How It Works

Elementary School

Who can attend?

The Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy (CM Prep) elementary school program serves students in grades K–5 who reside in North Carolina.

What are the costs?

Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy (CM Prep) has worked hard to offer private school prices that respect the commitment and investment families make when they enroll their children in private school. Visit our tuition page to learn more.

Are there tuition assistance or financial aid options?

CM Prep is committed to providing all children access to quality educational opportunities. Currently, two scholarship opportunities are available for eligible North Carolina students interested in attending CM Prep. Awards can often cover the full cost of tuition for eligible families! Visit our scholarship page for more program details, eligibility information, and how to apply,

What’s my role as a parent?

Parents serve as their child’s Learning Coaches. As a Learning Coach, you will

  • Communicate progress with your child’s teacher
  • Monitor mastery of lessons and assessments
  • Review your child’s work
  • Record attendance
grades k-5 graphic

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

Students work with their teachers and other classmates during “Class Connect” sessions. In Class Connect sessions, students

  • Receive live instruction from teachers
  • Interact with classmates
  • Ask questions and receive real-time support

Students can interact with their teachers and classmates by

  • Typing in the chat
  • Speaking over their microphone
  • Typing and drawing with online whiteboard features
  • Joining small group breakouts to work on projects or receive targeted instruction

Time Commitment

K–5 students are expected to spend between 4 to 7 hours on schoolwork per school day, including both online and offline work.

Grades K–2

  • 4–5 hours daily
  • 30-40% online

Grades 3–5

  • 5–7 hours daily
  • 50-60% online

Testing

CM Prep students do not have to participate in North Carolina-mandated testing. CM Prep students are required to participate in NWEA testing, which helps measure student growth and proficiency.

A Day in the Life of Online Students

Want to learn more about the daily life of an online elementary student? Meet Micah and Sarai!

Video Thumbnail