During the pandemic, online learning became a household term
and the subject of a lot of controversy and questions. What may surprise people
is that online learning and in
particular the concept of an online high school was not invented during the
covid pandemic. In fact, online high schools and distance learning for high
school students has been around for almost a century. In Minnesota for example,
TRIO Wolf Creek Online High School has been providing high quality distance
learning solutions for Minnesota High School students since 2002. In this blog post we are going to
look at distance learning and in particular online high school distance
learning in the state of Minnesota. This will be a shallow dive and answer some
of the most common questions as well as correct a few of the most common
misconceptions surrounding distance learning.
What is distance learning?
Distance
learning is a learning solution that allows students to receive a high-quality public
or private education without being in the confines of a classroom. Although
most distance learning does take place in a student’s home, the online learning
material is accessible from anywhere there is a computer connected to the
internet.
Distance learning programs such as Wolf Creek offer some advantages that homeschooling families are seeking, such as the ability for students to complete the majority if not all of their work from home and enjoy a flexible schedule. There are marked differences between homeschooling and enrolling in a public charter school distance learning option. Some of those differences would include adherence to state academic standards, required state testing, and being taught by MN licensed teachers. It is our belief that Wolf Creek provides an incredible option for homeschool families to have full access to accredited teachers and curriculum, while still being a partner in the educational process from the comfort and safety of our own home.
Is distance learning accredited in Minnesota?
As long as the online high school you choose is an actual accredited school by the state, most if not all colleges will accept high school diplomas from an online high school the same way they accept high school diplomas from a traditional brick and mortar high school. For a complete list of fully accredited online schools in Minnesota you can visit the link below which will take you to the Minnesota Department of Education website that lists all the accredited online education providers in the state of Minnesota. Wolf Creek Online is NCA accredited by the state of Minnesota. In addition, Wolf Creek Online also holds accreditation with Congia.
OnlineLearning Providers (mn.gov)
Are online high schools limited to set school districts like regular high schools?
The short answer is no. Unlike a traditional Minnesota high school where you are restricted to attending schools in or around the school district where you live, online distance learning in Minnesota has no such restrictions. In fact, as long as the distance learning provider is an accredited Minnesota high school then you can attend it no matter where you live or where the school is located. In the case of a hybrid school like Wolf Creek Online, you may want to consider the distance from your home to the campus if you choose to take advantage of the on-campus facilities. If you have a computer and an internet connection, then you can enroll and attend any Minnesota accredited online high school from anywhere within the state of Minnesota. TRIO Wolf Creek online high school for example has students enrolled from all over the state of Minnesota despite being located in Chisago County.
How much does it cost to attend an online High School in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, distance learning solutions including online high schools like Wolf Creek Online are tuition free just like a traditional in-person high school. The exception to this would be private charter schools that are not publicly funded. Although Wolf Creek Online is technically a Minnesota high school charter school, it’s still considered a public school because of the public funding so tuition is free for high school students living in the state of Minnesota.
How do you choose the right Minnesota online high school for your individual needs?
Not all Minnesota online high schools are created equal. When the covid lockdown went into effect, every school was offering a distance learning solution. The problem was that these schools and the teachers that were preparing the online curriculum were not properly trained or experienced enough in distance learning to provide an adequate learning experience and the result was a lot of unjustified backlash and criticism of distance learning as a whole. Online high schools like Wolf Creek have been specializing in providing high quality distance learning solutions since 2002. This means that all of our teachers and educators are experienced in providing high quality online learning curriculums to high school students in Minnesota. The first thing you should always take into consideration when choosing a distance learning solution is how long they have been providing online education because when it comes to your kids’ education, experience cannot be overlooked. Keep your options open. We suggest using the link we provided above to locate a few Minnesota accredited online learning solutions then follow up by contacting each one and asking questions. Deciding which Minnesota online high school to enroll in is a big decision so it’s worth the extra effort to make sure you choose the best one for your individual needs. If you have any questions, then feel free to give Wolf Creek a call today at 651 213-2095 and our high school distance learning professionals will be happy to speak with you and answer any questions you might have. Even if we are not the right fit for your individual online learning needs, we are still happy to assist you by answering all your questions and helping you find the online high school that fits your needs perfectly.
Is the quality of education the same for online high schools as it is for traditional high schools?
In many cases, attending an online high school provides a better overall learning experience and a higher quality education than attending a traditional brick and mortar high school. We will have a blog post that compares and highlights the specific advantages of online education vs in-person education but for the purpose of this blog post we will just list the highlights. When a student attends a high school online, he/she/they are not subject to in person bullying, are not in overcrowded classrooms, not wasting precious time each morning getting ready and traveling to school, not wasting time traveling home from school, and thanks to our experienced learning managers your child can learn at a pace he/she/they are comfortable with.
How do I enroll with Wolf Creek online high school?
The process for enrolling with Wolf Creek Online is very easy. You can click on the “Enroll” button at the top right hand corner of our website or you can give us a call at 651 213-2095 and speak with one of our online learning managers and they will be more than happy to assist you with your enrollment.
Check back to our website often as we continue to publish informational blog posts about Minnesota online high school learning and distance learning in general.
