How It Works
How Online Elementary School Works
Who can attend?
The CAU elementary school program serves students in grades K–5 who reside in Utah.
What’s my role as a parent?
Parents serve as their child’s Learning Coach. As a Learning Coach, you (or another responsible adult you choose) will:
- Communicate progress with your child’s teacher
- Monitor mastery of lessons and assessments
- Review your child’s work
- Record attendance
Career Academy of Utah provides a dedicated support system to our families, so you don’t have to go it alone.
What will my child study?
Coursework is a mix of online and hands-on work, which caters to a wide variety of learning styles. Unit and course assessments are built in to each subject, and easy-to-use online planning and progress tools keep you and your student on track.
K–5th graders take courses in the core subjects listed below. Beginning in grade 3, they also take a self-guided elective course in music or a world language.
ENGLISH / LANGUAGE ARTS
MATH
SCIENCE
HISTORY
ART
Career Readiness: Learning About Work
Students in grades K–5 participate in the following career readiness learning activities to guide them on their pathway to success.
Kindergarten
- Identify different careers in the community
- Identify reasons people work and choose careers
- Participate in career-connected field trips
1st Grade
- Identify the career of a family member or friend and what they like about their job
- Identify tools used in different professions
- Identify the college a family member or friend attended
- Learn to volunteer and contribute to the community
2nd Grade
- Explain the connection between school, college, and careers
- Explain what a career is and identify an example in the community
- Identify the value of work and specific professions
3rd Grade
- Identify skills and strengths and explain how they apply to school success
- Explain the importance of school and how higher education connects to interests and hobbies
- Participate in project-based community connections
4th Grade
- Research and describe a possible career choice
- Write about what each student needs to achieve their college and career goals
- Write a letter to a local business or organization to learn more about a career
5th Grade
- Understand personal strengths and interests
- Identify career pathways that allow fulfillment of goals
- Complete a career interest survey
Mastering Lessons
In the elementary grades, students are required to show mastery of each lesson by achieving 80% or better on all lesson assessments. If your child has difficulty mastering a lesson, let their homeroom teacher know as soon as possible. Teachers offer many support sessions to help students learn new concepts.
Working with Your Teacher
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. Class Connects vary by grade level and are scheduled by your teacher.
Attendance
All students enrolled for the entire school year must attend 180 instructional days per school year. The total instructional days are prorated based on the student’s start date. The daily amount of expected instructional time for K–5th grade is 5 hours.
Grades K–2
Estimate approximately 4 to 5 hours of productive schoolwork 5 days per week
Grades 3–5
Estimate approximately 5 to 7 hours of effective schoolwork 5 days per week
Assessments
Our testing is purposeful and meaningful and drives our instructional practices to best serve the individual needs of your child.
State Testing
Career Academy of Utah students must comply with all Utah-mandated testing requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply?
Students must reside in Utah. To enroll for the 2023–2024 academic school year, students must be entering grades K–9.
How do I enroll my student?
Visit the How to Enroll page on the CAU website for information on enrolling your student.
*Career Academy of Utah is enrolling students in grades K–9 for the 2023–2024 school year. Grades 10–12 will be added in subsequent years. Enrollment is limited. If the number of applications received during the open enrollment period exceeds the number of available spaces, Career Academy Utah will hold a lottery immediately following the open enrollment period. Students whose applications are not selected by the lottery may opt to be placed on an enrollment waitlist.