpha Omega Academy is an online academy that features one-on-one, teacher-student interaction in a variety of courses and is rather affordable. That is however, the only truthful and positive comment that can be made about AOA. It is truly amazing how this academy combines terribly sub-par academic quality with difficulty to achieve a good grade. Never in my time of homeschooling have I come across courses that were more poorly worded, formatted, and taught. While the difficulty of the courses they provide is far below the learning level of anyone without a learning disability, the wording of assignments, tests, and projects is so contemptibly incomplete that anyone who is not accustomed to such style will not learn or in any way succeed. If you are in any way considering this course, please, don't be fooled by the appealing price tag. It does not provide anything that it advertises. For example: their, "personalized scheduling" is nothing more than randomly assigned dates for assignments that are not even consistently spaced. For example, in a course where there are five units, two months were assigned to the first unit, and the other four were divided among two months. If you are looking for a good online, christian academy this is not it. In summary, this academy only provides students with something to spend their time on and it will not educate them in any way. Do not waste your money like I did.
Cons: zero
Grades Used: 9
We enrolled our daughter into the 9th grade this past September. Coming from a traditional Public School based learning to Alpha Omega has been quite a change (a good one!). Sophie describes her new school as "challenging, exciting, and fun". When asked if she misses public school, her quick response is always "No" because she feels she is "learning more than she ever did in public school". As parents we were worried about the quality of education and the omnipresent "socialization" issue from family and friends. But we are absolutely positive that she is receiving a far better education from teachers who are compassionate about teaching, supportive, and more accessible than any of her PS teachers in the past. As far as "the socialization issue" well that is a non-issue for the fact that she is still active with her 4H Club as well as community events, church, family and friends. Very happy AOA student and parents here!
Cons: We didn't do it sooner!
Grades Used: 8
We just love the Alpha Omega Academy Ignitia program for distance education. This is our first year with this program. In the past, we have attended both public and private school. Our daughter has learned more through AOA than even through her super expensive private school education. We love the flexibility offered by an online education. We are no longer controlled by the school's agenda. Every single teacher and member of the administrative staff has been incredibly kind, supportive and helpful. They are ALWAYS available and the quality of learning is superior. We appreciate the Christian view of education. Our daughter just loves this program and that she has the freedom to grow and develop into the destiny that God has planned for her rather than what is being forced by the government. There are a lot of really great "homeschool" programs out there nowadays, but the AOA Ignitia program is definitely unique in the quality of its offerings. Another positive factor is that the program is accredited by AdvancEd, the accreditation recognized in more than 100 nations worldwide. We just can't say enough good things about it and we love being able to share our story of success with friends and neighbors who are also considering jumping off the roller coaster horror of the Common Core curriculum.
Grades Used: 7, 8
Alpha Omega Academy has been a wonderful experience. This is our second year in the program and we couldn't be happier. I feel my son is receiving a great education and the teachers/support staff has been extremely helpful. The curriculum is fantastic, and my son has enjoyed the projects. He feels the schoolwork is manageable, and I can already see a great deal of growth in his academics from last year. We also love the flexibility of the schedule. We specifically chose this program because it is Christ centered and accredited. We have never regretted our decision and have passed the name on to many friends in our area.
Grades Used: 9
Our son has attended Alpha Omega Academy for an entire school year. Our family lives in South Africa as ex-patriates. We chose Alpha Omega for the following reasons:
1) Flexible start dates
2) Flexible scheduling as our family follows the South African School Calendar
3) Great communication – from the very beginning when we talked with AOA representatives to developing a relationship with our son’s educational coordinator to interacting with the six teachers, our experience has been positive. Since we live in South Africa, we do have to juggle different time zones. However, this has not been a problem in terms of acquiring the answers and information we need.
Why we will continue with Alpha Omega Academy again:
1) Teachers! We had a phenomenal experience with every single one of our son’s six teachers. They were responsive, caring, and provided clear guidance to our son throughout the school year.
2) The assignments were rigorous, challenging and fun! Our son also shared with us that he learned more in one year with AOA than in his previous three years in school in South Africa.
3) Even though we live in South Africa and live in a different time zone than the United States, we have found AOA to be responsive to our unique needs.
