Table of Contents
- How Does an Online High School Work?
- Will You Have a Daily Routine
- Will You Go to a Live Class
- Must You Go to Class?
- The School Can Track Your Attendance
- Almost all Assignments are Completed Online
- Teachers Will Help You When Stuck
- Graduation Requirements are Similar to Public Schools
- Resources and References
How Does an Online High School Work?
If you think of enrolling in an online high school, you are perhaps feeling a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and confusion. What if it is not the right fit for you? How will you communicate with the instructor? Will you meet other learners?
And the bigger question is, ‘How does a virtual high school work?’ Do students have a schedule? Do they have to go to class? How will they know if students are not ‘in’ school? How will students submit their assignments? How do they get help if they have a question? These are all valid questions because online schooling is a relatively new concept. Online schools take the concepts that work in your traditional district school and add tweaks to meet the unique needs of learners. You will find that the flexibility of online schools will allow you to live your life while at the same time earning the best high school education.
Let us take a look at the answers to those questions.
Will You Have a Daily Routine
Learners enrolled in an online high school have a daily schedule and routine, same as students enrolled in a traditional high school. The school assigns every learner a unique daily schedule based on the classes students select or qualify to take. Instructors hold live classes, and learners have a scheduled time for lunch and set breaks throughout the school day. Most instructors also schedule weekly office hours to meet with learners and their parents or guardians one-on-one.
Will You Go to a Live Class
Online earning allows more flexibility within the school day. There are different ways in which learners attend class.
In case you are in a synchronous class, you will log into the teacher’s online classroom, where the teacher will deliver a lesson, provide guided activities and assessment, and facilitate group work. Class is planned and led by the instructor but is surprisingly interactive.Teachers give students a chance to:
- Chat with the teacher and other learners
- Utilize the microphone
- Utilize the webcam
- Work in small groups
- Write on the class whiteboard
Learners and parents usually state that they are amazed at how much more communication occurs between teachers, students, and parents in an online school versus the traditional high school. Synchronous classes work well for families in need of a highly structured school day.
Must You Go to Class?
In case you are in an asynchronous class, you will not log into a live class every day but will still be supported by a certified educator. Your instructor will post daily plans for you to follow. You will complete assessments and lessons online as directed by the teacher. Most teachers post assignments ahead of time so that you can work ahead if you desire.
The lesson plans consist of resources to help you and include videos, helpful websites, and animations. Asynchronous teachers are accessible throughout the day and during weekly office hours to work with you one-on-one. Asynchronous classes work well for learners that have many doctor appointments or are involved in activities like sports or dance that keep them ‘on the go’ for several hours each day.
The School Can Track Your Attendance
Your online school will track your and class attendance daily in accordance with state law. Parents or the designated adults at home are notified when learners miss a class or are absent. In case you are absent from class, your parents will notify the educator or other personnel designated by the school.
Almost all Assignments are Completed Online
Online schools utilize virtual school platforms where you will complete your lessons. Students are offered a unique login to access day to day lessons. When you log into the online school, you can review your daily schedule and complete all of the courses. Lessons and assessments may be situated in other secure places like Google Drive. At High School of America, certified teachers facilitate all classes. Educators maintain an updated course site with links to class and instructions for all assignments.
Teachers Will Help You When Stuck
Teachers are available through phone, email, and designated office hours during the school day. Most online school teachers are unavailable during scheduled days off, weekends, and holidays. Teachers are available during, after, and before class to work with students. Teachers provide assistance to students one-on-one during class and office hours by use of video, through Google Drive, by phone, and by email.
Graduation Requirements are Similar to Public Schools
If the online school is a public school, graduation requirements are similar to the requirements of a traditional school. Every school may have additional graduation requirements, so be sure to talk to the online school when doing your research.
By taking the concepts that work in a traditional school and adding flexibility, online schools meet the unique needs of learners. High school students and their families experience many benefits from attending an online charter school, including increased flexibility, the opportunity to graduate early, and individualized education. High School of America offers an opportunity to get to know the school through an orientation prior to making a commitment.
If you are looking for a school that offers an outstanding educational experience to your son or daughter but do not want the hassle of driving to the traditional campus, consider an online high school. You will save time, money, and confront power launching.
High School of America is just one of many online schools available today. Are you interested in learning more? Please visit us at https://www.highschoolofamerica.com/ or call us at +1-(888) 242-4262. Our representatives are happy to help in any way they can!
MUST YOU GO TO CLASS?
In case you are in an asynchronous class, you will not log into a live class every day but will still be supported by a certified educator. Your instructor will post daily plans for you to follow. You will complete assessments and lessons online as directed by the teacher. Most teachers post assignments ahead of time so that you can work ahead if you desire.
