A ParentingAces reader messaged me this morning to tell me that K12‘s online schools have recently been put on “Extended Review” by the NCAA. She went on to say, “It’s throwing quite a lot of us parents into a panic! So many tennis players, athletes, actors, musicians, etc. use the K12 programs (especially the free state charter school pathways), so this is insane!”
As a former K12 parent, naturally I was curious to find out what was going on. I contacted K12 through its Facebook page to see what I could learn. I got a very quick reply from them accompanied by a phone call from Jeff Kwitowski, K12’s Senior Vice-President of Public Policy.
First of all, it’s important to understand that K12 has never had any of its courses rejected by the NCAA for failure to comply to its standards of rigor. There has been NO VIOLATION by K12 to date. Apparently, the NCAA is under increased scrutiny to ensure that incoming college student-athletes have the necessary academic knowledge and experience to survive and thrive at the university level – that’s a good thing in my opinion. They have changed their education standards for all high schools, not just virtual schools such as K12. Click here to read the NCAA Homeschool Information sheet and click here to read the NCAA Homeschool FAQ (which also applies to virtual schools such as K12).
And, as of last week, the NCAA has put K12 under a 2-year Extended Review that could require students to demonstrate that a specific course (or courses) provided adequate engagement by the student and the teacher, and that the student achieved “college readiness” as a result of taking the course. Please note, though, that this Extended Review only applies to students who are seeking eligibility from the NCAA to play a Division 1 or Division 2 varsity sport in college – it does not apply to Division 3, NAIA, or junior colleges, nor does it apply to non-athletes seeking admission to a college through regular (non-sport) channels.
K12’s official stance on the review is as follows:
“K12 courses have met the NCAA standards for years and, we believe, K12 courses continue to meet these standards. However, during this extended review period, individual K12 courses completed by students will need to be reviewed by the NCCA Eligibility Center.
Our K12 counselors, advisors, and school leaders are prepared to work closely with every family to ensure all necessary information and documentation on K12 courses are provided to demonstrate they meet the eligibility requirements.
While we are confident K12 courses meet eligibility standards, the final decision will be made by NCAA on a case by case basis. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that every course successfully completed by a student will be accepted by NCAA.”
If your child is currently enrolled in a K12 high school program, please contact your particular school’s administration to find out what steps you and your child need to take in order to ensure NCAA eligibility. The administrators are all well-trained in helping families overcome this hiccup in the college application process.
I have emailed Mark Emmert, current President of NCAA, to ask for clarification on the potential impact this “extended review” could have on current and future K12 students. I will update this post once I hear back from him or someone in the Eligibility Department, so stay tuned . . .