What we recommend to families who choose AOA:
1) Develop a weekly plan with your child. Although there are assignments provided in a weekly calendar format, we have found that creating our own calendar helped our son plan for upcoming projects, quizzes, and unit tests.
2) Work ahead. It is a lot easier to work ahead than try to catch up after falling behind. It is not difficult to work ahead. Our son developed good time management skills as a result.
3) Take advantage of getting to know the teachers! We had our son call in regularly to talk to his teachers and get information from them in addition to the conversational assessments. This is what would happen in a traditional school. We wanted our son to develop a relationship with them and to be known by them. In addition, I communicated with his teachers from time to time as well.
We have had a fantastic experience with Alpha Omega Academy and found this school option to be a great fit for our son! We recommend the school highly!
Cons: Occasional technical problems-always easily resolved!
Grades Used: 10,11
We began using Alpha Omega Online Academy (Ignitia) for second semester of 10th grade with my sister who transferred from a traditional brick and mortar public high school. This year she is in 11th grade and we've continued to use Alpha Omega Ignitia. From the beginning, the support we have received from all of the staff at Alpha Omega has been so impressive. They took away all the stress out of the transfer of credits and placement into classes and communicated efficiently with me through the whole process. Her academic advisor and teachers check in regularly with both me and her to make sure her school work in on track and she is getting all the instruction and help she needs. The curriculum is thorough and well-written. Each week, there is a great variety of online "classes" students can attend to enhance what they are learning in their lessons and also serve as an opportunity for students to engage with the teacher and other students. These are not required but they are helpful supplements to the lessons. When a student needs additional help, Alpha Omega has multiple options for the students, including the online "classes", teacher office hours and phone calls, a messaging system within the program, email, and academic support phone lines that even stay open throughout the evening. In many classes, students are required to call the teacher and talk with them about the unit they have just studied prior to taking the unit test. These "conversation assessments" serve as a great way to not only ensure the student is proficient in the material, but also a way for the teacher and student to connect and develop a relationship. In the program's online external links, there are countless other resources available to the students as well. I have been so impressed with this program. I currently also homeschool my 1st grader. Should I decide to use an online program at any time with her, this program will be at the top of my list. The only con I mentioned was occasional technical problems. Honestly, though, this could also be listed as a pro since they have a dedicated technical support line that helps with any problems that arise. They are very easy to talk to and understand, explain how to resolve the problem, and walk you through it step-by-step until it is resolved. I even had someone from tech support call me back and make sure the problems we were having were not continuing the next day. I would highly recommend Alpha Omega Online Academy.
Cons: limited interaction
Grades Used: 9th
My daughter has been to a brick and mortar Christian School, Home Schooled with the SonLight Program, and in an on line Public Charter School. This is our first year with Alpha Omega. She finds the classes challenging and really likes her teachers. I have found each of the teachers kind and understanding. I would like a little more interaction between my daughter her other classmates although that maybe something that grows with time and we have only been participating for a few weeks. My daughter is very enthusiastic about being able to work ahead and complete her assignments and uints at her pace and not have to wait for other students to catch up. Alexis was very excited that she was able to get specific and personal feed back from her teachers on tests she was not satisfied with. Also, the teachers have been very good about calling and checking up on her. We are very happy with Alpha Omega! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!
Grades Used: 6,7,9
I have had excellent success with AOA for my three boys. The teachers are smart and eager to help the students. Each of our teachers has gotten to know my child by name and frequently checks in with them by phone to see how they are progressing in their studies. Many of the live lessons online open with the instructor saying a prayer with the students. My three boys are each taking a full load of classes and have learned so much from each course. It is challenging material and the students have to work hard to stay on track with their lessons; but, I have not heard them say that the load is too much or unreasonable. The projects relate to the course study and have taught my boys to research topics that they otherwise would have skimmed through. Twice a year AOA gives the student a standardized test and sends this information to the parents so they can see their growth. My mother is a public school teacher and she says the AOA History curriculum is one of the best she has seen. One of my son's history instructors was a finalist for the 2015 Turnitin All-Stars program for her work in promoting academic integrity at AOA. I have noticed that in the upper grades the students are expected to do research outside of the lessons and the information is not just given to the student. My older boy enjoys this independence and has come up with some very unique papers and projects that have been well received by the instructors. My middle boy entered and won the AOA Science Fair. Everything considered, I think AOA is an excellent choice for a well-rounded, challenging online education.
