What Should I Expect from K-12 Education Online?

Providing K-12 education online and providing parents with the tools they need to offer K-12 education for homeschool and beyond is our passion! You may feel overwhelmed if you are thinking about enrolling your child in K-12 online schooling program, especially with the number of options that are available. You may struggle with these choices since they will vary in structure and may be managed by the following:
• State
• University
• Local school district
• Charter school
On top of that, you will be faced with different online program options such as entirely online, supplemental, and even district level. This means that there will be different approaches including:
• Instruction
• Support for the student
• Academic development
You will need to evaluate everything. Whether your entering a online middle school the learning style of your child before making a decision about the best K-12 education online program that will work best for your child while meeting their needs.

Should You Choose An Accredited Program?

One of the most important aspects of choosing a K-12 HomeSchool is whether or not they are accredited. When you choose an accredited school, they will do the following:
• Be committed to meeting all educational standards
• Allow agencies to hold them accountable
• Strive for academic improvement
• Be committed to being a reputable and quality school
While there is not a federal accreditation standard, you will want to find out what your state requires with accreditation. This will allow you to choose the best accredited K-12 school online for your child.

Can You Transfer Credits with a K-12 Online School?

The ability to transfer credits is almost just as important as accreditation when it comes to choosing the right online school for your child. If the student is looking to get a online high school diploma , Many schooling institutions will not accept credits that come from a school that is not accredited.

You will want to take the time to call your school district and ask them about credit transfers and find out if credits from an online school will be recognized among your local institutions. You can even go as far as asking the school district for a copy of this enrollment agreement so that you have some assurance that your child’s credits will be transferable.

How Can You Determine The Effectiveness of A K-12 Program Online?

When you are searching for an online schooling option for your child, you will need to decide which choice will be the best fit and which one will be most effective in teaching your child. You can find out important information by checking out the International Association for K-12 Online Learning’s National Standards for Quality Online Programs. When you look at this organization, you will be able to find information from multiple schools including the following:
• Student surveys
• Parent surveys
• General average of report cards
• Financial reports of charter schools that offer online programs
• Retention rates
This will allow you to get a generalized idea about which K-12 Education may be a more efficient option for your child.

Which K-12 Curriculum Standards Should You Look For?

You will want to focus on the curriculum that is being offered at a K-12 Home school programs. Knowing the curriculum that is offered along with how the class instruction will be delivered to your child will be a huge deciding factor in your schooling choice. While the curriculum is important in mainstream schooling and online schooling, your child will be directly impacted by the curriculum offered through an online school especially when it comes to the following:
• Student engagement
• Student motivation
The academic standards for certain K-12 Education will be set by the state, so you will want to ask the schools that you are interested in what their standards are and how they meet them. You can ask schools about standards such as:
• How courses are evaluated
• How testing is completed
• How assessments are completed
• The online technologies that will be used
• How students will interact with teachers
• How offline and online instruction will be divided
While you may have more questions, these will get you started on finding the best K-12 online school curriculum possible to push your child towards success.

Are There Support Services Offered With K-12 Programs?

For your child to be successful with any online school, they will need support. You will want to find out which services will be offered to your child with any program that you are interested in. You can ask the following questions:
• Will they offer your child academic support?
• Do they offer to counsel and to mentor for your child?
• Will your child have access to tutors and technical assistance?
• Is there a support staff that is separated from the teachers?
• Do the teachers handle the support on their own?
Once you ask these questions, you will get a better feel for how a school will be able to help your child if they are struggling with instruction.

What Instructional Quality Should You Look For with an Online Schooling Program?

Teaching is just as important when your child is enrolled in an online school versus a mainstream school. One indicator of a high-quality online school will be the quality of instruction. Before making your decision, you will want to review the following:
• Hiring practice of school
• Qualifications needed from teachers that are hired
• Do the teachers have degrees or certifications that are required?
• Do the teachers have special training courses they have to take?
• Are there orientation programs that are taken before being hired in?
• Do the teachers have to take any professional development classes or continuing education classes while working for the school?
Once you get these questions answered, you will feel more confident in your choice of a K-12 online school for your child.

What Opportunities For Socialization Will Your Child Have With A K-12 Online Schooling Program?

You may be worried that your child will lack socialization skills if you enroll them in an online school. While your child will not have the forced socialization that they will have in a mainstream school, they will not feel as if they are in solitary confinement when they begin their online schooling experience.

A K-12 School, many times, offer a broader range of socialization than a mainstream school can. Your child will be able to go on field trips and have interaction with other children across the state or even nation through the internet. They will participate in group projects and be able to ask peers questions regarding their studies. You will want to ask the school what types of socialization opportunities they will offer your child.

what is the cost of educating your k-12 student child?

The cost to enroll your child in an online school will vary. Some may be free if they are state based and others will have tuition. If you want your child to have access to advanced classes, more social networking, and the best academic standards you may want to think about an accredited private online school. We highly encourage you to get a hold of our guidance counselors today to see if our K-12 Education is a right fit for you.