Academics

Our students have the opportunity to be in the school setting that will most help them succeed. The school options that will be explained later in this handbook are distance education and traditional. The staff of RLA will meet with the parents of each player and decide together what program will be best for their child.

All of the schools we work with are approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for the purpose of college admissions. That is, every school's diploma and academic credits are accepted by the NCAA and its member schools. If a player is contemplating seeking a scholarship to an American university or college it is imperative that their academic records are current and valid.

School Options

As stated earlier in this handbook, we offer two types of schools for our students. They are distance education and traditional. Each of the options has their positives and negatives but, each student has his or her own needs. Each option is described in more detail below.

Traditional

The staff of RLA offers a traditional private school experience with Blessed Hope Academy. This school can issue the I-20 documents needed for an F-1 student visa. More facts about international students will follow in this handbook.

All grading and discipline is handled by the school itself. The student will be in classes with other students from the San Antonio area and from around the world. Transportation to and from the school will be provided by RLA staff.

At Blessed Hope Academy the student will follow a class schedule approved by the school when he or she registers. The student will have assigned work to complete each week. Blessed Hope requires at least two tests are taken every week over the material they have been assigned. Typically RLA players will work on their assignments while at the academy during our class time. They will then complete their tests when RLA staff transports them to the Blessed Hope Academy campus twice a week.

We are always looking for the best situations for our student athletes and are in discussions with other traditional high schools in the San Antonio area for future programs.

Distance Education

RLA and K12 International have joined forces to provide a second to none academic offering. Utilizing K12 teachers, counselors, enrollment specialist, and academic coordinators; RLA has created a flexible academic model structured for student to physically and academically compete at an elite level.

K12 students academic needs range from aspiring to attend a top-tier, competitive university to high school completion. Students can benefit from a rich and demanding curriculum, one-on-one instruction by certified teachers, dedicated Academic Advisors, College Counselors, and full technical support provided by K12. Through K12, students are able to gain a private-school education with the flexibility of learning virtually anywhere, at any time.

This uniquely-flexible programs adapts to students' training, competition and travel demands by offering customized weekly schedules and calendars, continuous enrollment and 24/7 access. Overall, K12 delivers experienced teachers, a robust curriculum, intense PSAT, SAT and ACT training, and college counseling, so that students can secure spots at top-tier universities.

K12 at RLA provides a structured yet flexible solution for talented individuals to learn without any compromise. Every student is challenged with competitive instruction designed to prepare him or her for college success. As an accredited institution, K12offers an extensive curriculum of 120 classes including electives, AP and Honors courses.

Each course has a course outline, modules (lessons) with objective, tasks, quizzes/ tests, and an assigned teacher. In addition to the teacher, the student is also assigned an advisor to monitor their pacing or their ability to remain on track with regard to their assignments. Each course is designated to a department (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies). Each department is led by a chairperson. Teacher/ student/ parent conferences and faculty meetings are all regular elements within the virtual world. The grading consists of auto-graded assignments and teacher graded assignments. K12 curriculum is developed and provided to our students by a team of highly qualified, experienced, and certified educators, technology masters, and editors for the review of quality material.

K12 's AP courses are listed as approved by the College Board to carry the Advanced Placement title on transcripts. Students may be inducted into the National Honor Society. As a school accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (founded in 1895 SACS/ CASI accredits over 13,000 schools), our students are now able to benefit from these organizations as their credits may be transferred from school to school, international recognition for quality, standards based on research on factors that impact student learning, greater accessibility for students to federal loans, scholarships, post secondary education, and military programs, and a framework to help meet local, state and national requirements, and professional development opportunities.

K12 at RLA also offers extensive coaching support. A network of teachers and coaches ensure that students are progressing on schedule and comfortable with their classes and assignments. They proactively reach out to students regularly with live sessions and guide them with college admission and NCAA eligibility advice.

The cost for K12 is not included in the RLA tuition. Parents will pay Roddick Lavalle Academy the full cost of $7,900 for enrollment in grades 9-12 and $7,000 for enrollment in grades 6-8. Families do not have to pay K12 any fees besides student extracurricular activities. Once the student is enrolled at RLA we contact K12 and enroll the student.

International Student Facts

The staff of RLA welcomes and encourages international students to train and attend school with us. There are a few things that will have to be done before you come though. As stated earlier, the only school options for our foreign players are St. Anthony Catholic School and Blessed Hope Academy. The reason for this is that both of these schools are can issue an I-20. This document is needed to be able to obtain an F-1 student visa from the United States. The process is as follows:

-Apply at school with paperwork requested (i.e. transcripts, proof of payment.)

-Once application is approved the school will issue an I-20.

-The student will register with SEVIS (Computer System for US Homeland Security)

-Once the I-20 reaches the student in his or her home country they will need to have made an appointment with the closest US Embassy or Consulate.

-While at the appointment the student will find out if they have final approval from the US government to be issued an F-1 visa.

-The F-1 student visa will be valid for 5 years. Every school year it will be validated by enrolling in an American school that can issue an I-20.

-When the student leaves the US for travel for tournaments or holidays, they will need to have a signature from their school administrator. This tells US Immigration that the school knows the student will be leaving the country and that they are expected back.

The Academic Director for RLA is Kevin Heinze. Kevin is a 2008 graduate of Texas Tech University with a B.S. in Education. He is a certified secondary teacher in Texas with a State Board Educator Certification (SBEC) for Secondary Classroom grades 8-12. The Academic Director is the contact person for all things associated with your child’s school studies. Please contact him at any time with your questions.