Cons: Office hours limited
Grades Used: 11 and 12
My high-school aged son has some mild learning difficulties that have made traditional learning settings a challenge. Alpha and Omega (CD Rom version) has been a welcome relief, providing a predictable to-do list that my student can manage "on his own" each day. This has moved him toward maturity, boosting his confidence along the way. Best of all, it has allowed us the time we love to focus on our own family's enrichment activities - the best part about homeschooling! Each lesson is clearly laid out with a lecture and review questions following. After a series of lessons, there is a quiz. After a series of quizzes, there is a unit test. The beauty of this mastery-based curriculum is that the student cannot move forward to take the test until s/he has demonstrated a full understanding and successfully completed all aspects of the unit. This keeps the student organized and ensures that real learning is taking place. Alpha and Omega does a good job of keeping tabs on students by requiring a live student-to-teacher conversation assessment before each test and by providing tutorial help throughout the day. Downsides include some mistakes within the curriculum and the fact that tests cannot be unblocked during non-office hours, posing a challenge to the flexibility that is promised. These downsides are tolerable, however, given the overall quality and manageability of the Alpha and Omega program.
Cons: Confusing curriculum, absentee teachers, ridiculous projects,
Grades Used: 9, 10
I'm very disappointed with this school. The projects they give your child are somewhat confusing and make the learning process longer than it needs to be. The whole reason one sometimes goes the homeschool route is so the child doesn't feel "less than" but my son though he had great grades took longer and felt dumber because of the projects. The language class SPANISH was a joke. Ridiculous curriculum even two Spanish teachers I had look at the material told me there is no way they would even approve those courses. The Spanish teacher was not really helpful, she would just say it is what it is. When I said I was going to pull my son out they said I had to still pay for the whole year and even though the paper work says 60 days from beginning new semester I informed them way before that since he is not even half way done with his current semester and they said essentially too bad, they have to pay their teachers. But um, why is that my problem? And they have way enough time to tell the teacher one less student will be taking the course!
When your child doesn't finish in the time line they expect you have to pay extra (on top of regular tuition!!!) to extend the deadline and if you have to do it one more time they it is double (they said as an incentive NOT to have to ask for more time).
Teachers take too long to respond. Sometimes they tell you they will be available to do the oral part before unlocking next session and they don't show up, ugh.
Cons: not much help, extra work that is not covered, very expensive
Grades Used: 11th grade
We used LifePac through Alpha Omega Academy. We thought that by doing this we would have extra help in coursework and the accreditation would make it better for graduating and getting into more colleges. This isn't the case. I was doing better teaching my son on my own and online school is different than homeschool and doesn't mean better. I felt pressured and side tracked having to teach extra things that were not covered in the lessons in the books because of projects Alpha Omega Academy required my son to do correctly and with deadlines. If he got anything wrong on a report, he would have it returned to him to correct and he would get points taken off for not having it done just right the first time. The Chemistry labs were a separate website entirely and didn't coincide with Lifepac. If he didn't get the calculations right the teacher would send him a message saying he should have called her and told her he didn't understand the calculations but trying to contact that teachers is actually difficult and it takes a while for them to respond. I felt they didn't really get to know him. He tried the online classes, he tried emailing the teachers and calling but often they did not respond to his emails and the phone calls were stressful because they didn't respond in time and when they did they didn't really know the answers either. They just suggested other places to find the answers. We realized through the time we were taking trying to keep Alpha Omega Academy happy and his grades up, we were losing in our own experience actually teaching like we had been doing so we called and took him out of Alpha Omega Academy but they refused to allow us to have our money back. We waited too long. There is a twenty day period where you can change your mind about your enrollment. So we are stuck paying the outrageous payments for three more months but we are not going to continue because our son's education is more important than getting our money's worth out of the program. We have gone back to teaching on our own and keeping our own records and I have learned a very expensive but important lesson that I won't forget and I feel blessed for learning.
