Facts About Calvert School

Calvert Home Schooling Facts

Calvert School was the first curriculum provider to enter the homeschooling market almost 100 years ago. Since 1906 Calvert School’s complete curriculum has been used worldwide to homeschool more than 500,000 English-speaking students from Pre-Kindergarten through
Eighth Grade. Calvert’s distance learning program has more than 22,300 students (enrollments from between October 1, 2004, and September 30, 2005).

In addition to homeschool students, Calvert’s curriculum serves students in more than 170 schools worldwide, including charter schools, virtual or cyber schools, public schools, private schools, and international schools. Calvert School entered this arena formally in 1990, but has served as the curriculum provider for U.S. Department of Defense expatriate schools since the 1940s. Calvert School also provides teacher training to many of its school partners.

Virgil M. Hillyer, the first Head Master of the Calvert School in Baltimore, conceived of Calvert School's Home Instruction Department (now Calvert School Education Services). A Harvard-trained educator and author of numerous books and articles on educating children, Mr. Hillyer thought the private school’s curriculum should be offered to parents who were not able to send their children to the day school, thus enabling these children to enjoy the same academic advantages as children attending Calvert School.

Calvert's full curriculum packages include textbooks, workbooks, lesson manuals, and supplies (including lined paper, pencils, an eraser, a ruler, a protractor, a compass, drawing materials) – everything needed to complete that year’s lessons.

Calvert's complete curriculum (Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade) is comprehensive, covering the three Rs – reading, writing, and arithmetic – as well as science, art, history, geography, music, technology, and other areas of learning to ensure no gaps in instruction. This
comprehensive approach allows homeschooling parents to maximize teaching time, rather than researching subjects and writing lesson plans.

Academic materials are constantly evaluated and updated. Calvert School is the only curriculum provider that routinely reviews the works of major education publishers to find the best educational materials available. New lessons are introduced to the curriculum each year after undergoing a rigorous review process in the Day School in Baltimore.

Calvert School offers teaching support to its homeschool students through Education Counselors, who are professional teachers experienced with Calvert's curriculum and methodology. Families can call toll-free, send e-mail, or fax their questions and concerns.

Calvert's optional Advisory Teaching Service (ATS) provides an extra level of personalized, one-on-one guidance that can help a child achieve success. Each child who participates in the program is assigned his own ATS teacher, who grades tests and provides consistent instruction and supportive correction. This program often helps families meet local and state accountability requirements while giving them the peace of mind that their teaching is succeeding.

Calvert School has been internationally recognized and distinguished as the first homes chooling curricula accredited by the Commission on International and Transregional Accreditation (CITA). Courses are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Calvert’s materials are used in all states and numerous countries.

Calvert operates a virtual and distance learning program with some of its students.The Calvert Partners Program provides online instruction that students can access at their own pace; this instruction supplements the parent’s home instruction. The Calvert Partners Program
puts students in grade-level, online classrooms where they join with other students and a teacher each day for live instruction; the learning guide supports instruction by helping the student with independent study.