Old Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Tech Trep Academy program begin?
In 2008, a full-time public school program called My Tech High was created to provide students in Utah with a personalized education experience focused on technology and entrepreneurship. Interest in the Utah program has continued to grow each year with thousands of students now participating.

Tech Trep Academy (‘trep’ is short for entrepreneur) started in 2015 to help part-time students outside of Utah to access the amazing technology and entrepreneurship curriculum.

The full-time Tech Trep Academy program (powered by My Tech High) is available in Tennessee for students ages 5-13!

Does Tech Trep Academy operate as a Public Charter / District School or a Private School?
Neither. We are a personalized education program which operates under a Public / Private Partnership model administered by existing public schools (both district and charter).
For the Tennessee program, in which public school will my child be enrolled?
In Tennessee, all students are full-time, virtual students enrolled in the following innovative Tennessee public school:

  • Putnam County Schools – VITAL

All program requirements, details, policies, schedules, courses, testing, student records, credits, IEPs, reimbursements, etc. are subject to the approval of the partner school of enrollment. Please review this list of key policies.

With which curriculum providers do you partner directly?

The following providers are available as a My Tech High Direct option:

  • ALEKS Math
  • BYU Independent Study
  • Learn 360*
  • Apex Learning
  • IXL
  • MiWrite
  • Prodigy
  • Nessy
  • ST Math
  • Quill
  • BrainPop and BrainPop, Jr.*
  • Generation Genius*
  • Study Island
  • MobyMax*
  • Reading Eggs
  • Math Seeds

*Indicates a program for which ALL students have unlimited access

Do you ever have face-to-face events?
Yes. Our partner schools schedule monthly field trips as well as a mid-year Student Showcase where students and their families share favorite projects. Showcase nights are some of the most enjoyable moments of the year.
Does every student need to take a Tech or Entrepreneurship course?
Yes!  Our program is focused on helping students gain valuable skills to be successful in college, career and life.  Students with a strong foundation in creativity, innovation, technology and business are poised to change the world for good. Review all tech and entrepreneurship courses available for full-time Utah students.
Can parents or schools purchase individual tech and entrepreneurship courses?
Yes!  Through a partnership with Tech Trep Academy, private pay parents and schools can purchase individual courses for students. Note:  Several partner schools and programs in Southern California and Alaska are pre-approved to purchase via Tech Trep.
Why are Pass / Fail grades given instead of traditional letter grades?
We believe STRONGLY in personalized education and providing flexible resources to help every student enjoy their learning experience.  Letter grades limit flexibility and force children to navigate artificial grade distinctions.  We have concluded that this subjective and stressful approach would contradict our goal of inspiring our students to gain a true lifelong love of learning. Note:  Diploma-seeking students are given a traditional letter grade from their approved provider.
Are students required to participate in State testing?
Yes.  All public school students are required to participate in State tests.  Also, as required by State Law, a SAGE opt-out form is available.  Note that State tests are administered by employees of Provo eSchool or Gateway Preparatory Academy.
Is the recommended age for the Tech courses flexible?
Yes – absolutely.  We believe the parent knows their child best and can decide if he/she would be able to handle a course that may be designed for older students.
Are all the learning materials and technology resources property of the program?
Yes.  All materials, curriculum, technology purchased or reimbursed with public funds are considered property of the program and must be returned or repaid if a student fails to adhere to all program requirements and/or withdraws at any time prior to the end of the school year.

NOTE: Any new computer, Chromebook, or iPad/tablet which is fully reimbursed with a student’s Technology Allowance funds remains property of the school’s program for three years.  If a student withdraws from the program after year one or year two, the parent will be asked to return the computer, Chromebook, or iPad/tablet or re-pay the depreciated value of the device.

Once my child is accepted, will I receive additional information?
Yes!  Once accepted into the program, parents will have access to Parent Link, a secure site with extensive details regarding all aspects of our personalized education program.
Can students with disabilities participate in the program?
Absolutely!!  Our partner schools offer a wide range of Special Ed Services remotely, including online speech therapy, virtual observations and support, video conference sessions, online resource teachers, and more!
Can I select religious-based curriculum as part of my approved program?
No.  As this program is in partnership with the public education system, only secular materials are approved as part of the program.  With that said, parents are free to supplement their child’s education with religious materials using their own private funds.
Which Minecraft course would be best for my child?
The Minecraft STEAM course is broad and touches on Art, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Math, Language Art / Social Studies concepts.  The course can be applied at multiple levels, depending of the skill level of the student.  And since it is very open, it allows students to do projects at their own level.  Experienced Minecraft players may know some of the Minecraft techniques already (how to make a character skin and how to use redstone), but will discover new concepts  such as basic art techniques, making scale models, and learning about circuitry with redstone.

The Minecraft Modding with Java course is fairly technical and focuses exclusively on creating and adding custom modifications to Minecraft using Java. The course is appropriate for any student 11+ that has a basic foundational grasp of coding and is comfortable with a little bit of troubleshooting.

What type of computer do you recommend for students to use?
We recommend students use a standard PC or Mac (not a Chromebook or tablet).  A student typically just needs a basic desktop or laptop.