Online learning is a growing and effective learning environment for K-12 students. In fact, two recently issued reports have backed up the growth trajectory and broad effectiveness of online learning across people and subjects, even in the K-12 grades.

According to the Sloan Consortium's recent report on the extent and nature of online learning in K-12 schools entitled K-12 Online Learning: A Survey of U.S. School District Administrators:

• More than 1M students engaged in online learning in the 2007-2008 school year

• This is a 47% increase since Sloan's original study in 2005-2006

And in their Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, the US Department of Education's Center for Technology in Learning found:

• Online learning—for students and for teachers—is one of the fastest growing trends in educational uses of technology.

• The effectiveness of online learning is broad across different content and learner types.

How to Select an Online Learning Provider

Jamie Littlefield, Online Distance Learning Guide at About.com, has set forth the following 16 questions that she recommends must be answered when you're exploring an online learning environment for your child. We'd like to answer them for you here, with respect to Keystone Middle School and Keystone High School. (Note: In several instances Jamie outlines questions/concerns for college students. We've edited slightly for those instances, clicking on the link above will take you to her About.com site for the original context.)

1. Is this school accredited? By whom? Make sure that your school is accredited by the correct regional association. If it is not properly accredited, your degree may be rejected by the majority of employers.

   1. Keystone Middle School and Keystone High School programs are both accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS), International and Trans-Regional Division.

   2. Besides the NAAS accreditation, Keystone has core course approval by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

   3. As a private school, Keystone also is licensed by the State Board of Private Licensed Schools, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This means that Keystone has met the requirements of the Private Licensed Schools Act of Pennsylvania.

   4. Keystone's Credit Recovery program has also been accredited by the NAAS.

   In addition to accreditation and licensure, Keystone has earned the Homeschool.com Seal of Approval for 2007, the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) 2007 Gold award for Best Practices for Distance Learning Teaching Online, and the USDLA 2008 21st Century Best Practices in Distance Learning Award. Keystone National High School is a member of the Better Business Bureau.

2. When will it be reviewed for accreditation? If your school is not accredited, it may be in the process of scheduling a review. Check to see if accreditation is in its future.

   1. The NAAS periodically re-examines accredited schools to verify each school's ongoing commitment to quality. Keystone was recently re-accredited by the NAAS in June, 2005 and is preparing for re-accreditation in 2010.

3. How much is tuition? Are there any additional fees or hidden costs? Make sure that you won't be overcharged or stuck with mandatory fees.

   1. Full-time students at Keystone Middle School pay $1,549 tuition for a full academic year. Full-time students at Keystone High School pay $1,200-2,499 for a full academic year depending on the program, the number of courses and any additional services chosen. There are no hidden fees or costs. Tuition includes the following:

      • Interactive online courses

      • High-quality printed workbook from major publishers for all core courses and many electives

      • Support from highly qualified, certified teachers

      • Ability to enroll any time of the year

      • Access to comprehensive curriculum covering core subjects and electives including Art, Music, Health, PE, and Introduction to World Languages

      • Comprehensive recordkeeping, transcripts available upon request

      • Complete preparation for high school, college or a career

      • Technical support

   2. Individual classes range from $289 for half an academic year to $399 for a full academic year for core courses. See our course catalogs (links below) for further information on key classes.

   3. There are some language arts class reading materials that are not provided by Keystone, most of which are available at your local library, and our Keystone Middle School course catalog and Keystone High School course catalog explore those materials in brief.

4. What education and experience do your teachers have? If teachers will be grading your work or leading you in online discussions, it is important that they have the knowledge necessary to do the job. Distance education teachers should have comparable experience to their traditional, face-to-face teacher counterparts.

   1. Our teachers are qualified and experienced:

      • All of our teachers are certified to teach at the middle or high school levels.

      • Keystone teachers are experts in distance learning and in their subject areas.

      • Almost half of our faculty has earned masters or doctoral degrees in education or areas of instructional specialty.

      • 100% of our teachers are "highly-qualified" as determined by the criteria established in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

5. How many students does each teacher work with? Teachers who are assigned too many students have less time to work with people who need help. Making sure your teachers are not overburdened can help you get the education you deserve.

   1. Keystone students have access to teachers and teacher support as often as they need. Teachers can be contacted via phone or email and respond to student contact within 24 hours. Because of the independent nature of online courses and the needs of different kinds of students, the number of students in Keystone courses varies. Keystone staff closely monitor every course to ensure that students have access to teachers as needed and that teachers have the time to respond efficiently and effectively to student requests.

6. What hardware is required? Most online classes require that students have access to a computer that is has the ability to run up-to-date multimedia and word processing programs. If your computer is too old, it may not work with your online program.

