Not every online high school is built the same. Apart from different methods of teaching, coursework, and student to teacher balance, there are other important factors that can make an online schooling experience a great one, or one that is, unfortunately, a waste. Much of this comes down to one simple factor: is the online high school program you’re looking into accredited or not? What is accreditation and why is it vital for any student?
What is Accreditation?
Simply put, accreditation is the process of evaluation that every school program must go through. This means that both online charter schools and schools in a traditional setting are required to undergo evaluations to ensure that certain qualities and standards are met for education. Accreditation isn’t a one-time thing either. In fact, programs are evaluated regularly, meaning that any program that was formerly accredited has to continue to meet that standard of education. How can a school lose its accreditation?
- A large number of students in a grade are no longer meeting their educational standards
- The student to teacher ratio isn’t balanced
- Teachers aren’t meeting the necessary educational background
- Or various other reasons
This means that any educational facility must work hard to keep meeting the standards set, and chance accordingly if those standards are raised even higher.
Why is Accreditation Important to any Online High School?
When choosing an online high school to attend, don’t make the mistake of enrolling in a program that isn’t accredited by the state and doesn’t meet the educational standards of accrediting agencies. As high school is a stepping stone to a brighter future, choosing a high school program that is not only accreditated, but exceeds the educational standards set by the state, is of major importance. This ensures that any credit awarded toward a high school diploma will be accepted by both state and out-of-state colleges, as well as any other high schools within the state.
Be Informed and Make the Right Choice
The issue is that many programs seem or appear to have the proper accreditation, but don’t meet the actual standards set by accreditation agencies. Furthermore, there are programs out there that are accredited, but whose programs suffer from being less efficient than others, meaning a student is meeting the lowest standards set by the state, but aren’t given the chance to truly excel in their studies.
This is where Mountain Heights Academy comes in! With over a decade of success, we continue to be a fully accredited program by AdvancED, just like all the public schools in the great state of Utah. This means that, if a student decides to transfer to another high school program, their credits will transfer with them. We urge every family to become familiar with the requirement set in each state. You can read more about them here!
We’re Going Above and Beyond
As a fully accredited online charter school, we comply with all the state-mandated requirements like the public schools around us. This includes:
- Sharing annual reports
- Sharing monthly budget reports
- Meeting statewide testing standards
As with any other public school, we’re available tuition-free to any student that feels they can benefit from our unique program. However, we go beyond the standard. We’re not only an accredited high school, but the highest-performing online school in the state of Utah, with test scores that are at, and above, the state average. With higher graduation rates, we know we’re offering world-class education through non-traditional schooling means. We want to equip every child with the tools to succeed in their future.
Interested in what an online charter high school could mean for you? Browse our curriculum here.