Cons: horrible online support, hard to learn, rude teachers, etc
Grades Used: 7,8,9
This school seemed okay at first. It's one of the cheapest Christian online schools. However the past 2 years of using Alpha Omega have been absolutely dreadful. Teachers take so long to grade assignments causing you to get behind on your coursework. The teachers are also not very helpful. One of the teachers would actually give my child the answer when she asked a question about something instead of explaining how to get the answer. Math and Spanish are almost impossible to learn with their curriculum. They don't give you the important definitions you need to know in Spanish. Instead they give you definitions of words that are barely used in the curriculum. Math has also been a struggle because they barely explain things in the coursework. They also have them write answers in a ridiculous format. Specifically for Geometry. The projects are okay. However, most of them do not have clear instructions. Whenever my daughter has a question about the project or on of her lessons, it takes the teacher almost 24 hours to respond. Causing her to get behind on her schoolwork. She absolutely hates doing their schoolwork and has been begging me to allow her to go to a different school for the past two years. We will not be using Alpha Omega Academy next year. I do not recommend this school for anyone. It has caused our family a lot of trouble.
Cons: Poor academics, lacking academic support, rude and condescending teachers, and lots of busywork
Grades Used: 10
I recently started homeschooling and I chose this because I thought it would provide a Christ-centered education. I've only been enrolled in the Ignitia curriculum for about 5 months and I already regret it. I should've followed my instinct when I couldn't find any reviews for this school and I thought maybe it wasn't a popular option. I now realize why. This is a sorry excuse for a school.
Academically, the courses are really lacking. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I received a better education in public school. The lessons appear to have been written by someone who isn't educated in the field, and are very sloppily constructed and uninteresting. I'm an honor student and I my motivation quickly dropped when I enrolled in this school. I was in unbelief at how simple and basic the lesson structure was. For example, I asked for help from several people regarding a math lesson, and each person agreed that the lesson was poorly constructed and the "geometry" lesson had nothing to do with geometry. Also, if you plan on going to college, don't enroll in this school because it only offers two years of language, which colleges generally frown upon.
If you don't understand something,(which is bound to happen because the lessons are terrible) you can't rely on academic support. The school boasts about its academic support and how teachers are always available but my experience proves otherwise. Many of the teachers are uneducated in the field you're inquiring about and if you ask a question about something you don't understand and they most likely don't understand it either, they will treat you in a very rude and condescending manner, as if you're a 5 year old, and never actually answer your question. I was in unbelief at the way I was treated by one teacher and googled her name only to find her LinkedIn page in which she reveals she is working 5 JOBS at once. 5. This would be unacceptable in a regular school, but it helps me understand why she so unhelpful, most likely because didn't even care about her teaching job.
What's worse, is the "conversation assessments." Conversation assessments are mandatory online meetings with a random teacher 5 TIMES A MONTH (and sometimes more) to discuss your "unit progress" (even though the teachers are uneducated in the field and unhelpful anyway.) These meetings usually have nothing to do with the unit you're studying and if it does, its not helpful at all and only serves to confuse you.
Another problem is the amount of projects given. I believe it is beneficial for lessons to challenge the student, but these projects are not challenging, only busywork. It seems as though when the curriculum was being constructed, the creators thought to themselves "Let's assign as many mindless projects and essays as possible to make is seem as though this curriculum is rigorous." There is a new project assigned every week, IN EVERY SUBJECT. So during the week, I'm forced to complete about 7 projects. The amount of projects is overwhelming and made me DREAD starting school every morning, which no student should.
School should be a friendly environment in which the teachers are working to help the student learn things which will help the student get ahead in life. Alpha Omega Academy is not that. If anything, it is a joke, and I want my money back. Unfortunately, it is nonrefundable and I will have to wait until next year to switch schools. Save yourself 3000 dollars and DON'T enroll your child in this school.
Grades Used: 6, 7, 8
My son love the hands on lessons and the short to the point instruction. My son has learning difficulties and we needed good, quick, hands on type learning. Also having the year broke down into several workbooks and not one huge daunting text book has given my son more sense of accomplishment. He can see his progress and see there an end so he tries harder. I often hear comments like "Wow we already finished another one. "That wasn't so bad". "Cool, what's the next one about?" I like being able to take several subjects in one small bag on trips.