 Showing 1 - 10 of 25 questions | Pages [1] 2 3 |
| | | 1. | Why should I homeschool my child?
| There are many reasons why more and more parents are selecting homeschooling as their educational system of choice. But two stand out above the rest … to provide a safe educational environment for their child and to insure they receive a well-rounded quality education. As a parent, it is up to you to make right choices for your children early on and consequently to teach them how to make right choices for themselves later in life. After all, isn’t that really what the future is all about -- choices? |
| | 2. | Is Homeschooling a proven educational choice?
Yes! As long as there have been parents and children, “homeschooling” has been happening. It was only with the emergence of widespread compulsory public education that the age-old homeschooling method of instruction was virtually forgotten, but not eradicated.
In a nationwide study, using a random selection of 1,516 families, it was found that students of homeschooling scored, on average, at or above the 80th percentile in all areas on standardized achievement tests. Note: The national average on standardized achievement tests is the 50th percentile.
Academic Findings
The academic effectiveness of home education is largely a settled issue. Numerous studies have confirmed the academic integrity of home education programs, demonstrating that on average, home-educated students outperform their publicly-run school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. Moreover, the performance gaps that have been noted between minority and non-minority students, as well as between the genders, that plague publicly-run schools, are virtually non-existent among home-educated students.
Social Findings
Research has also found no difference in the "self-concept" of homeschooled and publicly schooled children and maintains that ... some homeschooled children have a much higher self concept than "conventionally schooled children."
Home-educated graduates are active and involved in their communities and studies show that 71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, compared with 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages from a traditional education background.
Furthermore, home-educated graduates vote in much higher percentages than their peers. For example, 76% of those surveyed voted within the last five years, compared with only 29% of the general U.S. population.
Of adults who were home-educated, 58.9% report that they are "very happy" with life compared with 27.6% for the general U.S. population.
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| | 3. | Is Homeschooling legal in my state?
Yes! Because the United States Constitution is the highest law of the land, homeschooling has always been legal in all 50 states.
One of the most significant challenges has been to convince the education and social services establishments to accept that fact. Great progress has been made for, at the present time, all the states allow homeschooling in some form or another.
The specific legal codes vary considerably from state to state and opinions about the law vary from district to district, but what does not vary is the constitutional right to teach one’s children at home. |
| | 4. | Why should I enroll my child in The Oaks Private School?
In making the choice to homeschool, an important consideration is whether to enroll your child in a “cover or umbrella” school for administrative accountability and academic management assistance. TOPS provides this covering or umbrella option to families throughout the U.S.
Your preference for some structure, assistance, accountability and access to advisory staff with formal educational credentials makes TOPS your perfect choice. You will be confident knowing you have someone of like-mind, who is skilled in academic management, reviewing your program to help you stay on track and give advice when asked. The following are some of the professional services provided to you by TOPS:
ACCOUNTABILITY – This comes through quarterly reports of attendance, work accomplished, and grades earned. TOPS is vouching for you and your program, so we must get to know you. Our enrollment forms, phone conversations, and emails will help us to establish and maintain clear communication. You can also be confident in your accountability to people who hold your views of educational rights.
PRIVACY – When you enroll with TOPS, you do not have to directly interact with your local school district. In fact, you have no required direct contact with any government employee.
STABILITY – TOPS has taken the steps necessary to comply with various business and tax laws and has in place measures to ensure continuity should unforetold circumstances arise.
EXPERIENCE – The aforementioned stability results in families that have homeschooled for many years. Newcomers can draw from a large pool of experience, thereby avoiding common mistakes. And veteran homeschoolers can benefit from the newcomers’ energy.
RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT – Because of our corporate status, TOPS has accounts with suppliers and vendors and some of the companies offer discounts on textbooks, science equipment, videos, etc.
CREDENTIALS – TOPS offers transcripts and diplomas, which will be important if your student later re-enters the public sector. We will establish articulation agreements with local community colleges and universities in your area for dual enrollment as needed.
ACTIVITIES – TOPS students may participate in state and national activity groups like the National Beta Club. Because activities are an essential part of every student's academic life, you should contact local support groups, civic organizations such as Boy Scouts of America, YMCA, church groups, etc., for opportunities to participate.
ADVICE – TOPS staff members are available to assist with problems and are experienced in dealing with unusual situations. We attend various workshops and seminars given by the state university system, SAT and ACT administrators, and other organizations assisting educators. We are responsible for keeping up to date with new programs and curriculum. We collect and maintain daily attendance records, grades, health and immunization records, standardized testing scores, and other documents for you. |
| | 5. | I don’t have a teaching degree. Can I still teach my child?
Yes! Research and practical experience show that it is dedication and hard work, not special training, that produce outstanding educational results in a homeschool setting.
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| | 6. | How much daily time will I have to dedicate to this effort?
| A lot less than you think. Homeschooled students don't have to take time to change classes or travel to and from a school, so they can proceed at their own pace. In elementary years especially, parents and children often find that they may only need a few hours to accomplish their work each day. Your curriculum choice may have some effect on the actual time you spend in "class" each day, depending on the projects, experiments, and research required. However, you will also find that learning becomes part of the whole day, not stopping just because "school is out" for the day. |
| | 7. | What factors should I consider when choosing a curriculum?
Factors to consider:
* The student's level in a subject and history of success in that area
* The student's learning style
* The maturity of the student, including level of responsibility
* The student's goals for life
* The parent's work situation
* The parent's preferred teaching style
* The parent's goals for the student's life
* The family's financial situation
* The family home situation (the physical & social atmosphere)
* The family's plans for travel
* The family’s access to libraries, computers, and other resources
* The number of other children in the household and their ages
* The physical, social, or educational problems affecting learning |
| | 8. | What about documentation … must I keep academic records?
No. You do not have to keep all the records or a portfolio at your house. While you may want to keep your child's "treasures" to look back upon when they are grown, it is the responsibility of The Oaks Private School to maintain the school records.
You will simply submit copies of attendance, lesson plans, and scored tests at the end of each quarter. We encourage you to send samples of stories, poems, projects and pictures that you would like included in your child's permanent record. We hesitate to specify how many samples to send, although 2 samples for each subject area is a good guideline. Our reasoning is that we want parents to send us a variety of the quarter's work without counting pages. We want samples of lower as well as excellent grades. Photocopies are acceptable. We very much enjoy receiving photographs of awards, trophies, art, etc., as well as recordings of your child participating in educational activities. |
| | 9. | What about graduation ceremonies?
| High school graduation is a momentous occasion and should be celebrated as such. But, since TOPS students are spread far and wide across the U.S., it is not possible for us to provide a local graduation ceremony. Therefore, we urge you to seek out support groups in your area who will work together with you to provide graduation ceremonies for your graduate. We will help you locate ceremonies in your local area. |
| | 10. | What academic assistance will The Oaks Private School provide to me?
The Oaks Private School provides:
* Academic & Administrative Accountability
* Informational & Support Services
* Curriculum Selection Assistance
* Academic & Educational Track Counseling
* Transcript Maintenance
* Transcript Transfer upon Request
* Student Identification Cards
* Quarterly and Annual Report Cards
* Accredited High School Diploma
* Academic Career Projection |
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