Union County Review

As schools and families adjust to the post-COVID-19 world, educators and parents are making difficult choices about virtual learning, hybrid instruction and — for some families — true, full-time homeschooling.

One program seeking to address both school and family needs is Acellus — a program the International Academy of Science created. 

The core Acellus product is marketed to schools as a learning accelerator and alternative for situations where in-person instruction may not be possible, according to Acellus the website. "Backed by scientific research, Acellus delivers online instruction, compliant with the latest standards, through high-definition video lessons made more engaging with multimedia and animation."

Brian Luciani, director of Academics at Kenilworth Public Schools (KPS) in Kenilworth, told the Union County Review that KPS has been using Acellus for approximately 10 years.

Even before the present situation with COVID-19 and virtual learning, Luciani said KPS used Acellus for many instructional-related needs.

"We use it for credit recovery. We use it for summer school. We use it to supplement what regular teachers are," Luciani said. Acellus is helpful even for students who just have scheduling conflicts and need to fit a class in that they otherwise wouldn't be able to take.

KPS invested in Acellus as a way to assist seniors who were struggling to graduate, he said. And Acellus fit the bill perfectly.

"I thought the program was excellent," he said. "And I've been extremely pleased the many years we've had them."

Acellus helps students as well as teachers, giving students a strong academic foundation, Luciani said.

"I think the biggest use is that they can do it throughout the day, at night when they're free, on the weekends if they want to catch up on something," Luciani told the Union County Review. "I think the flexibility is huge. That's probably the biggest advantage, regarding everything: The flexibility and the content that they're learning."

Luciani estimated that KPS gets used out of 60%-to-70% of the courses available through Acellus.

Yet, Acellus isn't just for school districts. 

For those struggling with hybrid schedules, or who don't want their children to return to in-person schooling, true, independent homeschooling may be a viable option. There is research that concludes homeschooling yields some of the best academic and socialization results.