Online Courses for Jr. High School Student

Hello everyone. Merry Christmas. A friend of mine has a daughter who is attending the 7th grade. She is interested in medical school and excels in Science. Her teacher does not want her excel too much. He believes she is going to fast. That ticks me off. She has the potential to finish High School at 16 years of age and she knows it. I would like to find some regionally accredited online 7-12 grade courses. Thank you everyone.

 

Could your friend pull daughter out of public school and start a homeschool program? If so, choices are wide open, including taking classes at a community college online if she is ready for it.

Shawn

 

Hi Shawn. My friend works at a church in Florida. His daughter takes classes at a school created by this church. My friend also takes care of his second daughter at the church. Homeschooling is a good option. However, his family has a hectic schedule as his wife is a pharmacist and a doctoral student at Nova. Also, they both need to work. Nova tuition is not cheap. My friend's wife is enjoying her studies at Nova and the cost is worth it. It is a good idea for his daughter to take online community college courses when she is ready.

I just remembered that the Dantes Independent study catalog has a listing of universities that offer grade 7-12 courses online. Also, I may even purchase one of Thomas Nixon's books about online high schools.

http://www.dantescatalogs.com/DISC/HighSchoolInstitutions.asp

 

You might check out Vincent Kiernan's _Finding an Online High School_.

 

Thank you Ted

 

I can certainly feel for this situation as I was in one similar. I found school painfully boring, and desperately wanted to graduate early. After talking to my high school counselor I found some correspondence courses I could take to graduate early. I procrastinated as the requirements were I had to turn in all the lessons before I could take the exams. I literally finished the lessons the night before they were due to be mailed, took them to fed-ex and then took the test the following day and scored an "A" in the courses, so there are options out there - not sure the specifics at this time as this was a few years ago, but it most certainly can be done while attending a public or private school.

 

Merry Christmas to you too. Your friend may want to check CompuHigh a regionally accredited HS with an excellent reputation. Students can take individual courses or enroll into a full program through the Whitmore school.

Hope this helps!

Susanna

 

The Florida Department of Education offers it's own on-line courses that are free to Florida students. It is fully accredited through SACS. They don't offer degrees but it is great for home-schoolers or for students who can't get what they need in their own school district even those going to private schools. They offer the full range of Middle and High School classes.

The web-site is FLVS.net.

Again, it is free to all Florida students not just Public School Students.

Ted N.

Guidance Counselor
Ocala, FL

 

One of the best deals. Continental Academy - SACS accredited US$395 for the full HS program - Has a fast-track program.
http://www.continentalacademy.com/faqs-general.html

 

My cousin is halfway through 8th grade, and while he has the intelligence and aptitude to finish high school early, I have been researching ways for him to develop his education both through academics and social structure.

While homeschooling and self study are fantastic for certain children to accelerate their learning, I have also seen that it can greatly impair the social aspect.

This is why I have decided to encourage my cousin to look into Early Enrollment.

We live in Melbourne, FL which is in Brevard County (The Space Coast). Brevard County Public Schools endorse early enrollment, dual admission, technical preparation, and other accelerated programs directly with colleges in the local area.

My cousin and I have already started looking into this. We have spoken with Counselors at Melbourne High School, Brevard Community College, and the University of Central Florida to map an academic program which will allow him to attain his high school diploma, associate degree, bachelor degree and master degree at an accelerated pace.

At the same time, this early enrollment will still allow him to maintain his relationships with his peers and mentors. While attending BCC for his junior and senior years of high school, he will finish his diploma and associate at the same time. This will be paid for by brevard county public schools, and he will still be allowed to participate in all high school related functions (sports, clubs, organizations, etc)

He will have the best of both worlds, and while it might be tough in the beginning to establish relationships at the community college, I think this path will be much easier socially than thrusting him into a 4 year university at 16 years old.

When I was going to school, the idea of early enrollment was kind of new. Now, it is well known and very accepted in the community, and I feel it will be significantly easier for all parties to adjust to it.

I urge you to research an early admissions program for your friends daughter to make sure of her best interests not only academically, but socially as well.

 

I know that BYU has online correspondance and online courses through their Independent study program for all types of situations, 7-12, university, personal enrichment and free courses. http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/courses/index.cfm

You might want to contact them about your options though.

Good Luck

 

There are colleges with programs specifically for students like your cousin.

If he were female, this would be a good place for him:

http://www.mbc.edu/peg/

You may wish to contact them to see if they know of a similar program for males.

 

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The child needs a different school not more busy work. The teacher is misguided. Compulsory education laws dictate when the child can finish school- not credits earned- it may not be 16 in your state (it is in mine though). www.hslda.org will have answers for you.

Finally, I hope you can gently explain to your friend that her daughter's teacher lacks the ability to teach a bright student. Good teachers lift the student on their shoulders to reach higher than they ever themselves went. Good teachers want the moon and stars for the student... and teachers who don't.....well, don't know how, or have a passive-aggressive issue that finds joy in controlling the progress (delay) of others.

I would suggest homeschooling, that blasts open the ceiling for the child. It's usually only a parent willing to do "what it takes" which is how/why homeschool students do so well. They are not necessarily brighter children, they just have someone encouraging them who will do whatever is necessary to provide any available option for success to the child. Paid help can't muster up that much devotion for 12 years.

 

Thanks everyone for taking the time to contribute suggestions and resources in regards to online high schools. I will provide my friend with options that were presented in this thread. Have a wonderful new year.

okydd: $395 for the full home school program at continental academy (http://www.continentalacademy.com). Seems like a great bargain.

 

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Since you looked, I would like to suggest the Robinson Curriculum. We use it with our 4 children very successfully. Very academic yet self-paced. Good luck to your friend!