UM Independent Study High School program award eight high school diplomas during a ceremony in Oxford.
OXFORD, Miss. – Eight high school students received diplomas last month that carried something different than most local high school degrees: the crest of the University of Mississippi.
The UM Independent Study High School awarded eight high school diplomas May 24 during its annual graduation celebration on the Oxford campus.
The Independent Study High School enables students to earn a high school degree through online courses and also provides expanded opportunities for high school students who want to take a specific elective or advanced placement course that is not offered at their high school. The program is the only one of its kind offered through a Mississippi university and among a small number of similar programs nationwide.
“Many people do not realize that you can actually earn your high school degree through this special Ole Miss program,” ISHS Director Ellen Shelton said.
It’s just another way that the state’s flagship university is reaching out to advance education in Mississippi. There are a variety of reasons students choose to enroll in high school credit courses that are offered online through the university.
“Some students enroll because they want to accelerate completing their high school diploma requirements, while some enroll because they need to catch up with their coursework,” Shelton said. “We have some students who have illnesses that might make it difficult for them to attend school regularly. We also have many who just have nontraditional teenage lives, but they all want to earn their high school degrees.”
ISHS Program Coordinator Sandy Bowen shared stories of students who have chosen to enroll in high school courses through the program. One of this year’s graduates, Alexia Waites of Biloxi, needed to take courses online while training to become a contemporary dancer. She is auditioning at Walt Disney World in Orlando and will be heading to New York City next month to attend workshops and audition for numerous dance companies.
Some students also do not have access to a traditional American high school education, such as Grace Babinski, who is part of a U.S. military family stationed in Germany.
“It is just a better use of time for these students to be able to control when they sit down at a computer and complete their schoolwork,” Bowen said.
Students may enroll in a full Carnegie unit (one full year’s worth of a high school course) or one-half (one semester’s worth of high school coursework) unit class. They may enroll any day of the year, but they have exactly one year to complete all coursework in order to earn credit. About one-third of the students in the program are diploma-route, while the others are just taking a class or two and plan to use the credit to graduate from their local high school.
Another motivator for students enrolling in ISHS courses is the opportunity to take a class that is not offered at their own high schools.
Although students may enroll year-round, May and June seem to be the busiest months for entry into the program. Participants are usually looking to make up courses they may not have completed the previous school year or get a head start for graduation.
Developed in 2002, the UM ISHS program has seen a large increase in students enrolling this past year. More than 175 students are taking courses through the program.
“We have high school counselors call us on a daily basis to see if a particular student they are working with might be a good candidate for our courses, “Shelton said. “These counselors trust the University of Mississippi’s academic standards that are associated with our program. Our high level of accreditation is a good indicator of the rigor of each class and the success of the students who complete our courses. ”
The UM ISHS program is nationally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the NCAA.
“The NCAA accreditation allows us to offer courses that high school athletes may enroll in,” Shelton said. “This helps them to stay on track in terms of academic requirements that keep them eligible to compete.”
The program is looking to expand to 44 course offerings by the end of this summer. It has seen a demand for more fine arts courses and is looking to meet those needs.
“We just added two more literary courses: ‘Mississippi Writers’ and ‘Fantasy Fiction,” Shelton said. “In the fantasy fiction class, students will be reading and discussing ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘The Hobbit’ and popular comic books. Even though the reading is fun, it’s still a rigorous course. In the next year, we hope to add two more fine arts courses.”
Parents of students in the program receive monthly progress reports from each instructor concerning student work. This facilitates accountability for the self-paced lessons and assignments.
“I think what makes our program successful is the innovative faculty and the supportive staff,” Shelton said. “Our state-certified teachers are excited to work with students in a setting that is different from the traditional classroom experience. They enjoy crafting their lessons and teaching methods to fit their styles.”
Some teachers post podcasts showing students how to work math problems. Others link to videos and online information relevant to their courses.
“We stay within the Mississippi public school’s framework, but our instructors make the decision on how to teach their classes,” Shelton said.
For more information about the program and to view a full listing of available courses, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/hsathome.