The lesson plans consist of resources to help you and include videos, helpful websites, and animations. Asynchronous teachers are accessible throughout the day and during weekly office hours to work with you one-on-one. Asynchronous classes work well for learners that have many doctor appointments or are involved in activities like sports or dance that keep them ‘on the go’ for several hours each day.
THE SCHOOL CAN TRACK YOUR ATTENDANCE
Your online school will track your and class attendance daily in accordance with state law. Parents or the designated adults at home are notified when learners miss a class or are absent. In case you are absent from class, your parents will notify the educator or other personnel designated by the school.
ALMOST ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE COMPLETED ONLINE
Online schools utilize virtual school platforms where you will complete your lessons. Students are offered a unique login to access day-to-day lessons. When you log into the online school, you can review your daily schedule and complete all of the courses. Lessons and assessments may be situated in other secure places like Google Drive. At High School of America, certified teachers facilitate all classes. Educators maintain an updated course site with links to class and instructions for all assignments.
TEACHERS WILL HELP YOU WHEN STUCK
Teachers are available through phone, email, and designated office hours during the school day. Most online school teachers are unavailable during scheduled days off, weekends, and holidays. Teachers are available during, after, and before class to work with.
WHO RUNS MY SCHOOL? HOW ARE THE TEACHERS EDUCATED?
There are various schools that offer online courses, from private schools to public schools. Although some of the courses offered are approved by state boards or associations, it is important to ask questions about teacher training and experience.
Be sure to inquire if teachers have a degree specific to your child’s subject matter (i.e: math, science, history). Find out if you can meet your child’s teachers or shadow them for an online class day in order to see what they teach and how they interact with students. Some online school programs also offer after-school clubs such as athletics or music that may be beneficial
WHAT TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS WILL I HAVE?
Your online school has numerous assignments including reading chapters, creating PowerPoint presentations, writing essays, working with virtual simulators, software lessons, and more. Assignments can be completed at the convenience of your schedule and must be submitted by the due date.
Educators prepare lesson plans that include daily activities, quizzes, or assessments for you to complete on a daily basis in addition to assignments that may take longer than a day to complete. The daily lessons are posted online but most teachers will give weekly plans that include links to videos, helpful websites, and other resources needed for any given assignment.
High School of America’s curriculum is designed using industry standards. This ensures that students will engage with current technology and strategies needed for them to succeed in their future college careers.
Educators design lesson plans and assignments based on individual student needs in order to increase attention spans and critical thinking skills. High School of America has an award-winning curriculum that is known for improving students’ grades, test scores, research abilities, social skills, communication with others, and stress management.
How often will I be tested?
Most online schools have a testing schedule that includes quarterly exams as well as annual grades assessments which are also referred to as final grades or report cards. Most states require these tests in addition to sending home progress reports or updates at least once a semester so families can see how their child is progressing in each course. Scores can vary due to the availability of teachers during scheduled days off or holidays but most teachers will send out progress reports throughout the school year.
Parents of students at High School of America receive daily updates which include links to online lessons, assessments, quizzes, and assignments. The parent dashboard is a secured area where parents have access to all their child’s grades as well as how they are performing in specific areas such as Math and English. Because High School of America has real-time data about student performance, educators can adjust lesson plans if needed in order for students to meet or exceed state tests requirements.
How do I know if my child is completing their work?
High School of America offers multiple ways for you to see what your child is working on each day. You can view daily lesson plans from the comfort of your home any time you want to check on your child’s progress. You can also view updates from the parent dashboard which will tell you what is due and if it has been completed. If you want more in-depth information about their performance, educators can provide weekly or bi-weekly lesson plans as well as track specific assignments throughout each class period.
HOW ARE GRADES DETERMINED?
Your online school grades are determined based on how well students understand course material within a given time frame. Grades reflect classroom progress including class participation, how much homework has been completed, skills acquired, test scores projects created, and assignments completed.
These factors help educators determine an overall grade for each assignment or assessment. Online schools have different ways of scoring but most have a grading scale that includes A+ – F. Typically, grades are determined by adding up all the scores for each assignment and then dividing them by the number of assignments completed.
The original score is converted to its highest equivalent and students receive letter grades based on this conversion. For example, if an assignment has ten questions worth 100 points each with a passing grade of 70 percent you would add up 1100 total points and divide it by 10 which is equal to 110 resulting in a B grade.
When a student completes an online school course their cumulative average will be calculated based on how many credits they have earned toward graduation and how well they did on final exams or assessments since courses can only be taken once unless otherwise stated. How are online schools graded?