In the season of college admissions essays and scholarship applications, it is sometimes difficult to remember the jumpstart programs and orientation classes that lead to the high school graduation that many are preparing for. The reality is, however, that if you do not have a strong family behind you, the only real way to be successful in school may be these jumpstart programs and other platforms that are but in place to make sure that students make a successful transition from home to being in school and from one grade to the next.
Education is a long and continual process in America. And while many Americans attend a traditional public school for most of their years, an increasing number of parents find themselves looking at other alternatives. From children who are home bound because of an illness to families that have the opportunity to travel the world, a virtual high school can be a better alternative.
An increasing number of accredited online high schools provide a platform for students and families who do not fit into the traditional classroom. With internet access and a growing number of online options, in fact, students who are in a traditional classroom during most of the day can find a way to enhance and expand the education that they receive. Programs that offer dual credit high school courses online, for instance, offer high school students to use a jumpstart program to go into their college experience with college credits already completed.
Consider some of these educational statistics about the blended experiences that many high school students have, experiences that combine traditional classrooms with online courses:
- 76% of respondents believe blended learning is beneficial to students, according to a survey by Learning in the 21st Century.
- 77.84% of respondents around the world reported having taken online courses, in the latest Global Shapers Survey.
- 5% of kindergarten through 12th grade students take an online or blended course, according to estimates reported by The Evergreen Education Group.
- 447 full-time virtual schools enrolled nearly 262,000 students during the 2013-2014 academic year.
- 87 blended schools enrolled 26,155 students during the 2013-2014 academic year.
- 40.5% of respondents said online education is as strong as traditional learning in a classroom, according to the Global Shapers Survey.
There are many high school seniors across the country who are counting down the days until their graduations. there are also, however, many more who are just getting started on the road to the high school experience. In a time when more and more is expected from students by the time they graduate, it should come as no surprise that many families are taking advantage of online courses and virtual classrooms. From dual credit high school programs that allow students the chance to make the most of the traditional classes that they take to virtual schools that allow students to earn a degree from anywhere in the world, today’s students do not have to find themselves confined to a chair in a classroom in a traditional school building.