FAQs

Who is American Heritage School?
American Heritage School—an LDS-based, K-12, independent school located next to the LDS Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, Utah—has been refining its curriculum for more than four decades and is launching a distance education program to support families and home educators around the world.

A principle- and LDS-based approach to education—with interactive mentoring for parents and students, and affordable pricing—awaits you and your family in the accredited K-12 course offerings provided by American Heritage School.
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What do you mean when you say that American Heritage School’s curriculum is “principle-based”?
At American Heritage School—both on campus and in the distance education courses—the Word of God provides the foundation for all that is taught. Poems, short stories, novels, historical texts, math problem sets, science experiments—all illustrate God’s marvelous plans for his children. AHS teachers and students together strive to emulate the Master Teacher. They faithfully and carefully search the scriptures together with course materials to learn to cultivate and magnify their divine potential, which is the fundamental goal of education at American Heritage School. This approach of placing Christ’s Words at the foundation of all we learn and teach is called the “Principle Approach” and is as true of distance education courses as it is of on-campus classes.
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How are primary sources used?
At American Heritage School, teachers focus their curriculum around “primary sources” including scripture. This means that students read, discuss, and write about the words of historical figures and authors, rather than what others have written about them. American Heritage School makes many primary sources available to students in their course packets or online. Others must be purchased.
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What is the 4-R Methodology?
All American Heritage School curricula is taught through the 4R methodology, which stands for Research, Reason, Relate, Record:

• Research. Students research, studying texts, with a specific focus on primary sources, including the scriptures.
• Reason. Students reason reason out principles of cause and effect based on their research of the primary source and the related principles drawn from the Lord's word. Students articulate the identified principle.
• Relate. Students expound the principle by seeing how it is revealed in the subject matter and in the lives of the individual studied. Students apply the principle studied to their own lives and see how it is revealed in their own characters and experiences.
• Record. Students solidify understanding of the principle and primary text by producing a reflection of their understanding in writing, or in other portrayals including word studies, presentations, celebrations, or other projects. Multiple-choice type assessments may be used to help students check their understanding but are not weighted as heavily as other “record” assessments.

AHS students use the 4-R methodology daily. This methodology helps students gather and process information, relating it to themselves and to doctrinal foundations in meaningful and heartfelt ways.
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What is the notebook method?
Sir Francis Bacon has been quoted as saying, “Reading maketh a man full; conference a ready man; and writing maketh him exact.” In distance education courses, as with on-campus classes, students diligently keep notebooks to make an exact record of their learning. This methodology helps students impress the knowledge on both their minds and their hearts. The notebook method can serve as a basis of their learning for years to come.
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What other materials or online access are provided?
After enrolling in a course, students receive personal login information to access American Heritage School’s online learning management system, which provides acces to classes, grades, course objectives, and electronic curricular materials (which have been enriched with audio and visual enhancements). Students submit assignments and receive grade information through the learning management system. This system makes our curriculum accessible at any time, and from most internet connections, and the audio and visual enhancements assist students of many learning styles. Students also receive curricular materials by mail. In some courses, as indicated in the course’s description, selected books or materials must be purchased separately.
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How will distance education students interact with their teachers?
In addition to—and part of—the Principle Approach, American Heritage School teachers practice what is called “the tutorial approach.” This tutorial approach recognizes the central value of each parent, student, and teacher in magnifying the teaching and learning that occurs. American Heritage School distance education teachers provide students with consistent, interactive mentoring. The terms mentoring, tutoring, and consulting are used interchangeably and refer to real-time interaction between a teacher and student. Interactive mentoring may also occurs in conferences with parents. American Heritage School Distance Education mentoring and curriculum are adaptable to the meet the desires and needs of parents and students. The frequency and kinds of mentoring provided vary, depending on the grade-level in which a student enrolls—our next topic.
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How are courses organized in grades K-2, and how do teachers interact with parents and students?
In grades K through 2, American Heritage School provides paper-based curriculum and consumable student materials that complement online audio and visual resources, which help children and parents learn together. The home is the classroom, and parents serve as the primary teachers. An American Heritage School teacher contacts families to set up optional parent-teacher conferences a several times per year to answer questions and offer assistance, review student work (if desired), and describe to the parent their observations about the students progress in our learning management system. Parents may also contact the teacher to ask for assistance. These are called Consulted courses, though the consultations are optional.
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How are distance education courses organized in grades 3-6, and how do teachers interact with parents and students?
In grades 3 through 6, a parent remains the primary teacher. The curriculum, however, offers increasing numbers of teacher-graded writing assignments and personalized written and audio feedback. There are also increasing numbers of computer-measured quizzes and activities.

