FAQ

Yes. Since 2019 the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has recognized our Academy program as a private Christian school. As a private school, we submit our annual report to the MSDE every year.

We do also offer our WCFS Review program, which an umbrella program for students not interested in our Academy program. Our Review Program follows the COMAR §13a. requirements. The names of our students are submitted annually to their respective Board of Educations (BOEs).

​No. WCFS operates under Maryland's laws for private Christian schools, and families enrolled with us satisfy the school attendance requirements of the State of Maryland.

Families enrolled in our Academy program are actually enrolled in a private school.  Families enrolled in our Review program are enrolled in an umbrella oversight program. As part of the Review registration process, we inform your county of your enrollment. No further interaction is necessary.

​No. Just like most states, parents do not need teaching degrees in Maryland.

Parental devotion and love for their children and the children's willingness to learn are the most important factors for a child's successful education.

​Most parents are better equipped to teach from a good textbook than they think.

For those who desire more assistance, educational workshops, counsel from our staff, discussions with other parents, and special events are available. 

 (Also explained in each enrollment application.)

We assist in the development of individualized educational programs for each student enrolled in our Academy program.

We offer testing upon enrollment and assistance in selecting appropriate curriculums for the student’s needs and the parents preferences.

Each course of study is individually approved by WCFS during the course registration process. While we don’t require a specific curriculum per se, we must approve all curriculums being used.

For high school Students we utilize the NCAA standards for rigor and all core courses. Non-core courses are permitted based upon a students needs, desires, and ability. However, each course must be approved for content and method of study.

High school credit is awarded based upon the content completed and the rigor involved.

​Socialization is the process of routinely sharing common experiences, preferably in a positive and friendly manner. In the Christian home, socializing begins with kindness, cooperation, mutual trust and an adherence to the Golden Rule - fitting children for a companionship with others.

Studies have shown that a strong sense of identity and good basic education skills are much more important to children for long-term success than undirected mixing with many other same-age children. In fact, such peer interaction tends more often to be negative than positive, resulting in peer pressure, selfishness, ridicule and rivalry, all of which are so prevalent in society today.

That said, WCFS offers many opportunities for productive socialization during the school year. Students and parents are able to get together at least once a month at our workshops, Family Leadership Conference, Midyear Teacher's Conference and Family Heritage Expo. We also offer numerous local field trips and a Student Council.  

Additionally, we offer college-style courses with lectures on campus or online and we offer remedial assistance and accountability for students who need extra help.

We also do in-person testing in multiple grades every year, and are a recognized testing center with the College Board for the PSAT and in-house SAT testing.

WCFS does not have a canned curriculum.

Upon enrollment, every child is tested and recommendations are made. The parents choose the course of study for their child. WCFS administration and supervision encourages and ensures that parents follow through with what they have decided to do.

Home instructors have more resources available to them than "traditional" school choices. We encourage families to develop their own curriculums from their daily life activities, especially for students in elementary grades. Unit study or project oriented curriculum is encouraged. 

At the elementary school level, (K-6), subjects include: Bible, Language Arts, (Reading, Writing, Spelling, Composition and Grammar), Math, Science, Social Studies, (History and Geography), and Physical Education. Other studies, such as Music, Health and Home Ec., etc., can be combined with units of study as appropriate or taught separately. At the high school level, there are 6 courses of study from which to choose with course requirements for each.

Generally, we do not offer tutoring. However, we can help connect you with a tutor, or coach you in tutoring your student yourself. 

​WCFS's required Work Study course offers students an excellent opportunity to learn a trade, whether through self-designed courses or apprenticeships. Many opportunities are available to home-schooled students which provide valuable training toward a career trade.

​Most colleges accept our diploma along with the scores for the ACT and SAT. Students who score well on these tests are willingly accepted by colleges.

We offer three enrollment programs, each with a different tuition rate. Follow the links under the 'Enroll' button in the menu to learn more about them.

​We will request transcripts to be sent to us from your children's previous schools which we will then maintain throughout their enrollment.

We provide families with Student Reporting forms for each grade. Several grading methods are available to use. Simple instructions are included in the forms.

Our record keeping system is based on the standard 2-semester, September-May school year.

However, homeschooling is meant to be flexible. Our families are welcome school year-round, on Saturdays, in the evenings or whatever is necessary to accomplish their educational goals.

We accept cash, checks, digital bill pay through you bank's online banking services, and wire transfers. 

Though we do have PayPal, we us it only for donations and transcript requests. 

No. We are not legally set up to offer tax credit, or tax advice. 

If you are seeking assistance of that sort, we suggest you talk to your state's tax accountant. 

Yes. God gives every child different talents and needs. We recommend curriculum based on each child's individual needs. We test each student and discuss with you the results of the tests. We develop each child's recommended program of instruction based on the test results and discernment of the child's nature, talents and needs.

Parents are advised concerning the appropriate record keeping required to provide a framework of accountability to the Lord and to each other. Individual records are kept in the students' files so that transcripts can be provided. 

