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from the telecommuting-isn't-just-for-adults-anymore dept.
For several years, public school students in Virginia who do not have particular courses (e.g. Advanced Placement or Honors courses) offered in their brick-and-mortar classrooms have had online courses available to them.
The Virginia Department of Education announces
The [...] Virtual Virginia program will pilot a full-time, online high school for the 2015-2016 school year. The pilot--available to as many as 100 students on a first-come, first-served basis--will offer all required core academic courses and electives necessary to earn a Standard or Advanced Studies diploma.
"We are excited to offer this opportunity to high school students, especially those with the potential for thriving in a non-traditional instructional setting", Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said. "This expansion of the nationally recognized Virtual Virginia program provides more choice and flexibility to students seeking a high school diploma."
Students in the full-time pilot will be enrolled in their local public school but will receive instruction through Virtual Virginia. As with all Virtual Virginia courses, instruction will be provided by teachers with Virginia certification. Local schools will ensure that students in the pilot have access to technology, textbooks, special services and other necessary materials at no cost.
[...] Courses are delivered through Virtual Virginia's secure, web-based environment, and, like traditional classroom instruction, will include readings, discussion forums, written assignments, media, student presentations and projects, case studies, simulations, lab assignments, models, and opportunities for student collaboration.
The coverage by the Center for American Progress notes
Twenty-six states offer virtual or distance schooling on some level but few--Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming--have full-time programs statewide, according to a 2014 report(PDF) from the Evergreen Education Group.
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Wednesday June 17 2015, @03:08PM
It's a highschool, and psych isn't usually a required class, so that should be no problem. When I was in highschool they accepted a phone call from my mother saying "Yeah, he's really into computers" as "transfer credit" for several of the lower programming classes (got to skip Visual Basic, thank god!) The only way I can see this being an issue is if it was a core class like math, and you wanted to drop the entire track (not just skip one year.) Or if the administration has a grudge against that particular student.
Hell, I've actually done the same with college classes too. Literally with a single email, along the lines of: "I don't think I need these prereqs; can I just skip them?" "You're taking this as an elective? Sure, go ahead." Your diploma from any level of schooling only guarantees you've taken certain specific classes; if it's not one of those classes nobody really cares and you can pretty much skip anything you want.