How to Earn College Credit in High School
Earning college credit during high school is a great opportunity. The added coursework can be an exciting challenge and helps prepare students for college-level academics. And from a financial perspective, if successful, your student’s efforts can even help to reduce the total cost of post-secondary education. So, how can you…
Check List for Rising Seniors
Here’s a rising senior’s list of must-do’s for this summer and the first semester of the 2021-22 school year. This list will help students (and their parents!) prepare for college life next year. Write down deadlines Each college you apply to will have several different deadlines. Here are a few…
Getting Started Guide to Pods
From classes at local schools to families coming together and forming co-ops to the recent growth of “micro-schools,” homeschoolers have always taken advantage of the larger community to ensure kids get the education they need. Now that millions of children are learning at home—virtual schooling or homeschooling—“pandemic pods” are…
Guia para empezar la escuela virtual
¿Usted está considerando la escuela virtual para sus hijos? Marc Leblond, experto en políticas de educación, explica cómo empezar y cuáles son las opciones para los padres residentes en Pensilvania: Mientras las escuelas a través del estado desarrollan protocolos de seguridad, sus agendas y la continuidad remota de los planes…
¿Qué debo hacer?
La experta en educación Colleen Hroncich, quien educa a sus hijos en casa, responde las 5 preguntas más frecuentes de los padres que empiezan—o consideran empezar—el proceso de educar a sus niños en el hogar. Yo nunca quise educar a mis hijos en casa. ¿Qué debo hacer? Es importante entender…
How to Choose a Private School
Academic rigor. Religious or moral education. Smaller class sizes. Unique extracurriculars. Families choose private schools for a variety of reasons. There are over 3,000 private schools in Pennsylvania, and the options are anything but monolithic. This guide is an overview of the types of private schools available in Pennsylvania and…
Types of Pennsylvania Private Schools
Private schools vary in terms of structure, curriculum, and teaching methods. The Pennsylvania Department of Education provides a database of all registered private schools in the state here. Classical schools Following the educational model of the ancient Greek and Romans, classical schools structure curriculum following the three stages of…
Comparing Private Schools
Your priorities for a private school will depend on what you value most in your child’s educational experience. After deciding what type of private school would best fit the needs of your child (for example, classical or secular), you can narrow down the options by doing your own research. Research…
Homeschool Resources
Several colleges and universities publish free online courses that are especially beneficial to homeschool high school students looking for a rigorous, college-level challenge: MIT OpenCourseWare – Many undergraduate and graduate courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are published online for free. Hillsdale College…
Finding a Charter School
The exhaustive list of all charter schools in Pennsylvania can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. But more practical tools for parents are: Greatschools.org,Niche.com,Philadelphia only: greatphillyschools.org. Each of these has search fields and filters that enable you to key in your address and locate charter…
How to Apply to Charter School
Is my student eligible to apply to a charter school? Yes! All school-age Pennsylvania residents are eligible to attend a charter school. Test scores, intellectual or athletic ability, special needs, or English proficiency will not impact your student’s eligibility. Keep in mind that charters are allowed to limit…
Thinking About Homeschooling? Here are 5 Things to Know
Homeschool mom and education expert Colleen Hroncich answers the five most frequently asked questions she gets from parents starting—or considering starting—homeschool. I never wanted to homeschool – what should I do?! It’s important to understand the current situation—trapped indoors with a pile of academic expectations and requirements—is not normal homeschooling. In my…
No Cyber School?
Many parents are considering a cyber charter school for the first time to help ensure their kids have access to a continuous education in a time of uncertainty. Unfortunately, due to unprecedented interest, almost every Pennsylvania cyber charter school is full, and with a waitlist. If you’re one of those…