If you are not taking the course for credit, you are not required to adhere to a strict schedule. You may complete the course, drop it, or continue it the next school year. If you are taking the course for credit, please refer to section 4.6 of the High School Handbook.

June 30 is the deadline for 2nd Semester and Year End Reports. If you submit your Reports by June 30, there are no fees.

If you have not finished a course by June 30 but are hoping to finish it before July 31, you may ‘file for an extension.’ This simply means that if you turn your reports in after June 30, the extended deadline is July 31, and you will be charged the $35 records extension fee automatically.

If you fail to submit your Year-End Reports with proper grades by July 31, WCFS will close out the student’s record for that year and grade all courses as ‘I’; Incomplete. A $10 fee per course is charged to change any grade after July 31. 

​Portfolio reviews are conducted twice a year, either at the WCFS office, in the family's home, or via video communication.

Typically, for students in the Review program, parents show physical samples of their child’s current work.

Typically, for students in the Academy program, students in the primary and elementary grades show samples of their work, as well as a comprehensive semester summary of content covered.

Junior high and senior high school Academy students are required to show a complete Portfolio of 100% of the content covered in each course. We not only review student work accomplished, but we check to make sure the work is graded and corrected.

For students taking courses based on time spent, we require documentation of time spent and content covered.​Portfolio reviews are conducted twice a year, either at the WCFS office, in the family's home, or via video communication.

Typically, for students in the Review program, parents show physical samples of their child’s current work.

Typically, for students in the Academy program, students in the primary and elementary grades show samples of their work, as well as a comprehensive semester summary of content covered.

Junior high and senior high school Academy students are required to show a complete Portfolio of 100% of the content covered in each course. We not only review student work accomplished, but we check to make sure the work is graded and corrected.

For students taking courses based on time spent, we require documentation of time spent and content covered.

At WCFS, we operate under both the COMAR requirements of Regular Thorough Instruction (RTI) for our Review students. For our Academy students, we use the NCAA performance standards of achievement.

As per COMAR §13A.10.03.B(1), for Review students not demonstrating RTI, WCFS issues a written notice of RTI deficiencies to the parents, who are given 30 days to create a plan to satisfactorily remedy their program. After 30 days, if there is not a satisfactory plan or remedy in place to correct the deficiencies, WCFS is required by Ed. Code §7-302 (a) to notify the county superintendent of that student’s “maladjustment” who is authorized to require the student to enroll in a public or private school immediately (which is a rare occurrence).

For Academy students not demonstrating RTI and NCAA standards of rigor, WCFS issues a written notice of Academic deficiencies to the parents and we place them immediately on mandatory probation which requires weekly in person accountability to assist in correcting instructional deficiencies. (There is an extra fee for probation.) As with the Review families, if issues of attendance and maladjustment are unresolved, we contact the local county superintendent as required by law and transfer that student over to that process of remedy. When a parent “self expels“ by withdrawing the child from our program, we notify the local superintendent of that student’s deficiencies as a routine part of closing out their records. Such notification transfers the oversight responsibilities to the local superintendent (this also is a rare occurrence).

We conform with legal requirements and best practices.

Functionally, parents are always present on campus during all WCFS activities and programs. As a parent-directed Education Program, we require parental presence for onsite activities and do all group activities in the open with multiple staff present.

We also provide periodic training in child sexual safety for staff and parents.

Our child abuse and neglect policy has been used as a model by MSDE staff in recent years.

This fee only applies if your family has High Schoolers and is paying the capped tuition rate.

The Credit fee helps cover the expenses of managing H.S. credit. 

To calculate this fee, add up the tuition you are paying for each child, beginning with the youngest. 

The first High Schooler that puts the total tuition over the cap amount, plus each High Schooler still to be added, must each pay the H.S .Credit Fee.

No.

They may not earn credit for two courses from the same hours, but they may earn credit for two courses from the same project. 

For example, a student may clean a goat shed as part of their Animal Husbandry Work Study course. Since the work is good exercise, they might want to count the hours they spend cleaning the shed toward both Physical Education and Work Study.

That would not be approved. If the student spent 60 hours cleaning the shed, they could receive .5 credit for Work Study, or .5 credit for PE, or .25 credit for both, but they would not be granted .5 credit for both WS and PE for only 60 hours of work.

To be approved, student could separate their time working with goats into WS hours and PE hours, counting the exercise toward PE and the rest toward WS. 

In that way they would receive credit for two course from the same project, but not from the same hours.

Homeschooling has just as varied a student performance as every other educational institution. We have a broad-base set of requirements, and assist families and students in planning their curriculum and courses accordingly.

WCFS does not believe that "thriving" only means going to college. Many of our graduates go to the college of their choice; others don't have any interest in going to college and thrive elsewhere. We support the parents in their scriptural role of directing their children’s education.

We believe our students are comparable with students in other venues. The students that thrive the best are the ones that make the most of every opportunity that they have without negatively focusing on what they don’t have. While ultimately the credit goes to the student, we are proud that the vast majority of our students are successful adults in the career fields they have chosen.