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Online High School Opens Its Virtual Doors To All Minnesota Students

Minnesota Online High School (MNOHS), a new public school opening in September, will offer free online courses taught by licensed Minnesota teachers to students throughout the state. The school will begin by serving students in grades 11 and 12 and will expand in future years to include grades nine and ten. MNOHS is unique among online schools. In addition to offering high quality, interactive courses, MNOHS is a full-service high school offering a wide range of student and parent support services.

Online learning offers a number of advantages for students seeking an alternative to conventional classrooms. Some enroll because they have difficulty scheduling or attending classes due to chronic physical or mental health issues, jobs, or family responsibilities. Others are seeking more independence and the personalized attention that online teachers are able to provide.

"Online learning is a wonderful option for students who are self-motivated and have particular learning needs that can't be met in a traditional classroom setting," says Sharon Balke, Director of Student and Parent Services.

MNOHS is committed to creating a thriving, diverse educational community. "E-student services are becoming more common at the college level, but there are not very many online high schools, even nationwide, that place a strong emphasis on the services important to students and parents," according to Balke. These services include college planning assistance and career counseling, as well as a Student Center for socialization and extracurricular activities, such as student government and a school e-zine.

Parents are also an important part of the equation at MNOHS. Parents are offered easy access through the internet to up-to-date information about student progress and participation, and all parents and teachers speak by phone monthly. There are also opportunities for parents to meet each other through an online Parent Center with facilitated discussion groups and a PTA.

Another unique feature of MNOHS is that the school does not purchase packaged curriculum or ready-made courses. MNOHS teachers have access to state-of-the-art curriculum materials, such as interactive online textbooks, but also have the flexibility to create exciting and interesting lessons within a course framework that meets Minnesota State Graduation Standards.

Although the school itself is new, the four-member development team of MNOHS has provided valuable online learning experiences to Minnesota students for close to ten years. Members of this core group are recognized as pioneers in the field of online high school education, having founded and developed Mindquest, an award winning online high school program and one of the first of its kind in the nation

More information about MNOHS is available at http://www.mnohs.org. Enrollments forms are now being accepted and can be submitted online. Students are encouraged to submit enrollment forms as early as possible to allow enough time to transfer school records.