Online High

It seems simple and it seems like the place where you should start, but so many don’t even make the attempt. What is it?

Get referrals.

How do you get referrals? You can:

1. Ask people you know.
2. Ask your local school district (but don’t be surprised if they don’t know much; it varies widely).
3. Ask in our Forum.
4. Ask on other websites.
5. Ask current students by finding them using Google.
6. Ask former students by finding them using Google.

Importantly, don’t just sign up for a school without doing your due diligence. Even when an online school is free, time is not. Best to determine if a school will be a good fit for you right up-front.

Sometimes you really are only as good as your technology. You absolutely want to get a look at what the learning management system (your “classroom”) looks like before signing up. You may be surprised to discover that much of their program is actually completed off-line and that the only online component is when you upload your work.

If that works for you, then all is well and good. For many students, though, the hope is that there is something more interactive in nature. There should be a way for a school to show you what this all looks like. If they cannot, you have every reason to wonder why that might be so difficult for them.

Beware of a lack of transparency. It is not a deal-killer, necessarily, but it does mean that you need to do more research.

So, what are you looking for? In essence, you might see audio components, video components, some way to interact with teachers (and, perhaps, students), and more. It should not be: “Here’s a textbook that we have thrown up online. Here are questions. Answer the questions.”

As we continue with this series, you are encouraged to post a response on the blog and/or to ask questions in the forum.

Advice #2: Choose an online high school that is accredited and/or approved. This can look a little different from colleges where you absolutely want the school to have regional accreditation.

1. Regional Accreditation that can be verified through a listing at CHEA.

2. National Accreditation that can be verified through a listing at Distance Education & Training Council.

3. Recognition by a state department of education.

4. Recognition by a public school district.

We have now reached the problematic schools. There are certain schools that are legitimate endeavors, but, for whatever reason, do not possess any one of the four types of recognition above. If you come across such a school, I encourage you to ask about it in the forum. That way others can benefit by your experience.

Over the next several weeks, I am going to be offering advice to folks on how to earn a high school diploma online.

Advice #1: Never sign up for an online high school until you have seen what it looks like inside. Not all online high schools are created equal. Some have just thrown print content onto the Internet and want to say they are an online high school.

Here’s the key: If a school will not let you see what it looks like inside, be concerned. Be very, very concerned. It is an easy thing to provide guest accounts. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

How do you choose an online high school? There are many key factors in the decision-making process and over the next couple of weeks, I will be looking at some of them. Here is the first:

Part 1: Determine who says that it is a legitimate online high school. There are many fakes on the Internet. An online high school should:

a. Be accredited by either one of the accreditors listed here or here.

b. Be recognized by your state’s department of education.

c. Be recognized by a school district.

Often there is some cross-over between the three of these and that is perfectly acceptable.

So what do you do if your school of interest has none of those three? I would strongly recommend a posting in our forum here as one way to determine if it is a “real” school.

In the second post of this series, let’s take a look at credibility. Here we go.

Question: What makes one online high school credible and another one not?

Answer: There are many things that make an online high school credible. Being accredited is one possibility, but that is not the sole one. A school’s public presence can make or break it. Look at the website. Does it look like an 8-year-old created it? This is not a good sign.

Another possibility is the lack of written materials. In some way, a school should be able to send you something, perhaps a brochure, on paper. Yes, through email is absolutely fine. A school that has nothing written down is a real concern.

What I am suggesting is that your potential school should act in a professional manner. If it is less than that, you may want to look around for other choices.

Best Online High Schools

This is the first in a series of posts about what you should look for in a school if you decide to earn your high school diploma online.

The question
Does the school need to be accredited?

The answer
The old answer was yes, 100%, yes. The new answer is that it depends. While accreditation is the marker for the best programs, there are programs that have been established by state departments of education or local school districts that may not yet be accredited, but are still recognized.

That being said, if a school claims to be accredited, but it is not on this list of accreditors or is on this list of schools, walk away. Yes, just as there are fake online high schools, there are also fake or unrecognized accreditors.

Fake accreditors are actually easier to deal with. Avoid at all cost. There are, however, a few unrecognized accreditors that have the best of intentions, but their accreditation means little in the world of online high schools and in college admissions.

What should you do if you are not sure whether it is a real accredited school? Ask a question about it in the forum. I am happy to discuss it with you there.