TEXT Nº 7HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EARN DIPLOMAS AT A DISTANCE
As students around the country head back to school this fall, some are traveling nofarther than the desk in their bedroom or the computer in the family room to getthe high school education that best meets their needs. In fact, according to theNational Center for Education Statistics, more than 1 million U.S. K-12 studentsattend private or independent schools and some 1.1 million U.S. students arehomeschooled.The reasons that parents and students choose private education or homeschoolingvary. The student might have unique educational needs or live in a remote locationwhere a public school isn’t nearby, or there may be religious or other reasons why atraditional school environment doesn’t work for some families. A growing way to meetthese educational needs is distance learning. Distance learning—either online or viacorrespondence courses—allows students to learn at their own pace in a safe,comfortable environment.For example, Cynthia Smith had always opted to homeschool her three sons “becauseI wanted them to feel free to be their unique selves, without a lot of peer pressure,”says the single mother from Dayton, Texas. But when her oldest son, Matt Kuslich,was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome, it became critical that he have access to ahigh-quality curriculum that he could do at his own pace in the quiet of their home.Matt attends Keystone National High School. Keystone, a fully accredited,independent study program serving students in all 50 states and around the world,offers at-home, self-paced study and education to more than 23,000 students each year. Based in Pennsylvania, Keystone offers an innovative, flexible, student-focusededucation built on more than 30 years of experience that uses the latest distancelearning approaches.“We chose Keystone National High School because we wanted a serious educationwith a real transcript that would prepare him for a good college,” says Smith. WhenMatt’s problems surfaced, Keystone turned out to be “more than I ever could haveexpected,” she says. Matt’s brother, Jim Kuslich, 15, is also enrolled with Keystone,and his youngest brother, Lars Kuslich, 13, will enroll when he’s ready for high schooltoo.Keystone National High School has served more than 200,000 students. TodayKeystone’s courses are offered both online and by traditional correspondence usingthe mail. The school’s course catalog is described in detail at
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