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Top Benefits Of Online Summer School
The virtual education gained prominence in the field of education because of the innumerable perks with which it came and benefits it offered to an average student. It came as a lucrative option especially for the high school drop-outs who had no other option else to leave their education due to personal reasons. Some found the traditional school life miserable whereas some had a tough time in the highly intensive competitive environment. Some students too had to forego their education due to financial constraints. Traditional schools are undoubtedly the genuine imparters of quality education but at times they don’t fit in the personal parameters of a student.
On the other hand, online school education entered as a solution for the individuals who were in look out for some other alternative education option which could easily avail them a high school degree. The demand of the high school degree rose also because of the tremendous want of them in the job sector.
Employers heavily stressed on the need and relevance of a basic high school degree because to hire an inexperienced and low skill employee yielded them no return. In every department, be it public or private, the companies were always in search of high school graduates.
THE ADVENT OF ONLINE SUMMER SCHOOLS
When the sun is on rampage, and the climate just turning against the people, schools shut down for nearly two or three months. This is the time where many students of the traditional schools too want to capitalize this time by joining the online schools which offer unique special customized summer courses. These schools developed productive and high quality programs which were for duration for around 1-2 months. These courses targeted different student groups. For instance, there are some programs which are designed for the students who generally had a low credit score and so via this course it allowed them to regain their credits back. Some courses also aimed at providing a particular specialization in a subject that avails them an expertise backed by a certificate in that category. Many prestigious online schools today enroll thousands of students every year during the summer peak because this is the peak time where learners can grasp maximum knowledge within minimal time period. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why the online summer schools have turned out to be a grand success. Let`s have a look at some benefits which come out of these schools:
- Opens up the door to opportunities– in the summer break, various schools offer special internship programs with reasonable stipends which in turn attract thousands of students. These opportunities give the students an exposure of corporate world. Also, this is the time period where the competition is low and the students can avail the maximum of it.
- Regain the lost ground– for the students who are full time enrolled in an online school and have somehow scored low credits in some subjects, they can utilize the summer breaks and work on those programs. Many virtual schools like Forest Trail Academy render assistance to the students. The teachers communicate with the student, give them informative pre-recorded tutorials, motivate them and undertake every step to make sure a student performs up to the satisfactory level in every given subject.
- Convenience– online summer schools offer flexibility to students so that they can keep pace with their other commitments apart from their studies. This is perhaps, one of the biggest and sole reasons why the full time online schools gained prominence amidst students. By joining, online summer schools, these students have the liberty to pre-plan their professional commitments along with their studies.
- Save considerable money– one of the biggest advantages of enrolling with the online summer school is that they allow one to save huge sum of money which was totally reverse when a student joins a traditional school. Hidden to none that the academic tuition fees of premium schools remain high which in turn makes it difficult for the weaker sections of people to pay. Many students opt out even before their high school completes just because of financial constraints. On the other hand, these summer programs by the online schools avail the unprivileged students to get certificates and knowledge from various premium institutions.
- Transferring the credits– low credits is one of the primary reasons students secure low grades overall. In a traditional school, the fact is, the slow learners remain in the shadow with their low grades with no option whatsoever to work on them. Now, with many prestigious accredited virtual schools allowing these students to work back on their scores and transferring the credits to their traditional school stuck the right chord. Many students join these summer courses so that they score well in their subjects in which they had a dismal performance previously and then transfer on the credits. So, in this way, they are meeting their both ends without any extra pain. All one needs is a laptop with an internet connection.
- Meet knowledgeable people– in online education, students from all over the world come under the same roof of an institution. These children when they interact with each other of diversified culture and background, it increases the intellectual thinking and comprehending power of a student. Remarkably, the online education breaks the continental barriers and by enrolling students from all over the globe, it facilitates a healthier, beneficial communication of students.
