Complete Guide to Online High Schools: Distance learning options for teens & adults
By Thomas Nixon
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About this ebook
You no longer have to sit in a traditional and, perhaps, boring classroom in order to earn a high school diploma. You no longer have to sit with students who are half your age. You no longer have to be tied to one geographical location. Online high schools are now an option for students of all ages and you can work at home or you can work on the road. These schools work well both for traditionally-aged high school students and for those who have more life experience.
In this second edition of "Complete Guide to Online High Schools: Distance learning options for teens and adults," Thomas Nixon has expanded the offerings by showcasing almost triple the number of online high schools. Just as his BestOnlineHighSchools.com website has grown over the years, so, too, has the size of this book.
Praise for the first edition of "Complete Guide to Online High Schools":
"When it comes to high school diplomas, I always defer to Tom Nixon, a true expert in this field, who writes clearly, concisely, and oh-so helpfully. This book is like having a thorough consultation with the leading expert in the world of high school credentials. I recommend it highly."
--Dr. John Bear, author, "Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning"
"Tom Nixon's book will help you choose wisely. It is a "must-read" for all who are about to take the important step of becoming an online high school student."
--Michael Lambert, Executive Director, Distance Education and Training Council
Thomas Nixon
Thomas Nixon coordinates online learning for Fresno Unified School District. He is the author or co-author of a number of books including "Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning" and "Bears' Guide to Earning High School Diplomas Nontraditionally." He is the proprietor of http://BestOnlineHighSchools.com and other websites.
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Complete Guide to Online High Schools - Thomas Nixon
Complete Guide to Online High Schools
Complete Guide to
Online High Schools
Distance Learning Options for
Teens & Adults
Second Edition
Thomas Nixon, M.A.
Best Online Schools Press
Fresno, California
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Praise for the first edition of Complete Guide to Online High Schools:
As it happens, one of my three daughters attended high school for two years, one for two months, and one didn't go at all. While all three eventually completed bachelor's degrees (Phi Beta Kappa), had this book existed, it would have saved them a great deal of time, money, and anguish on their rather tortuous paths.
John Bear, Ph.D.
Author of Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning (1974 - 2003)
In this wonderfully concise but incredibly informative book about online high schools, Tom Nixon has succeeded in presenting the most important questions to be asked before enrolling in a high school program delivered online.
Tom Nixon's book will help you choose wisely. It is a must-read
for all who are about to take the important step of becoming an online high school student.
Michael P. Lambert
Executive Director
Distance Education and Training Council
Washington, D.C.
Complete Guide to Online High Schools, 2nd Ed.
By Thomas Nixon
Copyright © 2012 by Thomas Nixon
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher, with the exception of brief quotations used in published articles or reviews.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9764716-4-6 (Print)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9764716-7-7 (Kindle)
Degree Press
4073 W. Cortland Avenue
Fresno, CA 93722
info@DegreePress.com
Warning: The author has attempted to accurately portray each school. However, the author will gladly post corrections on his blog at BestOnlineHighSchools.com.
Best Online Schools Press is an imprint of Degree Press.
AP and Advanced Placement are registered trademarks of The College Board.
To Sarah
and
To David
and
To Maria
Amazing children all. Thank you for making my life richer.
Acknowledgements
The first acknowledgment must go to my inspiring wife, Elizabeth Nixon. She has always provided the support to make the book thing happen. Also, I must acknowledge Kurt Madden who was instrumental in my getting a job that allows me to talk about online schools every day. Finally, to John Bear, who turned a teacher into a writer. Much thanks!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Choosing an Online High School
Chapter 2: Frequently Asked Questions
Chapter 3: The Successful Online Learner
Chapter 4: Prestigious Online High Schools?