   1. Keystone School technical requirements are all listed here. In general, we recommend students have an Intel® Pentium® III or better hardware; running Microsoft® Windows® 98 or newer. Or to use an Apple® Macintosh® G3 or better; running Apple OS 8 or newer.

7. Will I need to purchase any additional software? A lot of online programs provide all the materials you need directly from their site. A few request that their students buy supplemental software on their own.

   1. Our online curricula are completely provided by Keystone High School and Keystone Middle School; and credit recovery programs as well. Some language arts classes require access to books not provided by Keystone. Our class list and requirements are spelled out in our online course catalog.

8. What degrees are offered? Not every program offers every degree. Before you enroll, make sure that your school offers the degree that you are looking for.

   1. Keystone High School offers a high school diploma to all students who complete the graduation requirements. Students who are not seeking a Keystone diploma can transfer credits earned at Keystone to another high school program.

   2. Keystone High School offers college-prep classes, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and credit recovery courses to students. Whether you choose online learning because your child needs a flexible schedule, accelerated learning or extra help in challenging classes; we have more than 80 classes available to prepare your child for college or a career.

   3. Keystone Middle School prepares children for high school life. Our students are accepted into High Schools (including Keystone High School) with confidence.

9. How long does it take to complete the program? Some online schools offer students the chance to complete a degree in less time. Some students are even able to finish an entire year early.

   1. Students work at his/her own pace at Keystone. We recognize that children learn in different ways and at different paces. Enroll any time, and we'll give you up to 12 months to complete your study. Extensions to courses beyond a year are available.

10. Can I speed ahead or take more time and work at my own pace? While some schools let students complete tasks at their own pace, others require that students participate in virtual class sessions and have specific deadlines for assignments.

    1. Our policy is that a full credit course should be completed in no fewer than eight weeks and no more than a calendar year. Students move through courses at their own speed, and then go on to the next level when they're ready. All Keystone courses are designed to balance the introduction of new information with the repetition of learned information.

11. What curriculum is used? Will I need to purchase textbooks? If you will be required to purchase textbooks, determine what their average cost will be. Books can be expensive, even hundreds of dollars per course. If you are an auditory or kinetic learner (learn best by hearing and doing, rather than by reading alone), finding a school that offers a multimedia element in their curriculum may help you master the material.

    1. Keystone online lessons engage students and enhance understanding of concepts through interactive, multi-media presentations that incorporate Flash animation, games, and quizzes.

    2. Keystone provides textbooks or workbooks with most core and many elective courses, everything you need to complete your courses is provided and included with the tuition. There are some language arts class reading materials that are not provided by Keystone, most of which are available at your local library, and our Keystone Middle School course catalog and Keystone High School course catalog explain what materials are provided and required for each course.

    3. Online lessons are equivalent to participating in classroom instruction. In the lessons, concepts from your textbooks are explained through multimedia means and illustrated using graphics.

    4. We use several types of assessments including practice quizzes, short answer and essay questions, objective multiple choice exams, and oral examinations (when appropriate).

12. What if I need extra help? Some schools provide virtual "office hours" that allow students to communicate with teachers when they have additional questions or are struggling in their work. Others expect students to work independently and do not offer direct assistance.

    1. Keystone teachers are available to students and parents via email and phone and will respond within 24 business hours to answer student questions about the curriculum.

    2. In addition, we provide full-time high school students access to a learning coach, and on-demand tutoring (up to 75 minutes free) in conjunction with our partner Tutor.com.

    3. Parents enjoy support from our Parent Observer Accounts, Live Online Parent Conferences, and Progress reports.

13. How long has this school existed? The longer the school has existed, the better. A school isn't automatically credible because it's been around a long time, but having experience is always a plus.

    1. Keystone has been serving students since 1974. We have a rich history of expertise in distance learning and online learning. Our 35 years of experience and innovative approach to online and distance learning has helped hundreds of thousands of students and families succeed.

14. How many students are currently enrolled? If you enroll in a new school that has very few students, you can expect to encounter quite a bit of instability.

    1. We have had more than 200,000 students go through our programs over the years. Online learning is taking off internationally, and in the past year we've served more than 35,000 students in our Keystone Middle School, Keystone High School and Keystone credit recovery programs.

15. How many students have graduated? A higher graduation rate demonstrates higher levels of student contentment and success.

    1. Our programs have served students in all 50 states and 70 countries, from Alaska to South Carolina and from Belize to Thailand.

    2. In the past year, we have had 544 students earn their accredited high school diplomas.

16. How will I communicate with the school? Is it all online or is there a number I can call for help? Having a number to call or an actual location you can go to can be very helpful when you need help or are looking for answers. Most legitimate schools will give you a number you can use to reach them.

    1. Keystone is proud to offer access by phone, by email, or by fax. We are available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. We make every effort to be as accessible as possible to our students and parents.