I know this forum is essentially for adult learners who want to complete college degrees, but I thought there might be some interest in this. For those who need to complete high school degrees, or if you have a high school-age student who can't complete a diploma in b&m high school for whatever reason, this might be for you. The Muskogee Public School District in Oklahoma offers the chance to take classes online and earn a high school diploma. I believe the classes are absolutely free. You just have to "transfer" your high school credits to the Muskogee School District. One catch: you must live in Oklahoma to take the classes. You can find it here: http://www2.advancedacademics.net/muskogee/default.htm
Speaking of distance high schools, I came across Christa McAuliffe Academy a while ago: http://www.cmacademy.org/db/visitor/high-school-diploma-online
It is amazing the number of new high school programs coming online each day. In the year and a half since Bears' Guide to Earning High School Diplomas Nontraditionally was published, I've "discovered" at least a dozen more legitimate programs. Most of those are new. Tom Nixon
Distance learning high school education has been around in Africa, Nigeria to be specific for years. I know some people who graduated form distance learning high schools who are now PhDs, MDs and so on. General Certificate of Education (GCE) as is generally called is equivalent to the West African School Certificate (WASC) normally acquired by regular high school students. Universities do not discriminate one iota between the two when admitting students. Even when they apply to foreign universities such as the United States for admission; there is no one iota of discrimination between the two. It is sometimes amusing to me when I read how some discriminate against distance education in some universities in the United States and yet these same universities admit those who got their high school diplomas via distance education from foreign countries. Science classes can be done via distance education. There are ways to test the practical aspect of sciences such as chemistry and physics. Distance learning was introduced into the Nigeria during British colonial era and it has since stayed. This distance learning business while relatively new in the United States has been around in the rest of the world for as long as there has been learning. Today, instead of papers coming by mail and broadcast on the radio and televisions, they are now on live and on demand on the internet. It is a good thing. The mode of delivery is immaterial as long as there are qualities in the program. I welcome more online high schools for those who for one reason or the other could not complete their high school education, may now do so from the comfort of their own home or offices or from the discomfort of their prison cells. Oko
