At IU High School, we are proud to offer our students the opportunity to take high school courses that do not carry the time and location restrictions that are often present in a brick-and-mortar setting. Our students use the flexibility of the online platform to pursue artistic and athletic careers, focus on health and family, make room in their brick-and-mortar schedule, build skills, and so much more. One thing that IU High School students (and families, too!) who have been taking courses with us for a while will tell you is that taking courses in an online space is very different than taking those same courses in a brick-and-mortar setting. To best support our students and help them build a pathway to success, we have put in place some structures for enrolling in courses.

Unlike a more time-structured school setting where a teacher guides students to work on specific tasks for a certain number of minutes, IU High School’s courses allow students to structure their own work time within the time completion constraints outlined in the Student Handbook. Rather than choose to treat their course schedule like that of a six-period school day, IU High School students can – and are encouraged to – structure their course enrollments in ways that allow them to focus on specific course content and engage fully with the concepts at hand. Students can enroll in two or three courses, focus on the work, revise and apply the feedback given by instructors, and focus on deep and meaningful learning as the complete the course in fewer weeks than a traditional semester (but within the time limitations referenced above). Then students can enroll in more courses, potentially completing more course than they might in a traditional semester and  taking advantage of the opportunity to really dig into the concepts and course content.

Many students, such as those in their first year of high school, transfer students with a GPA less than 2.5, and those who have no previous experience with online learning, may begin their academic journey at IU High School by initially enrolling in no more than two courses. This allows students time to create a schedule and organize their studies. After a four-week orientation period and students have successfully completed two lessons with a “C” or better, students may contact their advisor at ASKIUHS@indiana.edu to discuss their progress in the courses in which they are enrolled. An IU High School advisor will review the student’s coursework and interactions with their teacher(s). Once the student and their advisor feel confident about the student’s progress, they will work together to develop an enrollment plan that will support the student’s academic success within and across courses.

IU High School students may ultimately carry no more than five courses at one time, or six if they are pursuing the Honors diploma.