Three Characteristics of Christian Summer Schools

For a student that failed a course, summer school provides additional resources to recover the lost credits. Every year, Christian schools face the summer school challenge. Summer school programs require financial resources, additional staffing, and time. Many Christian schools opt to send their students to public or charter schools during the summer. It can be difficult to justify spending money on summer school instruction when only a few students need it.

As a Christian school, you made a promise to the parents that send you their children to not only educate them, but to also remain faithful to their Christian values. A Christian school that provides the summer school option fulfills its mission to students and families. Through online learning, Christian schools are provided the unique opportunity to overcome the challenges of a traditional, brick-and-mortar education. Consider these three characteristics of a successful Christian summer school:

1. Flexible Scheduling

For Christian families, summer is a busy time of year. Between family vacations, mission trips, summer jobs and church, a student can find it tough to focus on school. Summer is intended to be a break from the traditional classroom. Online learning puts the classroom at the student's fingertips. Day or night, weekend or overseas, online learning enables a student to recover lost credits on his or her time. For your students that spend the summer doing missionary work, online learning means they will not miss out on the valuable faith and life skills that can only be experienced in the field. This flexibility in learning extends to teachers. While many online programs provide their own instructional staff to guide students through courses, the option is also available for your staff to instruct the program. The only thing needed is internet access.

2. Comprehensive Course Catalog

Most Christian schools will only have a handful of students requiring summer school, but creating a summer program that meets diverse needs and finding teachers can be a big administrative challenge. Add to the matter that small-sized, instructor-led classes are not financially sustainable, and it is no surprise that most schools offer a limited summer program, if any at all.

Online learning alleviates these strains because its courses do not depend on size or location. It makes far fewer demands on your space and teaching resources than traditional credit recovery methods. With an online learning program with a provider like Sevenstar, students can take any course over the summer. Whether it is advancement, core, or remediation, your students can start any week of the year and certified teachers are available for every subject in our catalog.

3. A Christ-centered curriculum

Selecting an online learning partner does not mean you are giving up on your Christian values. Your school takes spiritual growth as seriously as academic development. Every online course by Sevenstar is biblically-integrated to teach a Christ-centered worldview. Since students engage with online courses without the live guidance of a teacher in a classroom, they may be more susceptible to false beliefs portrayed as fact. Therefore, biblical integration portraying Godís truth is more critical in online courses.

As you build your summer school program, consider all the options and obstacles. Online learning can be tailored to your school, your students and your financial situation.

A Christian School Educatorís Guide to Summer School

When selecting an online program for your summer school, select a partner that shares your Christian values. Online learning can be used to revive or start your summer school. Learn more about it in our new white paper, ìOnline Opportunities for Christian Schools.î Download this free resource for Christian educators using the link below.

DISCLAIMER

This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here represent those of the authors and not those of my employer or any other organization. My thoughts and opinions may change from time to time as a necessary consequence of being a life-long learner. The information on this blog is authentic to the best of my knowledge, and as such, it is prone to errors and the absence of information. The content on this blog is provided for entertainment and informative purposes only and should not, therefore, be perceived as professional advice in regards to health, finances, or any other field. This disclaimer is subject to change at anytime without notification.