Chapter 5: Accreditation and Diploma Mills
Chapter 6: School Listings
Chapter 7: Online High Schools for Adults
Bibliography
Index
Author Information
Publisher Information
Introduction
When Complete Guide to Online High Schools came out in 2007, it was the first and only book dedicated to showcasing online high school programs. It was a small book of only 154 pages. In the four years since that time, the field has grown significantly as, hopefully, has the book.
So what has changed?
One noticeable change is size of the book. At over 200 pages, I suspect we still have left out some online high schools (which I hope to capture in the next edition). Rest assured, though, this is the same book with the same solid advice about online high schools.
There are more online high schools than ever before and that number continues to grow. This book now lists more than 260 such schools. (And, if your school is not listed, let me know!)
A dramatic increase in the number of free options. There are now so many that I am at work on another book,Free Online High Schools, that looks at only those options. Expect that book in winter of 2013.
In addition to the increase in the number of schools, there has been a marked growth in the number of part-time and full-time programs offered by public school districts. While, for the most part, I ignore these programs, they can be a good option if you are a student in a district that offers such courses.
Blended learning - the morphing of the online with the traditional classroom - is becoming increasingly common. While there is some thought with certain people that online learning will be affected by traditional learning, the opposite is likely true. Increasingly, online courses will move into traditional high schools and traditional classrooms. You heard it here first!
Chapter 1: Choosing an Online High School
This is the first time in history that the teacher, student, and content do not have to be in the same place.
--Willard Daggett, President, International Center for Leadership in Education
While there have been online high schools around, in some form, for quite some time, over the last six or seven years, the numbers of these schools has exploded. There are a number of reasons for why this has happened, but it really falls into three groups:
Homeschoolers who want to use digital content;
Students who need an alternative location due to interests in sports or visual/performing arts; or
Students and families who have concerns about the traditional public school system.
That being said, there are as many reasons for wanting an online education as there are people seeking one.
Online high schools are becoming the schools of choice for a diverse population of students. For some, they provide a way out of traditional high schools and for others they offer a second chance at earning a diploma. Whatever the reason, online programs can be a convenient and sensible solution for many students. However, it is not necessarily an easy task to determine which are good choices and which are not.
And, should you have any doubt, making the right choice is the difference between a piece of paper that is worth something and one that is not. All things being equal, and in this case they must be, it is much better to choose carefully.
How you go about selecting an online high school can depend significantly on what your ultimate goal might be. While there are many possible goals, they tend to break down into two distinct choices:
You wish to earn a high school diploma to improve your chances at getting a job or entering the military (see Chapter 2). College, at this point, is not something you are actively considering; or
You wish to attend a college and you either feel the need or it is a stated requirement that you first earn a high school diploma.
Certainly both are valid reasons for considering earning a high school diploma online.
Criteria
Whatever the reason, choosing a school requires that you look at a number of criteria. The criteria below are the minimum acceptable standards for selecting an online high school and exhibit changes from the 2007 edition of this book:
The school should be accredited by a regional or national accreditor recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or by the U.S. Department of Education (See Chapter 5). Other possible recognition includes that from state departments of education and public school districts.
For full-time schools, there is a marked preference for schools to have been in operation for at least two years. That being said, what is more important is that the system has experience offering high school courses.
You should be able to determine through its website or printed materials who owns and/or operates the school. This should include the names of employees.
It should have printed materials. While this may seem simplistic, schools that have printed materials tend to be more established and much less likely to be a poor choice.
As has been explained, these are minimum requirements. If you have questions about specific schools, posting a question or two at BestOnlineHighSchools.com is a good place to start.
The Good Online Candidate
After determining whether it is a good choice in general, you should also determine if it is a good choice for you and whether you are a good choice for online learning.
The first place to start is to determine if you are an independent worker. It takes more dedication to complete an online course than it does to complete a traditional classroom-based course. If you are not able to work independently, you are opening yourself up to a major challenge.
Online courses come in two basic formats: limited time and less-limited time. In other words, some courses are structured within traditional quarters or semesters, while