There’s no denying that virtual high schools made headlines in 2017, providing opportunities for thousands of displaced students following this fall’s hurricanes, creating new options for students living in rural and isolated communities, and allowing refuge for students facing an increase in bullying and cyberbullying. Virtual high schools present a myriad of benefits for a variety of students who fall outside the traditional constructs or who seek flexibility from traditional schooling. Below are four reasons students should enroll in a virtual high school program:
Credit recovery and avoid dropping out
High school credit recovery programs aid students enrolled in traditional, brick and mortar schools needing to meet their resident high school’s graduation requirements. Programs like this provide assistance to students who have had challenges in their education, such as those with illness/health problems, who want to graduate early, who may be failing a class (semester or full year), or may be student athletes or are involved in extracurricular activities, etc.
Avoid negative peer situations and improve mental health
About 47 teens are bullied every five minutes. In fact, more than one in every five (20.8%) students report being bullied (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2016). Virtual high school programs can remove students from this potential danger, helping them avoid bullying and bullying and maintain a more positive mental health. Moreover, virtual schooling helps keep the focus off strictly socialization and back on the academics themselves, aligning students with a more direct path to graduation.
More focus on interests
If your student demonstrates a piqued interest and aptitude in athletics, music or other areas of interest, virtual schooling can help provide a more structured opportunity for discovery and development. With an increase in flexibility, online schooling provides blocks of time for commitment to activities and hobbies that could be potential career opportunities, for instance.
Preparation for college and work environment
One of the joys of college is the newfound freedom to establish your own schedule and way of doing things. Virtual education is one way for a student to dip their toe into self-reliance, while still operating under a watchful eye. Students will learn more hands-on time management skills than traditional schooling typically instills, providing a different perspective on what the work environment experience will feel like.
If you or your student is an Indiana resident looking for a more flexible education, Achieve Virtual is here to connect. Achieve Virtual is Indiana’s only online high school from an Indiana public school district. It is operated by the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indianapolis and is backed by the district’s rich academic history and 14 years of online learning experience.
