Power Homeschool

Power Homeschool is an online course program for families who homeschool their children themselves. It offers what the homepage calls hundreds of courses for all grades from PreK through 12th grade, built around self-paced video lessons, and the parent, not a teacher, runs the school day. The homepage describes the company as "the leading provider of online courses for parents homeschooling their children," and the high school page frames it as a provider for parents "independently homeschooling their children without teacher support." The site's copyright line names Power Homeschool LLC.

The parent as teacher

The program is explicit about who is responsible. "In a parent-guided homeschool program, parents provide the role of the teacher," the homepage says. "It is your duty to motivate your students and to make certain that they spend the time necessary to stay current in their studies." Power Homeschool supplies the courses, the video teaching and the grading technology; the parent supplies structure and accountability. In return, parents can monitor progress through real-time reports, which the high school page says help ensure "that students remain on track for graduation."

Getting started is quick: the homepage says families can enroll their students in about 10-20 minutes, and the menu offers mid-year enrollment, a summer homeschool program and an elementary summer reading program. Sample lesson videos are available for elementary (PreK-5), middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12).

How the lessons work

According to the homepage, the courses pair professionally filmed video lessons with technology that "identifies obstacles to learning and automatically adapts to help each student succeed." The high school page says its courses are "taught by some of America's finest teachers." Three tools sit behind that claim:

• Prism Diagnostics® identifies specific gaps in a student's understanding of core concepts and responds immediately with Customized Personal Instruction (CPI) videos aimed at that exact gap, so the student gets help at the moment it is needed.
• Vectored Instruction™ helps a student master foundational skills that are prerequisites for the current course. The high school page says it fills those gaps "while keeping students within their credit-level course," so the student can finish the coursework with passing grades.
• Advanced writing tools are built into student assessments. The company calls effective writing "one of the toughest challenges in distance learning" and says the tools "tutor students as they write, giving immediate feedback on grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and even writing style."

The homepage also highlights Acellus Gold Edition, which it calls an award-winning update that adds Learning Activities and Gold Credits to reward students.

The high school catalog

The high school program covers 9th to 12th grade, and the company says it is designed to introduce students to potential career paths "with material often unavailable in a homeschool environment." The high school page lists:

• Mathematics: Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry (semester), Pre-Calculus, Business Math, College Exam Math Prep (semester), and Pre-Algebra and Algebra I taught in Spanish.
• Language arts and reading: English I and II, American Literature (English III), British & World Literature (English IV), College Prep English IV, Public Speaking (semester), and Discover English Parts I and II for English learners.
• Science: Physical Science, Biology, Introduction to Physics and Chemistry, General Chemistry, General Physics and Environmental Science.
• History and social studies: Introduction to US History, United States History, World History, World Geography, US Government and Civics, Economics, Personal Finance, Psychology, Epic Moments in World History, Ethnic Studies, Conspiracy Theories, and America: The Forging of a Nation.
• Career and technical education: Business Management, Electrical Technology I and II, HVAC Technology I and II, Plumbing Technology I and II, Info Management I and II, Intro to Accounting, Accounting I and II, Principles of Business, Marketing, and Finance, Investigating Careers, College & Career Readiness, Instructional Standards in Education and Training, Mastering Microsoft Excel, Principles of Agriculture, Agriculture I and II, Fundamentals of Design, Medical Terminology and a Driver Safety mini-course.
• Health: High School Health, Social & Emotional Health 1 and 2, Emotional Intelligence 1, Medical Terminology and Physical Education.
• STEM and coding: STEM 1: Intro to Coding, STEM 2: JavaScript, STEM 3: Electronics and Coding, Introduction to Java and Fundamentals of Design.
• Fine arts: Music Appreciation and Collaborative Theater.
• Foreign language: Discover Spanish, Discover Portuguese, French I and II, German I and II, Spanish I to III, and American Sign Language I and II.

Sample videos on the high school page include General Chemistry, US Government and Civics, Biology, English I and Social & Emotional Health.

New courses and the younger grades

The homepage's news section shows the catalog still growing. Grade 2 Math builds "a hands-on foundation in second-grade math, emphasizing visual models, problem-solving strategies, and strong number sense." America: The Forging of a Nation follows the country "from Revolution to Constitution," filmed on location. American Sign Language II builds intermediate skills with expanded vocabulary, storytelling and a deeper understanding of Deaf culture. The subject menu covers language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign language, career and technical, English learning and STEM and technology across the grade bands.

A tuition-free route

For families open to working with their local public school district, the homepage points to National Cyberschool, a hybrid option through which families "receive Acellus at no cost" along with optional participation in extracurricular activities such as sports, band and social events at the local school, at the family's discretion.

Pricing and support

The homepage and high school page do not quote prices; the footer links a separate pricing page. The menu also lists a Roger Billings Scholarship.

Families can call (800) 941-8100 or email, and a support chat window sits on every page. The footer links an FAQ, a user guide, a contact form and an app download. Parent resources include a guide to getting started, articles on preventing burnout, moving from homeschool to college and homeschooling children with disabilities, and links on homeschooling laws for all 50 states, how homeschoolers get diplomas and whether colleges accept homeschooled students. A College Success page covers life after graduation, and the parent blog shares stories from families using the program.

Who it suits

Power Homeschool suits parents who want to homeschool without teaching every subject themselves, and whose children can work through video lessons independently. The diagnostic and gap-filling tools help students who have holes in earlier material, the writing feedback helps with a skill many parents find hard to teach, and the real-time reports let a busy parent check on several children. The career and technical list, from HVAC and plumbing to accounting and agriculture, is broad and suits teens heading toward a trade or straight into work.

It is a weaker fit for families who want live classes and a teacher who knows their child, or who want to keep screen time low, since nearly all instruction is on video. Because the parent carries the accountability, students who need someone outside the family to keep them on pace will need that structure at home.