Online high schools in Michigan
Michigan has received praise for its leadership in online education. When Digital Learning Now, a national campaign to advance digital education, published its state report cards to assess digital learning opportunities, Michigan received high scores because the state provides access to high-quality digital content. If you're looking into Michigan online high schools, you can explore a range of distance learning options.
Online learning requirement for high school graduation
Beginning with the class of 2011, all Michigan students in grades 9-12 must successfully complete at least one online course or learning experience to graduate from high school, according to the 2010 Michigan Merit Curriculum. Michigan is the first state to mandate an online experience as a requirement for high school graduation although the state does not yet require the student to take an individual course online. Whether the class can be teacher-led or self-paced depends on the local school district. This requirement can be met in a variety of ways at no cost.
Michigan online high schools and courses
The Michigan Virtual School, or MVS, is an online resource allowing schools to provide classes for students who would not otherwise have access to them. MVS is reported to be one of the largest state virtual schools in the U.S. and is available for Michigan students attending public and private school as well as those who are home-schooled.
MVS does not directly grant diplomas to students. Generally, the schools pay the fees for services, although some costs may be passed along to parents. MVS offers the following different types of courses:
- Basic, which has larger classes and a learning facilitator/instructor
- Plus, which allows a student to work at his or her own pace
- Blended, which works best when independent learning is paired with local teacher support
Online high schools in Michigan also include tuition-based private schools and tuition-free public schools established through school districts in cooperation with leading online education providers.
