Laurel Springs School: Online School Reviewed by Valid Education
An affordable online school can provide a host of advantages that surpasses even the best traditional schools. This convenience and freedom attracts millions of students globally to the best online high schools.
Statistics reveal that the trend of online education is growing at a speed that’s hard to imagine. By the fall of 2020, 89% of students opted for exclusive distance learning courses through private for-profit institutions. One big reason behind this paradigm shift is the welcoming environment created by online education. And one such popular accredited online school is Laurel Springs School.
This school is situated in Ojai, California. And is serving students for more than 30 years. Since the year 1991, 4500 students have graduated from this online school. Let’s explore more about this school today!
Accreditation & Recognition
Laurel Springs School is a renowned online school, accredited by Cognia and The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Accreditation is important, as it assures students and parents that the academic credentials issued by the school are globally acknowledged and accepted by colleges, universities, and employers.
Features and Offerings:
One can find fully online K-12 school programs other than some other options like summer programs and post-graduate programs.
Here’s a detailed overview of its schooling programs:
1. Lower School
For grades Kindergarten to 5, parents can choose the online elementary program offered at Laurel Springs School. Courses offered are English, Social Studies, Math, Science, and Health and Wellness. World Languages options offered in grades K-2 are Spanish, French and Chinese. For grades 3 to 5 Options are Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. Students also have an elective ‘Introduction to coding’ (for grades 4 and 5. And micro-courses include Art adventure and music adventure (for K-2). For grades 3-5 there is a separate choice of these micro courses namely, Funtastic food, Back to life, Powerful Graphic Novels, The Power of the Sun, etc.
2. Middle School
The diverse curriculum of Middle school (grades 6th to 8th) offers core courses, world languages, electives, extra-curricular clubs, and micro courses. Core courses include English, Social Studies, Math, Health and physical education, and Science. World languages like Spanish, Fresh, German, Latin, and Chinese are also a part of the course choices. Electives include 2D Studio Art, Career Explorations, Coding, Digital Art and Design, Digital citizenship, Exploring Business, Exploring Health Science, Exploring Information Technology, Exploring Music, Fitness, Game Design, Journalism, and Photography.
Micro courses (with a duration of 3 weeks) can be selected from options like Astounding Architecture, Brick by Brick, Dystopian Societies, Outer Space, Fun with Physics, Science of my Sport, and Strategic Money.
3. Upper School
Students from grades 9 to 12 can choose from a similar curriculum that consists of core, electives, micro courses, and world languages, etc.
They also have options from more than 200 college prep courses, including electives, Advanced Placement, and honors courses along with dual enrollment options. Upper School courses include various options under these headers (with AP, honors) English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science.
World languages can be chosen from an interesting mix of languages such as American Sign language, Spanish, French, German, Latin, and Chinese.
Other options like Fine Arts, Health and Physical Education are also available.
Elective cover options like 3D Modeling, Act Preparation, Advertising & Sales promotions, Agriscience, Animation, Uncovering Human mysteries, along with many more options.
4. The Academy
From grade 6 to 12 selected students can enroll in ‘The Academy’ programs. This gives them an added advantage as they thrive with an enhanced educational experience by selecting advanced courses. These students get the handholding of expert teachers, and they learn better through the mastery learning model.
Personalized instructions, dual enrollment options, student-centered counseling, are some of the highlights of ‘The Academy’. This helps students to prepare for selective colleges or universities. The teaching methods used in the online classrooms are highly advanced, keeping in mind the learning needs of students enrolling in these rigorous courses.
5. Summer Program
The school offers two types of summer courses (6 weeks and 12 weeks). These are available for all students from grades Kindergarten to 12.
6. Single Courses
For students who wish to supplement their homeschooling or regular school curriculum or fill the knowledge gap, single courses are a good choice. They can choose from a wide range of College pre, AP, Honors, and World Languages courses. This option is available for all students from K to 12 grades. And the best part is that a student is free from the compulsion of joining Laurel Springs School as a full-fledged student with this option.
7. Dual Enrollment Program
Students can earn college credits through this option. Laurel Springs School has partnered with esteemed universities to provide students with this opportunity. This option is open for the students enrolled in Laurel Springs School in grades 11 and 12, The Academy students in grades 9-12, and postgraduate students.
Laurel Springs School Fee Structure
Please check the synopsis below to know about the fee structure of Laurel Springs School.
| Tuition for full-year | ||
| Lower | Middle | High |
| $5,000 | $7,000 | $9.500 |
| The Academy | |
| For Grades 6 to 8 | $11,000 |
| For Grades 9 to 12 | $15,000 |
The fee structure of other options/programs varies from course to course and can be checked from their official website.
School Highlights:
• Flexible Enrollment
Students can enroll at any time during the year in almost all courses (lower, middle, high, and The Academy).
• Transition to College
Laurel Springs School also offers a post-graduate program for students who wish to use their time between high school and college purposefully.
Points to Note Before Applying
- The school does not clarify any defined number of online classes conducted by teachers in real time. However, there is personalized support promised through trained teachers to help the students.
- Credit requirements for graduation prior to the class of 2023 were 23.5 credits. This included 5 credits through electives. For class of 2023 and beyond, this requirement changes to 23.5 credits with 1 credit through elective or additional Fine art and 4 additional credits.
Final Thoughts
Laurel Springs School is a credible educational alternative for many students who can manage studies in a virtual learning environment. You can certainly consider this one basis its accreditation and offerings. However, we suggest a one-on-one interaction with the teacher (during a virtual session) before you enroll. This will help you to know if the quality of educator support promised by the school matches your exact requirement.
Connect with the school to know more about its online programs. Website: https://laurelsprings.com/