- Independent learning– for a student who remains in a highly charged up competitive environment in his real time school, virtual learning comes down as a soothing learning platform where every student learns individually at his own pace. Self-discipline which stands as a key requisite in online learning, teaches it`s real value in virtual education. A child learns to focus, plan, implement and execute his own strategies which makes him self-dependent and self-motivated.
In online summer schools, by enrolling in a traditional school, when a student joins an online school, he gets to focus on his desired areas and subjects. This avails him a lot of benefits in the future.
Quick answer: Summer school is coursework a student completes during the summer break. Students take it to make up a credit, get ahead, or try an elective. An online summer course from an accredited school can earn high school credit, but the student’s regular school decides whether that credit counts. Ask the counselor for approval in writing before you enroll.
What summer school is and why students take it
Summer school covers any course a student takes outside the regular school year. Some programs meet in a local building. Others are online, so a student can study from home, on a trip or around a job. Students choose it for three main reasons.
- Make up a credit. A student retakes a course that was not completed or passed. Our page on credit recovery explains how this works.
- Get ahead. A student takes a required course early, such as a math or science class, to open space in the fall schedule.
- Try an elective. A student explores a subject the regular schedule has no room for, such as psychology, personal finance or art history.
Each goal leads to a different course choice, so decide on the goal first.
How online summer school earns high school credit
An online summer course earns credit in three steps. The student finishes the course, the teacher records a final grade, and the school that offered the course issues an official transcript. The student’s regular school then decides whether to place that credit on its own transcript.
That last step is where families need to plan. Accreditation tells a school that an outside agency has reviewed the provider. It does not oblige the home school to accept the credit. Forest Trail Academy’s credit recovery page says it plainly: the receiving school makes the final decision, so confirm with its registrar before you enroll.
Many districts write this into policy. In Plainville, Connecticut, for example, Policy 6201 asks students to get approval from the high school principal or a designee before registering for an online course. Your own district or private school has its own rules, so ask for them in writing.
Pre-enrollment checklist: get summer credit accepted by your school
Take this list to your student’s counselor. Write down each answer and ask for the final approval by email or on a signed form. Keep it with your enrollment receipt.
- Will you accept credit for this exact course? Give the course name and the subject area, such as Algebra 1 or American History.
- Is this provider acceptable? Share the school’s name and accreditation. Forest Trail Academy lists Cognia, MSA-CESS and Accreditation International on its credit recovery page.
- How many credits will it show on our transcript? Ask for the number your school will record, such as 1 credit or 0.5 credit.
- Will the grade show on the transcript, and will it count toward GPA? Some schools record a passing mark only, or replace an earlier grade. Ask which applies.
- Does the course meet a graduation requirement? Ask whether it counts toward a required subject, an elective slot or a prerequisite.
- Is there a limit on outside credits? Ask whether the school caps the number per summer or per year.
- What paperwork do you need? Ask about forms, a course description, a syllabus and signatures.
- What deadline applies? Ask for the last date to submit approval, and the date the official transcript must arrive.
- How does the grade get to you? Ask whether the school wants an official transcript sent by the provider, and to whom.
- Can you confirm this in writing? Ask for an email or signed form that lists the course, provider and credit.
Planning table: goal, course type and what to confirm first
| Goal | Course type | Confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| Make up a failed or incomplete credit | Credit recovery course in the same subject | Whether the new grade replaces or adds to the earlier one, and whether the school accepts credit recovery from outside providers |
| Get ahead in a required subject | Core course such as math, English, science or social studies | That the course satisfies the requirement and that the sequence in the fall still fits |
| Try an elective | Elective course | Whether the school counts outside electives toward graduation |
| Earn college-level credit | Advanced Placement (AP) course | Course approval, plus who orders the AP Exam (see below) |
| Fill a gap in a middle school subject | Grade-level course or review | Whether the school uses the work for placement, or only for practice |
How many online summer classes are realistic?
Credit is tied to instructional hours in many places, so the number of hours a course represents tells you how much time it takes. Definitions differ by state:
- Florida law defines one full credit as a minimum of 135 hours of instruction, and one-half credit as half that, or 67.5 hours.