In grades 3-6, teachers hold frequent parent-teacher or student-teacher conferences, often once per month, except in math, in which case tutorials or conferences may occur more frequently. Parents may contact the teacher to ask for assistance. All conferences are held only in consultation with, or at the discretion of, parents. During these meetings teachers review student work (with the parent or student), discuss teaching and learning strategies, answer questions, offer assistance, and describe observations about their students’ progress in our learning management system.
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How are distance education courses organized in grades 7-12, and how do teachers interact with parents and students?
In grades 7 through 12, American Heritage School works to make three varieties of distance education available to meet your needs: Live, Consulted, and Independent Study Courses.
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What is a Live Course?
In Live courses, teachers and groups of student use school-provided screen-sharing software to meet together online at regularly scheduled times and engage in discussions and presentations based on the 4 R’s: researching, reasoning, relating, and recording. In addition to online presentations and discussions, students receive course materials, which are mailed directly to the student and paid for by the student’s tuition. Students also receive access to online audio and visual resources, which supplement the printed materials.

Additionally, teachers and students meet together during weekly consulting sessions to review written assignments and discuss questions or topics of interest to the student. Students receive written and oral feedback from teachers on frequent writing assignments, in addition to computer-generated feedback on other exercises.
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What is a Consulted Course?
Students who enroll in Consulted courses explore curricular materials and pre-recorded presentations at their own pace. Although they are not required to attend class at a particular time, students are strongly encouraged to meet online with the instructor for weekly consulting sessions to review written assignments, discuss assignments, and discuss other questions or topics of interest to the student. Attending these consultations is encouraged, but not strictly required. Students receive written and oral feedback from teachers on frequent writing assignments, in addition to computer-generated feedback on other exercises.
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What is an Independent Study Course?
All students enrolling in Independent Study courses receive access to American Heritage School's copyrighted online or print curricula which are provided for family use (these materials are not licensed to share or re-sell). They also receive written and recorded oral feedback from teachers on weekly writing assignments, in addition to computer-generated feedback on other exercises.
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How much time will it take to complete a course?
The time required to complete each course varies. Kindergarten Art, for example, is designed to involve a student for 30 minutes per week, for 30 consecutive weeks—a total of 15 hours.

Each 1.0 credit in middle or high school course offers at least 120 hours of curriculum. In other words, during a typical the course of 30 weeks, a student would spend at least 4 hours per week to participate in readings, lessons, and assignments. The Consulted and Live courses add weekly interactive mentoring focused on writing assignments and Q&A; to this time requirement. The tutorials or mentoring is typically spread over 30 weeks, and occurs in sessions of 20-minutes per week. These interactive mentoring and tutorial sessions have been rewarding and enjoyable for distance education students. Students have 1 year to complete a course and may purchase extensions, if necessary.
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How much is tuition?
Tuition for each course is published online in our course catalogue. Courses are purchased individually. The pricing and flexible formats of American Heritage School’s distance education courses are competitive, and the quality is such that students will want to come back again and again and recommend American Heritage School to their friends.
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How do I enroll?
To register for courses, please visit us online (www.american-heritage.com). You may also call 801-642-0055 or 1-800-921-8752 (toll free) for assistance.
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When are "Live" classes held?
"Live" classes will be held online at regularly scheduled times. Most "Live" classes will be taught in the afternoons between 12 noon and 3 p.m. and will not overlap with other "Live" classes. Exact times will be available online by August 1.
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When is the enrollment deadline?
There is no enrollment deadline for "Independent study" or "Consulted" classes. And enrollment for "Live" classes remains open until one week before the semester begins. "Live" course enrollment may be "capped", depending on a teacher's availability ,on a first-come, first-served basis.
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What kind of technology do I need?
Students need high speed internet, microphone, and Microsoft Office 2003 or later to participate in AHS distance education courses. Tuition does not include these "set-up" costs.
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Are scholarships or financial aid available?
Need-based scholarships are available in the 2010-2011 school year. Contact the Director of Distance Education to apply.
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