Online K-12 Schools

Traditionally, completing a public K-12 education meant attending a brick and mortar school in a designated school determined by your school district. This meant students were restricted to a set list of schools, teachers and overall education quality. Depending on a student’s location, their learning opportunities were drastically different than their peers. For lots of students that require additional assistance, like an accelerated curriculum or have difficulties with classmates, enrolling in online classes allows them to complete their education in a manner that fits their lifestyle.

Online public schools allow students to take all their courses from the comfort of their own home. In fact, you can go to school anywhere there is an Internet connection. An online K-12 education provides flexibility with every student’s method of learning. All online public schools are accredited and funded by their respective states, meaning students receive a quality education from state-certified teachers and must pass the same testing requirements as traditional K-12 students.

The major differences between online public schooling and brick and mortar instruction:

Curriculum: Online programs can be modified to fit the pace of the student. Many programs offer options to customize the curriculum with self-paced assignments, while still meeting the respective state parameters.

Teachers: In these courses teachers perform personal instruction and oversight unlike a traditional school. Teachers and students balance personal instruction such as phone call meetings and web conferences with independent study.

Accessibility: Students can take a range of classes not normally available at many public schools. Also, the types of students that do not find success in normal classrooms are still able to receive a great education. Those that require extra or less assistance with learning concepts are served by online schools, as are those with special medical conditions that require many absences.

Recent studies revealed K-12 students who received their education partially or fully online performed better, on average, than their peers who took the same course in a traditional face-to-face education. The future of K-12 will most likely integrate more distance learning, as one estimate predicts half of all K-12 classes will be taught online in the next decade.