3 Benefits Online School Can Offer that Brick and Mortar Schools Can't

Many people wonder whether or not online schools can ever be as good as brick and mortar schools. After all, teachers can't possibly have the same understanding of kids that they'll never meet in the flesh, right? Online high school, however, isn't just "as good as" a brick and mortar school. In some cases, it can even be better.

1. An accredited online high school is more likely to offer one-on-one attention for each student. Both low-performing students and students who are ahead of the class will benefit from this type of attention. They have easier access to all of their teachers and more opportunities to ask questions. Not only that, they can provide more one-on-one, individual instruction and uninterrupted attention than teachers in brick and mortar schools.

2. Online high schools provide a great deal more freedom. When students are sick or have learning disabilities, emotional problems, or trouble at home, most high schools are willing to work with them...to a point. They can't, however, provide students with the kind of individual freedom that is offered by online high schools. This includes the freedom to set their own schedules, attending school when it's convenient to their other commitments; the freedom to wear whatever they like; and the freedom to work at their own pace, spending additional time on a class that's confusing and hurrying on through a class that requires less time.

3. Online high schools separate students from bad influences. While many students can still get in contact with peers through cell phones or the internet, they're less likely to be exposed to negative influences in their online classes. Cliques are nonexistent, because there's no opportunity for them to form. Online schools allow high school students to fit into an academic setting without needing to socially adapt to the culture of a new school.

Attending high school online is a unique educational opportunity that has only become available to this generation of students. Allowing students to take full advantage of it can help advance their academic success. It's very different from brick and mortar schooling, but in many cases, that's a good thing!

What is Online High School Really About?

Online high school sounds like a great opportunity, but many parents and students wonder what it's really all about. Understanding what online high school really means is the first step in the process to making an educational decision for their child.

For many students, a traditional brick and mortar high school simply doesn't cut it. Some students are bullied mercilessly, making it impossible for them to function on their work throughout the day. Others work at an advanced pace, leaving them bored out of their minds. Some students have commitments that are hard to schedule around school days: sports practices, family commitments, or even a work schedule that doesn't sync up with a traditional school schedule. Then there are students who have health issues. Some days, they're perfectly able to participate in normal classroom activities, but others, it's all they can do to get out of bed.

If any of these sound like your student, online high school might be the best choice for you. American school high school opportunities have increased several times over in the last several years, and it's become easier than ever before to find a program that will work for your student. Still, online high schools seem to be shrouded in mystery. What is online high school really about?

Online high schools provide the same quality of education that you'd get in a brick and mortar school.

In fact, in many cases, you'll discover that they get a higher-quality education than they would receive in a brick and mortar school. Online high schools provide your student with all the materials that they would get in a traditional brick and mortar classroom. They have the same opportunities afforded to traditional high school students. The difference is that instead of getting up and going to school every day, students are able to stay home and attend school in their pajamas if they wish.

Online high schools have high-quality teachers.

You aren't taking on traditional homeschooling when you allow your student to attend online high school. You'll have high-quality teachers available to help your child on this educational journey.

Online high school allows you to choose your own schedule.

With online high school, you don't have to worry about whether or not you need to change the time of an appointment because your child has missed too many classes at a specific time. You won't have to worry about getting a reluctant child up at the crack of dawn. Online high school fits into your schedule instead of you being forced to work your schedule around it.

Online high school means that school time is about school.

During a typical school day, there are a host of interruptions. Announcements, bookkeeping, and classroom maintenance all take up a chunk of the school day--and that's on a normal day. Then there are the events that take place during the school day: pep rallies, in-school performances of plays or concerts, fire drills, bomb threats...many days, your student might not accomplish anything academically, and yet if they aren't in class, they're penalized. With online high school, your child is able to spend their school time actually engaged in learning, freeing up the other hours normally spent in school for other activities.

For many students, online high school is an open door that allows them to excel both at school and in other areas of life. If you have more questions, check out our website for more information.

Take High School Courses Online!

Many smart, gifted teens drop out of high school because the traditional learning environment is not suitable for their educational needs or learning styles. The current system is good for one type of student: the one who can memorize, the one who can regularly show up to the brick-and-mortar classroom without any hurdles, the one who can deduce answers on tests. Plenty of intelligent students move more slowly or more quickly than the student the system was designed for.

Now that learning management and content management can handled with relative ease online, there is little reason that every high school student should be restricted to the "ordinary" method of completing high school, by sitting in a classroom for 180 days a year, memorizing facts within a set amount of time in order to take a test on certain days and doing learning in a building during certain hours with work done at home during certain other hours. American High School offers online high school courses to suit the needs of a growing and diverse body of students for whom traditional school may be under stimulating or whose needs are not suited in the current institution.

There is not just one type of student, and American High School accommodates that. It is an online, competency-based high school, meaning that students move through the material as they achieve mastery of it, demonstrating an ability to put theory into practice. It is not paced for the average high school student; it is paced for students who work independently, who might work better at 7:30 in the evening than they would at 7:30 in the morning. The school also helps students who might be missing credits that they did not earn at other schools to catch back up and ensure that they get on track and stay there. Headquarters are located in Hollywood, Florida, but students can be located anywhere that they have access to a stable internet connection. And students have been known to graduate up to two years earlier than their peers, as they move freely through their graduation requirements instead of being confined by time boundaries set by a typical high school curriculum.

This system works better for some students who might otherwise fall behind or drop out. To find out more, visit the website at http://americanonline.education/.

Here's How to Find the Right Online High School

With so many online options available for high school students, it can be hard to sort through them all. However, with a little research you can separate the wheat from the chaff. Here are some things to look for when choosing an online program for your high school student.

Accreditation
Accreditation may be the single most important thing to look for in online high school programs. Accreditation allows your child’s credits to be accepted by other high schools, colleges, and employers, including the military. Before you look any further at any online program, make sure that it is accredited.

Flexible Pacing
One of the most important reasons parents choose online education is that their children study and learn at a faster or slower pace than traditional classrooms can provide. To really take advantage of the benefits of online schooling, look for a school that will allow your student to find the right pace and make steady progress.

Curriculum
The best curriculum provides coursework that will prepare your student to work and learn in today’s world, while fitting into the traditional mold well enough to allow credits to transfer easily. Also, look for programs that provide plenty of options for electives instead of a rigid, one-size-fits-all program of study.

AP and Honors Courses
If your student is college-bound, be sure to ask about AP and Honors courses. These intensive courses not only teach students what they need to know for college, but also help them get used to college-style coursework.

Dual Credit Courses
Dual credit courses allow your student to earn high school credits and college credits simultaneously. High schools pair up with universities or community colleges to offer these courses. College credits earned this way may be accepted at colleges and universities that accept the partner institution’s credits. Students who earn college credit this way can eliminate some or all of the classes needed to earn a college degree.

Payment Plans
If paying an entire year’s tuition all at once puts a strain on your budget, you may want to look for online programs that offer payment plans. Some schools provide plans and some don’t. Others partner with lenders that offer loans for tuition.

Fortunately, since they are based online, reputable high school programs typically have well-organized websites and a staff that is eager to answer your questions. For example, American High School’s site addresses the most frequent concerns parents have on its site, http://americanonline.education/,while also providing a direct phone number that connects to a live person for more specific questions.