No one cares about your child’s education more than you do! So if you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional public school option, your next move might be to investigate your online options. Depending on where you live, you might have online public school options, but no matter where you live, you always have the option of enrolling your student in an online private school. So what’s the difference?
The main differences between a public or private online school lies in the following qualities:
- • Flexibility
- • Course variety & quality
- • Independence
Flexibility
One of the main differences between public and private online school makes a major difference because not all public online schools are available everywhere. Some states simply don’t provide that as an option in their districts. Others have struggled to implement successful variations of online learning, and others yet employ private online schools to provide that service for their students.
Private online schools are available to anyone worldwide. This flexibility means that no matter where you live – or even if you relocate – you can continue your studies online through the program of your choice. Online programs like those offered by Excel High School provide a quality education wherever you have access to the internet.
Many public schools have begun trying to keep students in school for a full four years, and they apply that same policy to their online programs. With online private schools, students can graduate as soon as they have earned their required credits. At EHS, students who are 16 can graduate early if they have completed all of their credits and have taken the SAT and have passed with a score of 1270 or higher or the ACT and have passed with a score of 26 or higher. As soon as they are old enough and have finished the requirements, we don’t hold our students back from working toward their post-secondary goals!
Course Variety & Quality
In an online public school, you have a set number of available courses, and many times the selection is limited to the district’s budget and availability of qualified teachers. A student can get a strong basic background in an online public school, and they can use their diploma to go on and accomplish many great things!
However, at Excel, we offer a large variety of graduation pathways, including many different core and elective courses. We offer a wide variety of STEM courses, and students through our AP graduation pathway. For a challenge, students can take our Honors program. Every full time student has an Academic Success Coach to help guide them through their program.
Independence
Some public online schools still require daily attendance and specific login times for classes. Students are required to be logged for a set amount of time regardless of how quickly they can actually work through their courses.
In an online private school, students get to set their own schedule. This provides students with a lot of independence to explore the world around them, participate in community service, complete some independent research, or work at a part time job. For juniors and seniors, they can even choose to start taking classes at community college, getting a jumpstart on their college credits. Students athletes can participate in travel leagues, while artists can work in community theater without it impacting their academic progress.
A flexible online schedule gives students the independence they need to participate in job shadowing, take breaks when they want, and move around so that they can focus better and give a peak performance. If your student works better in early morning, then that’s when they can work, but if they participate in later practices or work shifts, they might want to start their school work later in the morning. The great thing about avoiding the busy work of a traditional school is that online schoolwork can be done much more quickly, so students don’t have to spend 7-8 hours a day working. They can actually live their lives while getting a quality education!
Excel High School
Online programs can provide a lot of great opportunities for your student. Between the flexibility and variety of courses, your student is sure to find the right path for their individual needs.
If you’re not already a student with Excel High School but would like to learn more, feel free to check out our programs on our website. Still got questions? Feel free to reach out to us by text at 952-465-3700 or call us at 800-620-3844. Our staff will be happy to answer any questions you have and guide you to the best program for your individual needs.
