The national average student-teacher ratio in public schools is 16:1 (16 students per teacher). Of course, this figure varies widely from state to state. It ranges from as low as 12:1 (Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Vermont) to as high as 23:1 (California and Utah). But those are still just averages. Any given school might have much higher (or lower) student-teacher ratios.
Why Student-Teacher Ratios Matter in Education
Generally speaking, lower student-teacher ratios mean each student can potentially benefit from more individual teacher attention than would be possible with higher student-teacher ratios. As a result, lower student-ratios tend to result in better education performance and academic outcomes for students.
There are limits, of course, to these general rules of thumb. While everyone agrees (and research confirms) that classes can become too big to be effective, some have also argued that smaller isn’t always or automatically better.
Optimal class size is debatable because a lot of factors that come into play, including the academic abilities of the students as well as the skills and abilities of teachers. A highly skilled teachers might be able to handle larger classrooms than less experienced teachers. Younger students need more attention, as do students with learning challenges.
The Student-Teacher Ratio at Achieve Virtual Online High School
What can you expect for a student-teacher ratio at Achieve Virtual Education Academy? Although it changes depending on enrollments, and varies widely by class as well, the overall student-teacher ratio is 6:1, which is significantly lower than the Indiana statewide average of 18:1. You’ve likely never heard of any traditional public high schools having a student-teacher ratio that low. What it means at Achieve Virtual is that each teacher has the room and flexibility to give as much individualized attention as students need, and to customize the learning to each student. Teachers who can handle more students are allowed to do so as long as they can keep up the level of support and individualized attention needed to guide their students to success.
Academic performance is what every teacher has in mind for each and every learner enrolled in Achieve Virtual e-learning classes. Besides being the only online high school in the state of Indiana with full accreditation from the state’s Department of Education, every instructor is fully certified to teach the subjects they offer through Achieve Virtual. Students not only get fully-accredited instruction by highly-qualified teachers, but they will receive more individual attention and support than they would likely get in a traditional public high school setting.
Achieve Virtual Education Academy’s Rich History in Online Education
Achieve Virtual Education Academy is headquartered in the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indianapolis, which has been a forward-thinking school district around alternative pathways to get a high school education. Its experience in serving all kinds of students, from diploma completion for adult students to credit recovery to homebound students who can’t attend a regular public high school, is now available through the 21st-century technologies Achieve Virtual Education Academy’s online high school.
One of the critical performance factors from the very beginning has been making sure we have highly-qualified teachers leading the online education classes. Their primary goal is always to see each student succeed, and they’re willing to provide the customized learning and support needed to reach that goal. This is why an increasing number of Indiana families with high school students or adult learners who want to get their diploma are discovering this valuable alternative to the traditional school setting that simply doesn’t work for everyone.
The Benefits of Learning in an Online High School
Online schools like Achieve Virtual offer many advantages beyond our incredible student-teacher ratio. Students in our online high school have the flexibility to engage their learning when and where works best for them. Whether that’s in the comfort of their home, at their favorite coffee shop, or in the quiet setting of a public library. All the student needs is an internet connection and a web browser to participate. This kind of on-demand flexibility can be a life-saver for a variety of scenarios, such as the following:
- The adult learner who wants to get their real Indiana high school diploma but can’t attend physical night school classes because they have young children at home.
- The high school student who discovers they’re lacking one or more credits that will keep them from graduating and receiving their diploma if they don’t recover the credit(s).
- The youth who cannot attend their regular public high school because of a medical condition that is keeping them homebound.
- The homeschooled high school student who needs or wants one or more of their classes to be facilitated by certified teachers with a curriculum that meets state standards.
- When a single failed class could keep a student from graduating on time and getting their high school diploma, Achieve Virtual offers a flexible, inexpensive way for the student to make up a credit at their own pace to reach the finish line.
The benefits described above go a long way toward explaining why effective, collaborative, online high school classes are growing in popularity for a whole range of purposes and needs. Indiana students who enroll Achieve Virtual Education Academy with a full-time status pay absolutely nothing. Students who enroll with a part-time status are asked to pay a modest fee for taking our online high school classes.
Ready to learn more about what is offered at Achieve Virtual Education Academy? Visit our Online High School Courses page where you’ll see 10 different categories of classes listed on the right side of the page to see what we offer. From there you can click the “start application” button to begin the enrollment process. Always feel free to contact us if you have questions about online high school our website doesn’t answer. We look forward to hearing from you!
