The Edmentum Connection
Mountain Community Online School delivers its core academic coursework through a partnership with EdOptions Academy, powered by Edmentum.
What Edmentum provides
Edmentum, through EdOptions Academy, provides the academic instructional program for core courses at MCOS.
This includes:
- Licensed teachers who deliver live instruction
- Standards-aligned digital coursework and assessments
- Instructional pacing and grading for core academic subjects
- Ongoing academic progress data and reporting
Edmentum teachers are responsible for the academic course load in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies outside of experiential learning projects.
What MCOS provides
Mountain Community Online School retains responsibility for the school as a whole.
MCOS provides:
- Governance and compliance as a North Carolina public charter school
- Oversight of the instructional partnership and contract adherence
- Student support systems, including Success Coaches
- Experiential learning through Climb Higher Projects
- Family communication, enrollment, and daily accountability
- Attendance monitoring and intervention
MCOS sets expectations for student engagement, participation, and conduct and ensures those expectations are consistently enforced.
How instructional oversight works
While Edmentum delivers core instruction, MCOS maintains active oversight of instructional quality and implementation.
The MCOS School Director is responsible for:
- Monitoring Edmentum’s adherence to contractual expectations
- Reviewing instructional performance and academic outcomes
- Ensuring alignment with North Carolina requirements
- Coordinating communication between Edmentum, MCOS staff, and families
This ensures that instructional delivery is not only provided, but monitored and held to clear standards.
The role of Success Coaches
Success Coaches are a central part of the MCOS model and work alongside the Edmentum instructional program.
Success Coaches:
- Monitor daily attendance and engagement
- Track student progress across courses
- Serve as the primary point of contact for families
- Coordinate support when students fall behind
- Help students manage pacing and expectations
While Edmentum teachers focus on instruction, Success Coaches focus on follow-through, accountability, and student success.
Climb Higher Projects
In addition to core academic courses delivered through Edmentum, MCOS provides Climb Higher Projects, which are designed and managed by Mountain Community Online School staff.
These projects:
- Integrate multiple subject areas
- Emphasize real-world application and problem-solving
- Reduce passive screen time
- Complement, rather than replace, core coursework
This ensures students experience learning that extends beyond digital lessons.
Experiential learning beyond core coursework – Climb Higher.
What families should understand
Families should understand that:
- Core academic instruction is delivered by licensed teachers through Edmentum
- Mountain Community Online School remains fully responsible for oversight and accountability
- Students are supported daily by Success Coaches and school staff
- Expectations for attendance, engagement, and progress are clear
This partnership model allows MCOS to provide a stable, supported, and accountable online learning experience.