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I am looking for recomendations for on line high schools. I have a 17 year old who is looking to finish high school on line. Preferably nothing too very expensive. Steven
Our daughter is a freshman in high school in a school district that does not have an international baccalaureate program. Her father is from overseas, and he was in the IB program in his high school, and thinks our daughter would enjoy the experience. Does anyone know if kids can participate in the international baccalaureate program online? Berkeley High has a program, but we live in El Cerrito. Thanks! IB mama
There are some limited ways to accommodate classes not taught through a school program, but they still must be organized by an IB certified school. For example, there are a number of students in the BIHS program who came in with a number of years of experience with a language for which there is an IB exam, but that is not taught at Berkeley High. To accommodate those students BIHS implemented a policy to allow them to get outside tutors who were IB-certified and would be willing to administer the internal assessments. I believe the final exam was done on the regular IB exam schedule, established by the IBO, at Berkeley High.
You can find more information about the IB program at the IBO web site, and on the BIHS web site (http://berkeleyihs.org/, which also provides a link to the IBO site.
Having said all this, my daughter graduated from BIHS last year, and she got an excellent education that is serving her very well in college, particularly in history and writing. Sandi
I believe I have read recommendations here for on-line math classes for high school students offered through Stanford University (costing about $350). I searched the website and the Stanford site and didn't find anything, so am posting this to the group. Does anyone know how to contact them? Or have feedback? Thank you, Keiko
Recommendation received:
RE: Alternatives to taking math at BHS
Laurel Springs (www.laurelsprings.com) is an on-line school aimed mostly
at homeschoolers.
We have signed her up for Algebra 2 on-line. They
use the Boxer Math program (www.boxermath.com) which is very engaging.
I would like to see BHS offer this in addition to the traditional math
program at BHS. I think it could be very cost effective and provide
alternatives for kids who are not succeeding in the classroom. (The
cost of the BoxerMath might only be $50. The balance of the $500 goes
to Laurel Springs, which, by the way, has a full 6 yr accreditation from
WASC). The on-line program has some distinct advantages (as well as
some disadvantages of course) over the in-class program at BHS. The
students can actively interact with what is being displayed and get
pop-up explanations of things on the screen. They can go at their own
pace (do lots one day, 15 minutes the next) and get immediate feedback
on what they need to review (reduces the sense of failure and provides
the confidence needed for success). This was recommended to me by
someone whose daughter completed geometry and enjoyed it so much she is
now taking Alg. 2.
This course was still in development. Our family gives it mixed reviews.
Our daughter enjoyed using one of the programs used in the course, The Geometer's Sketchpad, which is available independently elsewheres, and we have recently bought a copy for her continued use (we were not allowed to keep the copy provided by Stanford). However, the EPGY proprietary program, The Proof Environment, was buggy, unwieldly, and frustrating for our daughter to use. (Admittedly, this program was still in development, however we did pay full price for the 2- semester course.)
Technical assistance, and help were somewhat available, but not thorough, and were not helped by a "distance medium" and frustration of a teen.
Not surprisingly, when tested at the outset of 9th grade this year, our daughter had weaknesses in the area of geometric proofs (2nd semester).
(Fortunately she has a fabulous math teacher this year, at International High School in SF, who is able to tailor coursework to her needs, and keep her moving forward, filling in gaps, without the need for repitition.)
In its favor, the program did provide a way for our daughter to continue with math in middle school, which would not have been otherwise possible. Other programs from EPGY are fully developed and tested.
The website you want, as referenced by Parents of Teens is: http://www-epgy.stanford.edu. The phone number is (650) 329-9920.
-As our daughter prefers me to remain, Anon
RE: Stanford "Distance Learning" Program
The program I think you're looking for is Stanford's "Educational Program for Gifted Youth" ("EPGY"). It includes classes in math of all levels (K-college level), physics, and writing. There is a web site at http://www-epgy.stanford.edu. The phone number is (650) 329-9920.
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