Frequently Asked Questions
- Application and Enrollment
- Online Learning & Technology
- General FAQ’s
- Courses & Instruction
- Graduation/Diploma
Application and Enrollment
What are the location and age restrictions?
Students must be residents of the state of Idaho and must be 20 years of age or younger when they enroll. Students who turn 21 while enrolled and need additional education in order to receive a diploma may remain enrolled until they meet the graduation requirements or the end of the semester, whichever occurs first. Students must also be able to demonstrate completion of the eighth grade through official transcript or homeschool portfolios.
Do students have to start in the 9th grade?
Students may start in 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade.
Can students enroll and begin classes at any time of the year?
Students can submit an enrollment application anytime during the year, but must begin their classes at the beginning of the fall or spring semester, depending on capacity.
What is the status of my application?
All applications are currently being reviewed by iSucceed Virtual High School. They are date and time-stamped and you will be contacted in the order in which your application was received.
What can I do to improve my chances of acceptance?
If information is needed, you will be contacted.
When will I know whether I’ve been accepted?
You will receive notification after we have received all required enrollment documents and your courses are selected and approved by an Academic Counselor.
How many students will get into the school?
iSucceed Virtual High School is a public school, thus all students who wish to enroll are admitted subject only to capacity and the geographic and age restrictions listed above. If there are more applicants than capacity, admission shall be determined by a public, random drawing.
When does the Fall 2008 semester start?
September 9th is the first day of the fall semester.
When can we select classes?
Course selection will begin in Spring 2008.
I’ve been expelled. Will I get into iSucceed Virtual High School?
Each case will be reviewed based upon records from your present school district. Current expulsions from another district may be honored.
Can I attend part-time?
Students must take a minimum of 5 iSucceed Virtual High School classes, which is full-time status.
What are the terms of Dual-Enrollment?
iSucceed Virtual High School full-time students may NOT be dually-enrolled in credit courses at other public high schools or private schools. Credit from accredited post-secondary institutions will be recognized by iSucceed as credit earned toward graduation requirements.
Online Learning & Technology
Do I need to have a computer to attend iSucceed Virtual High School?
Students are provided with a late model laptop computer, printer, and reimbursement for Internet service.
Who is responsible for ink/toner replacement for the printers?
iSucceed Virtual High School will provide full-time students with a starter set of ink/toner with the initial printer shipment. It is then the responsibility of the family for future ink/toner replacement.
What are the internet connection requirements for a student to be successful?
The minimum ‘connection requirement’ for students who attend our schools is dial-up speed. Faster transmission speeds and more powerful computing platforms may provide a richer experience, but are not required.
When will my computer arrive? How will I get it?
Your laptop computer will be shipped before orientation and the start of the school year.
How do you protect against cyber predators?
Cyber predators today are something that all schools, online or not, must deal with. At iSucceed Virtual High School, the education we deliver and the tools for virtual socialization we provide (discussion boards) are located behind secure, password-protected servers. iSucceed-issued laptops are outfitted with software to block the more sensitive sex- and violence-oriented sites, which can be areas where cyber predators seek out children.
Although nothing but strong parenting coupled with educating our children of the risks of cyber predators can stop predators from being completely successful, our program encourages students to socialize online behind safe ‘doors’.
General
How do you offer socialization in an online high school?
The level of socialization a student wants is a decision of the family and the student. iSucceed offers both virtual and face-to-face opportunities to interact with other students and families.
The classes that students take provide many opportunities for interaction through discussion threads and ‘virtual classrooms’ where students are together at the same time communicating through two-way voice-over-internet, instant messaging, and application sharing.
Virtual socialization also includes participation in clubs (e.g., debate, newspaper, student government, chess, etc.) organized and run virtually. Face-to-face socialization includes periodic events organized by iSucceed and held in different locations across throughout the region. Through our prior experiences, students have told us that they found they could build great relationships with other students through the community-building structure we provide.
