While homeschooling and a private online high school have some things in common, they differ in several important ways. Web-based schools are sometimes called “online homeschool” because students often work at home.
While homeschooling and a private online high school have some things in common, they differ in several important ways. Web-based schools are sometimes called “online homeschool” because students often work at home.
In a blog article in 2012, our Principal, J Lee Harshbarger, cited a 60-country study of 15-year-olds that ranked American students poorly in math, science and reading, whereas Chinese students ranked #1 in all three. Living in Beijing at the time, J Lee was able to discuss these results with Chinese students who downplayed the absolute test-taking focus of their own education system and expressed envy of the American system that values critical thinking and creativity.
You don’t have to be a die-hard fan of professional football to know the name Tim Tebow. As a Heisman Trophy winner and starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos he made national headlines. But it’s Tim’s high school history that is most interesting to online high school students and their parents.
One of the questions we are often asked by parents and prospective students about online school is what socialization opportunities exist. After all, teens are learning their way as individuals in addition to gaining an education. While social interactions can be very different for online students compared to their traditional school peers, that doesn’t mean opportunities are lacking.
Are teachers at an online school different from those in the classroom? Generally, no – an accredited online high school will normally employ teachers certified in their subject areas just as a brick-and-mortar school would. However, while online teachers have typically taught in a classroom, the way they teach online is quite different.
Any adult will tell you what they learned “between the lines” as they were growing up was as valuable as what they learned in the classroom. An online high school education can often do even more for students than a brick-and-mortar institution when it comes to building real-life skills necessary to succeed on the job and as a person.
Parents of public school children know their local schools are required to meet standards set by their state government. You don’t have to wonder or worry whether the credits your child earns in high school will be valid and transferrable when it’s time to apply to college or your student changes schools.
Online school curriculum is the same as traditional school curriculum, in that it includes all the state requirements necessary for students to graduate from a bricks-and-mortar high school. That includes the core subject areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as other required courses such as health & PE, languages and fine arts.
