There are multiple types of online high schools in the present times. However, online high schools can be mainly divided into 2 major categories. These are online public schools and online private schools. There are multiple states that provide public online high schools to various students. This set of schools are usually free to residents. These school courses are accredited by the proper regional board, in general. This set of programs are open to students who are staying in their district/state boundaries. In usual, the state-controlled virtual school programs have great stability. Most of these schools have government support.
Advantages of taking online private classes
The online private school is a good choice for most present-day students plus families. A private online school is usually not free. However, these courses are less expensive from their conventional counterparts. This set of online private school courses are flexible as well as self-paced. In addition, this bunch of courses can be taken from any place at any time. This proves to be a big advantage to people who stay in various desolate areas.
Accreditation status of public online high schools
Generally, public online high schools are highly regarded by the department of education of the state. Most of these are regionally accredited. You need to be sure to verify its level of accreditation. However, you must be cautious since the newer programs are not likely to have been granted with accreditation reviews.
Cost of public online high school courses
Public online high schools are generally funded by the government. Therefore, this set of charges no tuition fee. There are some online school programs which actually pay for a student’s curriculum, internet and computer fees.
Advantages of taking public online high school classes
Students who go to a public online high school are able to secure a regionally accredited diploma at zero cost. They are pretty stable. This set of schools tend to get less public scrutiny too.
Disadvantages of taking public online high school classes
A majority of public online high schools are almost similar to traditional high schools. It means that this set of schools tend to adhere to a rigid curriculum and schedule. A lack of flexibility is involved here. In addition, students who attend public online high schools do not have easy access to many extracurricular activities plus curriculum choices. These choices are usually limited just like that of their traditional counterparts. The accessibility and availability of online learning options differ from state to state. The state legislation usually plays a vital role in offering access to public online course options.
Differences between an online private school and an online public school
- Stability
There are many online public schools that need students to stay within specific geographical boundaries. However, when it comes to online private schools, these enable students to take exclusive virtual courses from any state. In short, there are no location constraints here. These courses are even available outside of the country. This is one of the main reasons why many families and students resort to online private schools. Most of these students are not likely to have a public online program available in their locality. In addition, there are multiple families that are required to move frequently for military duty overseas or employment. Therefore, picking a virtual private school course truly pays off. It helps to make sure that their student gets a high-quality education. At the same time, the course flow is not really disrupted because of relocation at any time.
In addition, many online private schools ensure that highly specialized teachers are employed to teach various categories of students online. Students who live at desolate places and in poor weather conditions can avail the online private school courses from the safety of their homes. There are no disturbances here.
- Cheaper study options
On an average, the online private schools are not really funded by the state, school district or county. Therefore, this set of online courses are not free. These virtual courses are usually cost-effective. The education that is imparted by such schools are of high quality. The schedule is usually flexible. In addition, this set of private online courses are more affordable than their traditional counterparts.
- Learning schedule
Most online private schools enable students enrolled in other schools to take personalized learning courses. Students can take up some courses online which might not really be available in their traditional schools. In addition, a private school may provide a variety of summer courses. This allows online students to enhance their reading skills, better their transcripts for college, get ahead or make up for their lost credits etc. A majority of these online summer schools provide rolling start dates to accommodate various vacations, travel, and various other family-related activities.
In addition, most online private school students enjoy a good deal of schedule flexibility. This offers a good deal of convenience to online students. The private online high school students can go ahead and pursue their set of personal interests. Students can make use of the flexibility to pursue performing arts, part-time jobs, competitive athletics, volunteering, family time etc. Therefore, there are various study options here.
- Early credits
There are many online private schools that provide students with various opportunities to earn college credit when they are still in high school. There are some online schools that offer Dual Credit programs. This online school program provides students with the opportunity to earn nearly 7 first-year college credits which count toward high school as well as a bachelor’s degree. The Dual Enrollment program makes students able to earn a high school diploma as well as an associate’s degree at the same time. These save energy as well as time in the long run.
For picking the right type of online high school, a family is required to look into the student’s lifestyle. Online private schools can be a good option for most present-day students and parents. This is because these courses prepare students for the upcoming challenging college-level work.