Will school dances be held? A graduation ceremony?
Yes, there will be dances and a graduation ceremony. Periodically, iSucceed Virtual High School will hold field trips and events in different geographic locations throughout the state.
What about athletics and other extracurricular activities?
An iSucceed Virtual High School full-time student may participate in non-credit extracurricular activities at the resident public school provided the student maintains good academic standing and meets the participation requirements of the school.
Is the school accredited?
iSucceed Virtual High School will request affiliation with the Northwest Association of Schools (NAAS) and will obtain accreditation in accordance with Idaho regulations.
Courses & Instruction
Does online learning in an independent study format work well?
Yes. For many students, online independent study learning is an excellent means by which their personal strengths can be drawn out, while their weaknesses can be addressed. An online independent study program addresses students with different learning styles. It also allows students to engage in meaningful one-to-one interactions with instructors in a more anonymous environment that rewards curiosity and exploration without retribution. Finally, it offers engagement through interaction and access to information made possible through technology at a pace and time that suits teens.
What roles do instructors play?
Instructors, all of whom are Idaho-certified, are able to focus their time on teaching, mentoring, and engaging with students rather than on classroom management because of the professionally prepared curriculum and the independent study nature of the program. Instructors are able to prioritize building relationships with each and every student and understand their particular needs because the means for interaction are primarily one-to-one.
Instructors work closely with students as subject matter experts to help with the exploration, comprehension, and application of course concepts. Instructors answer day-to-day questions and assess the student’s performance through assignments, exams, and quizzes. Instructors work closely with students and their families on the formation, progression, and evaluation of the student learning plan.
Do your courses require textbooks?
Some courses require books. All required materials to complete the course are provided by iSucceed. However, at the discretion of each individual student, additional optional books and course materials can be purchased through iSucceed.
How do you teach lab courses like Biology or Chemistry?
The content component and structure of our biology courses are the same as our other courses. We make use of the latest technology to walk students through virtual labs and dissections.
How do you satisfy the physical fitness requirement?
We have a set of courses that emphasize individual physical fitness and nutrition. These courses require the student to perform, measure, and report their individual fitness as they complete individual physical fitness exercises.
Are there assignments and due dates?
It is important that students complete assignments and stay within close proximity to a schedule. Staying current with assignments will allow teachers to more effectively provide group as well as individual assistance. Completing assignments will provide the student with knowledge necessary to be successful in future coursework.
Our curriculum provides due dates for assignments. Students should complete assignments on the assigned due dates.
How do you prevent students from cheating?
iSucceed takes academic integrity very seriously and employs a number of methods to prevent plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration. We use tools designed specifically for identifying plagiarism in type-written assignments.
Our online quizzes and exams require proctor passwords and the feedback for online quizzes is designed to include “flags” that signal instructors when a student is copying from another student. Date and time stamps and clocks that measure the amount of time spent on the online quiz can also be used to identify inappropriate student collaboration.
A more subjective but no less effective tool for identifying cheating is the instructor’s knowledge of the student’s ability, past work, and verbal “print”. Keeping in mind that much of the relationship with the student is built via the written word, a student’s “word print” is as unique and identifiable in an online classroom as a student’s face is in a face-to-face classroom.
Although no school—online or otherwise—can guarantee 100% academic honesty, we’ve taken all reasonable measures available to us to monitor student activities and to identify cheating when it happens. Instances of academic dishonesty will be dealt with immediately and in accordance with School policy. Prior to enrolling in classes, students and their parents are required to sign an academic honesty policy.
How do parents stay involved?
We sincerely hope that parents will be deeply involved in their student’s experience at iSucceed Virtual High School, although we recognize that for some students this may not be possible. Although the level at which parents involve themselves is a family decision, we hope parents at least support their son or daughter in their studies, keep informed of their progress, and encourage them to stay on top of their work. Parents will be provided access to up-to-date information about their son’s or daughter’s progress throughout the semester via regular communication from the school.
