What Parents Should Look for in an Online School
August 20, 2023
When researching middle and high schools, there are compelling and often surprising reasons for families to consider online schools in addition to traditional brick and mortar schools.
Students are finding satisfaction and results with the personalized online learning, respected academic program offerings, and increased scheduling flexibility of an established online school.
Read on to learn more about what parents can look for in the best online schools, and how those schools can benefit a student’s unique needs.
Accreditation
A threshold factor to consider is a school’s accreditation status, which ensures students are receiving a quality education approved by a respected accreditation agency.
Accreditation also ensures a high school student’s transcript and credits will be recognized by colleges and universities considering a senior’s application for entrance into higher education.
Live Class Experiences and Experienced Online Teachers
The best online schools provide live class experiences for their students, taught by highly experienced faculty.
Dwight Global Online School, ranked the #2 online high school in the United States, offers the best elements of a day school, boarding school, and online school.
This online private school provides a personalized program with an instructional model that uses live, college-style seminars, individual online tutorials, and optional residential and in-person experiences at Dwight School campuses around the world.
When exploring online schools, families are wise to also consider faculty background and experience. Teachers in the best online schools are experts in online pedagogy and how to use it to reach all types of learners.
At Dwight Global, teachers are invested in student learning. They are committed to building the school’s culture and community, and devoted to continuing the best school traditions while innovating to improve personalized learning.
It is important to have experienced faculty who support a curriculum that welcomes a student’s personal passions and preferences. At Dwight Global, faculty take into account various learning styles and academic needs, and help spark a passion for learning.
Dwight Global acknowledges the profound importance of extracurricular pursuits like pre-professional athletics or performing arts, and helps students construct a schedule that balances rigorous academics and outside passions.
Respected Curriculum
The best online schools offer challenging academic courses for students.
Dwight Global offers the internationally recognized International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, in addition to an array of exciting electives. The school was selected in 2021 as one of only two schools in the world to pilot the IB Diploma Program online. Today, the online IB DP is a popular option for dedicated Dwight Global IB students in their junior and senior years.
Because the IB and AP academic pathways are challenging, familiar, and respected by universities and colleges around the world, seniors applying to higher education during their final year of high school can feel confident they are prepared for their college experience.
Personal Attention
Superb online schools recognize the value of real-time, virtual classroom seminars, where students interact with instructors and each other the way they would at a brick-and-mortar school. The best online programs build in one-on-one time with students.
Part of Dwight Global’s mission is to ignite a spark of learning in each student, a process that is best enriched and cultivated alongside faculty and administrators who spend time getting to know individual students.
Dwight Global offers individual one-on-one tutorials, academic support, and many opportunities for students to meet outside of academic classes.
Customized Learning
One of the biggest benefits of online school is the ability to customize a program to cater to each individual child’s learning needs. Whether your child is ready for advanced work or needs targeted support, look for an online program that offers customization to ensure a student’s learning experience is a positive one.
Strong Community
When researching online schools, ask about each school’s sense of community.
Dwight Global excels in building a strong, connected school community, one that includes advisories, extracurricular clubs, and house activities, as well as the Spark Program, which intentionally cultivates each student’s passion, talent, or special interest.
“At Dwight Global, faculty and administrators strive to build a community that incorporates respect and belonging, as well as provides a forum for students to express their needs, wants, and interests,” said Dean of Student Life Dr. Anthea Lake.
“Being a part of Dwight Global’s online student clubs and societies makes it incredibly simple to recognize each other's needs, and make new lifelong friendships while having fun and feeling valued,” she continued.
Dwight Global is part of the Dwight Schools Global Network, which has a legacy of innovation and personalized learning that dates back to 1872.
Uniquely, Dwight Global offers regular, integrated residential opportunities for students at Dwight School physical campuses, including orientation, prom, graduation, STEAM weekend, and musical performances.
College Counseling and Placement
College guidance is tremendously important in a student’s high school experience.
Dwight Global’s experienced college counseling team begins working with students in ninth grade, and presents its comprehensive program over four years to ensure each student finds the right fit for after high school graduation.
Students are admitted to a diverse range of schools globally, among them Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Wellesley, University College London, and McGill University. See a complete list of matriculations here.
To learn more about the established, respected, and accredited Dwight Global Online School, reach out here.