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October 20, 2026

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Houston Life, KPRC 2

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News

Houston Life: What to Ask Before Choosing a School

Houston Life

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Houston Life: What to Ask Before Choosing a School

Head of School Karissa Ham returns to Houston Life as Texas Education Freedom Accounts give more families a real choice in schooling. Her advice: look beyond the website. Call the school and ask what the day actually looks like, how much live teacher access students get, what attendance is expected, and whether the program is live with teachers or leaves parents to do the teaching. She also shows how Novatio's parent portal reports grade levels, MAP scores, and daily lesson minutes, so parents can see exactly where their student stands.

SA Live: A School That Gives Each Student Custom Support

Head of School Karissa Ham returns to SA Live to show how Novatio builds accommodations into every student's day: no timed tests, self-paced work, and placement assessments in each subject so the curriculum starts where a student actually is, not at their grade label. Students aim to reach grade level by year's end, and those who complete their daily work can gain two grade levels in a year.

A student smiling at a laptop in a home library, with books stacked beside her

Beyond the Grade: Helping Students See Their Own Progress

The AZ Insider covers the goal-setting program that lets Novatio School students turn academic progress into points and save toward goals that matter to them. Head of School Karissa Ham: "They are learning how to stick with something, make choices and feel proud of the work it took to get there."