We also recognize that as students enter the high school years, they often seek to become more independent. Our program is designed to support exploration of that independence, but always providing necessary guidance and expertise through the iSucceed iSupport Team where needed.
How frequently will I get progress reports/how do parents get information?
Parents are provided access to our student information system, and can access the system at any point with username and password. Grades are updated weekly. iSucceed instructors are always available to consult with parents by email or telephone.
What support do you offer students?
Support comes in many forms: academic, student services, and technological.
All students are provided with an iSupport Team led by the student’s iMentor, who serves as the primary point of contact with the family. Additional members of the team include the student’s instructors (subject-matter experts), admissions counselors, and special education coordinators as needed. The purpose of the iSupport Team is to provide guidance and communication, to help with learning strategies, and to enable success.
Students and their families will also be able to access iSucceed Student Services Team for policy questions, academic records, and other operational-type questions. The Technological Support Team will help families with course access issues, lost passwords, and hardware issues.
Do I have to be home while my child is doing schoolwork?
No. Although your son or daughter will benefit from your encouragement and knowing that you care about his or her progress, the iSucceed iSupport Team is available for support. One benefit of our program is that your son or daughter can study at his or her own time, place, and pace—you will be able to observe your student “going to school” during your off hours.
Do iSucceed credits transfer back into other high schools if needed?
iSucceed Virtual High School is a public online high school. As such, assuming students satisfactorily complete their courses, credits will transfer back into other high schools.
Does iSucceed offer summer school courses?
Summer courses are not yet available as part of our program. We’re looking into how we may provide those to our students in the future.
Graduation/Diploma
What are the Graduation Requirements?
| Subject | Semester Credits |
| English | 9.0 |
| Math | 6.0 |
| Science | 6.0 |
| Social Studies | 5.0 |
| Physical Education | 2.0 |
| Health Education | 1.0 |
| Humanities | 2.0 |
| Electives | 11.0 |
| iLearning* | 2.0 |
| Minimum # of units of credit to graduate | 44.0 |
*iSucceed iLearning course (1.0 credit). The iLearning course embodies several elements of learning in an online, independent study environment and planning around the student’s current goals and future plans. Three of those elements include: (1) the student’s Senior (i.e., Culminating) Project; (2) development, maintenance, and completion of the student portfolio; and (3) completion of the High School & Beyond Plan.
Do students take the Idaho Standards Test?
Students who are enrolled as full-time students at iSucceed Virtual High School are required to take the state-required Idaho Standards Test. iSucceed staff will make arrangements to have students take the test in locations that are geographically close to where they live.
Can I transfer credits in from a homeschool portfolio? From standardized exams?
Students can be in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade when they enroll. Generally speaking, students can apply high school credits or earned credits for homeschool work towards their graduation requirements at iSucceed. Students who enroll with a high school transcript or a homeschool portfolio will speak with an iSucceed Admissions Counselor who will evaluate satisfactory completion of the documented work as it relates to iSucceed standards.
Who issues the diploma?
Graduating students will be issued a diploma from iSucceed Virtual High School.
Can my child apply to college after graduating from iSucceed?
Absolutely. When your son or daughter graduates from iSucceed Virtual High School, he or she will have a valid diploma received from a state approved public high school. With that diploma comes all the records that are required for the college application process: valid transcripts, SAT/ACT scores “attached to” a public high school, instructor recommendations, school extracurricular activities, a student portfolio and culminating project.
There are incremental benefits for college-bound students who graduate from iSucceed Virtual High School. First, students can choose from multiple academic options—AP, Honors, and College Prep—designed specifically to achieve the goal of getting into college. These academic options offer the necessary courses, preparation, and challenge. Second, the view of colleges over the last several years towards independent study programs is that they do a better job preparing students for college because of the time management and individual responsibility skills they imbue. Colleges are finding more and more that students from programs like iSucceed Virtual High School make the transition into college more readily than their counterparts.
