Frequently Asked Questions
Online Courses
How is high school credit counted for an online course?
All course providers offer credit that can be accepted at the discretion of the school principal or other district designee.
Do students receive official transcripts when they complete an online course?
Online course providers are not diploma-granting schools and therefore do not award official transcripts. All course providers, however, issue final grade reports—available to both the student and the student's Teacher/Mentor. This report should be used by the school to determine the credit and grade to be awarded on the student's local transcripts.
Are there limits to the number of online courses a school can enroll students in?
There are no limits to online courses outside of what each school or student can afford.
Best practices suggest students ease into the number of online courses they take; however, schools ultimately decide how many classes a student can take.
What if my school already offers a class that is also available through the DLD?
Regardless of whether an online course is offered via the DLD, if it is from an approved course provider districts must award credit for any online course which meets a graduation requirement. Otherwise, each district establishes a policy for which courses are made available to its students. Some districts decide not to offer online courses that duplicate classes taught at the school. Other schools do not restrict which online courses students can take.
How do schools pay for online courses?
Some schools have set aside specific funding for courses. And some schools are looking closely at FTE funds that might be gained by retaining students because of their enrollment in online courses. Other schools use a cost-share model, where students are responsible for some of the cost. Some schools have students pay the full course amount up front; if courses are completed, students are reimbursed all or most of the cost. If they drop the course (or fail), they are reimbursed some or none of the cost.
How can I make sure that my student will earn credit for an online course taken without coordination with the school and/or the DLD?
Students hoping to earn credits from online courses taken independently of their school’s support should first confer with the school to make sure school/district policies will allow the student to earn credit locally.