Compare NorthStar Homeschool to NorthStar Academy
The NorthStar HIS program differs from the NorthStar Academy online school program mainly in one crucial way: in NorthStar HIS, the PARENT or DAY SCHOOL TEACHER is the teacher and is using the NorthStar Academy lessons, assignments, tests, and answer keys within his or her own learning environment as he or she desires. This learning environment can be a home school or day school, and the parent/teacher can use the NorthStar lesson resources in full or in part because the parent/teacher is in charge of the "delivery" of the instruction. NorthStar HIS students do not interact with the NorthStar Academy teachers for feedback on assignments or tests, do not send assignments or tests to the NorthStar Academy teachers, but they may interact with the other NorthStar Academy and NorthStar HIS students in the online class discussion conferences and within the extra-curricular social areas found in the "Student Cafe".
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The following comparison chart will illustrate how our home school program differs from our teacher-led online academy:
NorthStar HomeSchool vs.
NorthStar Academy |
NorthStar
HomeSchool
|
NorthStar
Academy
|
| Lesson resources provided online |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Tests and quizzes provided |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Internet access to the NorthStar Online Community |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Access to the Student areas inside the NorthStar Online Community |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Maintains student records and transcripts |
Yes 1
|
Yes
|
| Provides daily interaction, tutoring, feedback, and test correction from the teachers |
No
|
Yes
|
| Provides the parent(s) with his/her own personal online account in NorthStar |
No
|
Yes
|
| Is the program accredited |
No
|
Yes
|
| Can student graduate with a diploma |
Yes 2
|
Yes
|
| Yes 1 |
NorthStar HomeSchool will maintain academic records for the student whose parent(s) provide the NorthStar HomeSchool staff with the needed information.
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| Yes 2 |
When the NorthStar HIS student has completed all of the credits required for a NorthStar HIS diploma (as sent to NorthStar HIS from the parent(s)), the student may purchase, for a $25 purchase price, the homeschool diploma from NorthStar HIS. The requirements for earning a diploma are listed below (NOTE: this diploma is not from an accredited program; it is from NorthStar HomeSchool and not NorthStar Academy):
| English |
4.0 |
| Math |
3.0 |
| Science |
3.0 |
| Social Studies |
3.0 |
| P.E. |
0.5 |
| U.S. Govt. |
0.5 |
| Economics |
0.5 |
| Health |
0.5 |
| Subtotal |
15.0 |
| Electives |
9.0 |
| Total Credits |
24.0 |
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