Over the years, homeschooling has always been seen as a bad idea and a hard task. Reason is most people believed that those who practiced homeschool either had either disabled kids or kids who were super slow in processing information.
However, this is no longer the case, as homeschool has experienced an outstanding surge in popularity. Families are constantly recognizing the benefits of having an adjustable education for their children.
With the increase in interest in homeschool programs, deciding the right option for your child or ward may be quite difficult.
In this article, we are going to delve into top accredited homeschool programs just so you can be able to make an informed decision.
Overview Of Accredited Homeschool Programs
Accredited homeschool programs are online educational platforms that have met the set standards set by accrediting bodies. Accredited homeschool programs, offer a structured curriculum and are recognized for the amount of value they dish out. Accreditation might not be a necessity for success but then it is an added advantage in that you stand a chance to be given opportunities due to the fact that you ventured into one of the accredited homeschool programs available.
Accredited homeschool programs might often come at a higher cost but then, the features it is characterized by like it’s structured schedules, certified teachers, official transcripts etc might be a good consolation.
Navigating The Growth Of Accredited Homeschool Programs
The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) stated that homeschooling in the USA saw a significant surge, with about 3.7 million students, homeschooled in the 2020/2021 academic year.
Furthermore, the number of homeschooled students continues to increase. As of 2022, the number of homeschooled students was 4.3 million. This consistent increase in numbers underscores the enduring growth and interest in homeschooling as a prospective approach to educational approach.
Accredited Homeschool Programs
1. K12
Accreditation: Cognia
Among the many thriving accredited homeschool programs is K12. K12 is an online homeschool program that is primarily for students preparing for college. It offers a special program known as Stride Career Prep for grades 9–12.
K12 takes core classes and in addition to this, students are also provided with different electives, which they can randomly choose from. Some of these courses include hospitality & tourism, IT, marketing and criminal justice fields, etc. K12 is not just any random accredited homeschool program; they have state-certified teachers. In fact, some of their teachers have advanced degrees. You don’t even want to imagine the volume of value you would be getting at K12.
They have a tradition of assigning all their students to learning coaches who will specifically monitor the progress of your child or ward till they have graduated. Meaning that if you’re the busy mom type or the working-class dad type, you can be rest assured that your child is doing well academically thanks to this arrangement of K12.
Students are taught how to create a resume, set attainable goals and be responsible citizens of their country.
2. Connections Academy
Accreditation: Cognia
Just as good as it sounds, Connections Academy has all you may be looking for in a homeschool program. They offer their students learning materials to enhance the learning process of their students.
They have a structured curriculum of comprehensive lesson plans that would make you satisfied. Not just that, students can utilize the Pearson Online Classroom any time of the day, even when it is an official vacation.
It allows for a lot of flexibility; this way, your child can still get engaged in different activities like socializing, sports and community services.
There’s one more amazing thing about Connections Academy and that is if your child is interested in getting seriously engaged in athletics at the collegiate level, Connections Academy has them covered as they offer NCAA-approved classes.
3. Bridgeway Academy
Accreditation: Cognia; NCAA-Approved
Bridgeway Academy is definitely as cool as it sounds. It is a highly-flexible program. Well, what do I mean by this? Students here are allowed to create their own schedule. Imagine that feeling of opening your laptop every morning and deciding what you would want to study every day!
At Bridgeway Academy, students are allowed to either use traditional textbooks or with online materials. They provide top-notch certified teachers for their online lessons. There’s more to Bridgeway Academy; students have access to 1:1 advising support.
They can also enroll in the dual credit program, which can help them work towards an Associate’s degree. This dual-credit program has also been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Just when you thought that the goodness of Bridgeway was overwhelming, their students also have access to virtual field trips to help them connect with their peers. Every month, students get the opportunity to visit places like the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and even more.
4. Acellus Academy
Accreditation: Western Association of Schools & Colleges; College Board; NCAA-Approved
Acellus Academy provides students with the opportunity to engage in virtual video classes, extra help videos and personalized instructions. In addition to the core mandatory courses students are expected to learn, Acellus Academy provides students with electives and even AP courses to choose from. For instance, students can take AP courses in US history, biology, calculus, psychology and much more.
Acellus Academy is not any regular accredited homeschool program, as they give students the opportunity to explore foreign languages like Spanish, Portuguese, French and German.
You can agree with me that this is an added value because your ward stands a chance to be chosen against other students due to his or her mastery in one foreign language or the other. Students at Acellus Academy have the chance of studying career and technical education courses.
These courses may include plumbing technology, accounting, marketing, business management, electrical technology, etc.
5. The Keystone School
Accreditation: Cognia; Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS).
At Keystone School, middle and high school students have the opportunity of getting guidance counseling and Student Success Advisors to help plan the best path towards their graduation. These advisors direct the students on what courses to take depending on the career they want to pursue.
Students at the high school level also get to enjoy non-rigid online schedules. Students can also take print courses; AP and honors courses are also available. For example, students can engage in classes like fine arts to experience subjects like 3D modeling, music appreciation and art history.
Your ward would also have an edge over others as there is an opportunity to learn foreign languages like Spanish, Portuguese, French, China and ASL.
There are a lot of interesting electives like culinary arts, criminology, and game design. This is really a fun school; there’s no better school to be at.
6. Forest Trail Academy
Accreditation: Cognia; Middle States Association—Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA CESS).
As enchanting as it sounds, Forest Trail Academy is what you have been looking for. At Forest Trail, your ward would get that tender and conscious follow-up you have been craving.
How do they achieve this? Their homeschool curriculum was thoughtfully developed at each stage to ensure that students in grades 9–12 meet certain benchmarks.
Certain core subjects like English, math and social studies were put into their curriculum so that students in these brackets get a solid foundational background on these courses.
Students can get to choose from many practical and interesting elective courses. You would not believe that there are courses like zoology, career planning courses and theater arts at Forest Trail Academy, Well, I think that is why it is Forest Trail after all. It offers two diplomas. Students can either graduate with a college prep diploma (24 credits) or a general education diploma (21 credits).
7. Oak Meadow
Accreditation: New England Association For Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
At Oak Meadow, you can get to decide either a book-based curriculum that can be used independently or you can also choose an enrollment in a teacher-supported distance learning school. It is based in Vermont and can also be attended virtually from any state in the US and across the globe.
Their high school curriculum covers many core subjects. Students also have electives, which they can choose from. In this school, for enrolled students to earn a diploma, they must work hard and earn a total of at least 22 credits across 10 disciples.
8. Calvert Academy
Accreditation: Cognia
Calvert Academy is the right choice for your ward, because whether you’re looking for AP classes & Technical Education classes or personalized electives, Calvert has got you covered.
Online classes are flexible and there is a provision of one-on-one teacher support. Something interesting about Calvert is that students have the opportunity to engage in interactive sessions from their online state-certified teachers.
9. Archway Online
Accreditation: Ai Commission on Accredited and NCPSA (National Council for Private Schools Association) and Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools
This school has a major vision to transfer students from traditional high schools to homeschools. It was founded in 2008.
At Archway Online, students can enroll year-round. Students also have access to their coursework 24/7 for maximum utility. What more are you searching for in a homeschool? Archway Online has you covered.
Conclusion
We have delved deeply into the top available accredited homeschool programs. We saw the increasing surge of interest and growth of online homeschool programs and this proved to us that indeed the homeschool program enrollment was worth a trial because that number of people would only keep increasing when they saw the benefits of homeschool programs.
The purpose of this article was to help you make an informed decision on which homeschool program you can get enrolled in and I think we just achieved that. See you at the top!
