Starting this school year, New Hampshire is collaborating with Granite State Academy Online Program (GSAOP) to provide students in grades 7-12 with a flexible learning option. The tuition-free public school is an alternative program of Prospect Mountain High School in Alton, N.H., but completely remote and hosted by the online education company K12, according to a recent news release.
The news release said that, through the program, students will have access to personalized support in the form of teachers, tutors and career coaches; learning experiences that include interactive projects and hands-on activities; and opportunities outside the classroom like virtual clubs, extracurriculars and field trips.
“With high-quality courses and engaging curriculum delivered by state-certified teachers, the program empowers students to approach learning in a way that fits their needs, in their own space,” the news release said. “Students will build confidence through hands-on activities, interactive projects, and strong teacher and peer connections.”
Liz Sliger, executive director of K12's parent company Stride Inc., said there are always students who, for whatever reason, need an alternate path to their education. Thus, GSAOP offers opportunities to students who do not fit the typical mold for in-person classes, whether due to distinct learning or health needs, extracurriculars that could lead to college or future employment, or a need to help support their families, Sliger noted.
“Maybe they want to spend several hours a day working on tennis or acting. We have students that have special education needs or health needs that mean that a home environment is more appropriate for them,” she said. “We have students interested that may work in a family business or on a family farm or in their family's cultural arrangement that want to be home more often. We have families that just feel safer keeping their students at home for a little bit, or whose confidence needs to build socially for a couple of years, or who have struggled and need a path to gain credits and graduate on time.”
Sliger said GSAOP also means to address the lack of access to quality education and school choices for rural students.
“In an urban environment, there may be a lot more pathways, a lot more choice. Maybe they can take all the world languages,” she said. “In a rural environment, sometimes that's just not available ... [GSAOP] really helps to bring offerings to a rural area where there may not have been as many in-person offerings as an urban area does.”