- North Dakota’s Center for Distance Education states that a full unit is 120 hours for most high school courses and 150 hours for natural sciences and career and technical courses. A half unit is 60 hours, or 75 hours in those two areas.
- BYU Independent Study, an online provider, says a half credit equates to 60 hours of instruction, and a full credit to about 120 hours.
A half-credit course is therefore commonly built around 60 to 75 hours of instruction, and a full-credit course around 120 to 150 hours. Use those ranges to size a summer load.
| Summer load | Approximate instructional hours |
|---|---|
| One half-credit course | 60 to 75 |
| Two half-credit courses | 120 to 150 |
| One full-credit course | 120 to 150 |
| One full-credit and one half-credit course | 180 to 225 |
| Two full-credit courses | 240 to 300 |
Compare the total with the study hours your student can give across the whole summer, after travel, work, sports and rest. Add a margin. A student who works part-time may choose one course. A student with an open schedule may choose two. Your counselor can also tell you whether the school limits outside credit.
Summer AP courses online
An AP course taught in summer prepares a student for the AP Exam, but the exam is a separate step. The College Board gives AP Exams in May of each school year, and a student’s school coordinator orders them. On its student page, the College Board says the AP coordinator orders the exam after the student joins the class section in My AP, and students taking an exam at another school get a separate code from that school’s coordinator. Ask your school’s AP coordinator what to do and when.
Summer school near me, or online?
Many districts and private schools run summer sessions. Start by asking your school counselor or checking the school website for dates, courses and fees. An online summer course adds choices when a local course is full, a needed class is not offered, or the schedule does not fit work, travel or sports.
Middle school and elementary options
Middle school and elementary students take summer courses to review a subject, build a skill or move ahead in one area. These grades usually track progress by grade level instead of high school credits, so ask your child’s school how it will use the work, if at all. Forest Trail Academy’s summer page lists elementary (K-5), middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12) options. Read more on the middle school program page.
How single courses work at Forest Trail Academy
At Forest Trail Academy, summer means starting or continuing the same accredited, self-paced curriculum. Enrollment is open every week of the year, and families can choose a full-time program or individual courses. The school’s four enrollment steps are:
- Inquire by phone or through the website.
- Complete a transcript review, which helps place the student and identify credits to make up.
- Complete enrollment paperwork and choose a full-time or individual-course schedule.
- Begin coursework.
The individual courses page lists high school courses with their credit values, covering English, math, science, social studies and electives, and asks students to seek approval from their public or private school. It says the school generally allows up to two individual courses per semester, so ask admissions how that applies to summer. Students who take individual courses and are not in the full-time or diploma program are not eligible for a Forest Trail Academy diploma. The tuition page shows $750 per class for individual and summer school courses.
Forest Trail Academy also offers AP courses. Its AP page states that students need to be in 11th grade or higher and hold a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and that the school offers the courses and not the exams.
Frequently asked questions
What is summer school?
Summer school is coursework students complete during the summer break, in person or online, to make up credit, get ahead or take an elective.
Can an online summer course count for high school credit?
Yes, when the student’s regular school accepts it. Ask the counselor for approval in writing before enrolling.
How many online summer classes can a student take?
That depends on the hours each course represents and the time the student can give. A half-credit course is commonly defined around 60 to 75 hours, and a full-credit course around 120 to 150 hours. Add up the hours and compare them with the student’s summer.
Does summer school replace a failed grade?
It depends on the school. Some schools replace the earlier grade and some add the new credit. Ask the counselor which applies.
Can a student take summer AP courses online?
Yes, from providers that offer them. The exam is given in May through the student’s school, so talk to the AP coordinator about ordering it.
Can younger students take summer classes?
Yes. Elementary and middle school students can study a subject over the summer. Ask your school how it will use the work.
To talk through a summer course for your student, Book a call with admissions.
