Online high schools are rapidly gaining attention and popularity from teachers, parents, and students alike because they’re better able to meet an individual student’s needs than most public school options. For some, a high school diploma is a goal long deferred and is a more valued symbol of accomplishment than the GED.  For others, it’s the lure of beefing up a university application, or taking classes that aren’t offered at average high schools – such as less common foreign languages or intensive music and art classes. Economic need can also drive a person’s interest in online high schools as a student is able to have a more flexible work schedule. The reality is that as the federal and state governments continue to de-prioritize education, and make significant budget cuts, the online diploma is going to become a more frequent choice for students.

The Returning/Continuing Education Student: Any adult who did not finish his or her high school diploma is going to find it increasingly difficult to find a job. The current economic crisis has created an environment where even graduates from four-year universities are struggling to obtain careers in their desired fields.  So it’s imperative for adults who lack diplomas to finish their high school education.  Online high schools not only allow an adult to work full-time while achieving a diploma at their own pace, they can also re-inspire an adult whose educational needs weren’t met in their previous high school experience. An adult student can find greater satisfaction in the more one-on-one communication with teachers and/or mentors, and can explore more subjects than they would be able to in the average continuation high school, or adult night school, where class options are very limited.

The Restless and/or Overlooked Student. The average classroom environment has changed drastically in the past two decades.  Class sizes have increased dramatically, with some high school general education classes cramming as many as 45 students into one classroom with only one teacher to handle the workload.  Break times and lunch hours have been reduced, and class time increased, in an attempt to meet the standard driven curriculum that is the legacy of the No Child Left Behind legislation.  Many students are getting lost in the swirl and spend seven to eight hours a day feeling inferior, ignored, and frustrated.  Online high school programs can transform that student into one who is motivated by the freedom to schedule school around a 24-hour schedule, the feeling that he or she can take a class in almost any subject, and that his/her sports practices and/or music lessons can be incorporated into the high school curriculum. The online forums provide one-on-one support via web cam chats, emails, or personal liaisons that may even do at home visits if necessary.  It also allows a high school student to work in a field that gives him/her vocational or technical experience while still achieving a diploma.

The Highly Motivated University Bound Student.  Online high schools can also serve to subsidize class options for a student who is already attending a public high school. Competition to get into top universities has never been more fierce and the more academically well-rounded a student is, the better chance he or she has of getting accepted by a preferred university. Public school budget cuts are diminishing the variety of classes offered and many accredited online schools have class offerings that are as desirable as those offered at community colleges.

The online high school format will transform the landscape of the U.S. education system, creating students who are both confident and better educated.