Christian online high schools

Given the sheer number of online high schools available these days, you might be surprised to discover that Christian-based schools are only a small portion of the options available. After all, there are certainly many Christians involved in homeschooling.

It appears that there are several reasons for this phenomena. One reason is that many homeschoolers develop their own curriculum. Another reason is that, for whatever reason, when homeschoolers do use commercial programs, they appear just as likely to select a correspondence-type (paper & pencil, if you will) program. There are certainly some good programs available in that category.

All that being said, there are certainly some top-quality programs available now. In particular, Liberty University has begun to offer its Liberty University Online Academy. Why is this so important? Liberty University has a long history of offering distance learning programs at the university level. Given that expertise, it is only reasonable to assume that LUOA starts ahead of the game.

Some things that you should consider when you are selecting a Christian online high school include:

• Is it your brand of Christianity? Most of us realize that faith takes interesting twists and turns. What is acceptable in one person's beliefs is very much not in another. Some of these schools have statements of belief. You do not want to skip over that. Just as some folks go to homeschooling because they are not happy with what is happening in public schools, so, too, can trying to learn when the theology doesn't work for you.

• Is the school accredited by a "real" accreditor? You can make the argument all you want about the legitimacy of accreditation, you can even throw in the several accreditors that have sprung up for Christian schools, but, at the end of the day, the most accepted types of accreditation are the regional or national ones that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You can see that list at Recognized Accrediting Associations. That one site lists all of the accepted ones except for CITA, which is also valid. If you want to choose a school that is not accredited by one of the organizations on that list, you should at least understand the decision you are making.

• Is the program synchronous or asynchronous? The difference? Synchronous means that the students and the teacher meet online at the same time. Asynchronous means that the student may log on whenever they wish and, for the most part, study on their own. Choose which one works best for you.

• Do you need a teacher? Some programs provide a lot of instruction by a teachers. Other schools provide none at all. Some are somewhere in the middle. Take extra care in choosing what will make you successful and not just what makes you happy!

• Get personal recommendations. Find out who chose what and why they chose that particular school. You could ask at a homeschooling group or you ask in any one of the many homeschooling bulletin boards/chat rooms online.

This gets you going in the right direction. I urge you to get involved in groups, whether in your community or online, that provide support for families with students who are homeschooling and/or who have children in Christian online high schools.