When you’re looking for an online middle school, it’s likely that you’ll consider criteria such as accreditation, curriculum, and tuition.
And while those are important, there are other equally important things to consider. You want to make sure your child gets the middle school education they need to set them up for a seamless transition to high school and beyond, both academically and socially. Further, the right online program will depend heavily on a student’s learning methods and whether they need some structure and assistance from faculty or if they’re going to get that structure from home.
That’s why we also recommend you factor in:
- The online learning environment: Many students struggle to pay attention in online classes, recall what was taught, or learn new concepts. The best online programs will use interactive learning tools, multimedia, and other techniques that can make online learning more engaging.Plus, consider how the online classes are structured. Is the online class like a recreation of a large classroom, where thirty plus students (if not more) are attending a Zoom call, listening to a lecture? Are they pre-recorded courses, where a student can’t easily ask for help but can go at their own pace? Or are the online classes more personalized, with one-to-one sessions between student and teacher?
- Scheduling flexibility: A big perk of online schooling is flexibility. Flexible class scheduling can make it easier for students to plan school around their lives, explore interests, and participate in extracurricular activities.
- Social opportunities: Online learning shouldn’t be isolating. A good online program can create opportunities for online classmates to socialize – whether that’s joining online clubs or working together in an online classroom environment.
- Student services: Students may need access to tutoring, career counseling, personalized education plans, and other services. If your child will benefit from this, look for an online school that offers these services.
In this post, we look at 6 of the best online middle schools, including:
- Fusion Global Academy
- K12 Private Academy
- Connections Academy
- Laurel Springs School
- Florida Virtual School
- Pearson Online Academy
1. Fusion Global Academy: A Highly Personalized, 1-to-1 Online Middle School
Fusion Global Academy is a fully-accredited private online middle school and high school. We serve grades 6–12, and specialize in one-to-one classes (one teacher to one student).
Because we offer both middle school and high school classes, Fusion can be a seamless transition for a student as they continue their education.
One of the key differences between our online program and others is that fully personalized educational experience that comes with one-to-one teaching. This one-to-one method means our teachers can design a personalized middle school curriculum, and adapt their teaching methods and environment based on each student’s individual needs.
This level of personalization helps keep students engaged as they learn virtually. It eliminates distractions and the likelihood of a student falling behind because they’re unable to ask questions or signal confusion. Further, this level of personalization greatly benefits all types of students. Whether we’re talking about gifted children, students who want to go at their speed, or students with learning differences such as ADHD, dyslexia, and sensory processing disorder.
In addition to interactive and personalized classes, our online middle school also offers:
- Flexible scheduling: We work with you to make online learning as convenient as possible, scheduling classes during the hours that best suit your family. Our flexible scheduling makes it possible for all students to create a schedule that works for them. Classes can be scheduled from the early morning to late at night (between 5:30 AM and 11:30 PM Eastern Time).
- A healthy social life, online: Studying online at Fusion does not mean pursuing your academic career alone.
First, students can enter the Global Homework Café. Here they can complete coursework with other students, work silently, or ask questions of staff present.
Then, we have online groups, events, and clubs. These are clubs such as the D&D club, Yearbook Club, and more.
Fusion Academy also maintains a campus presence. This is perfect if a student ever wants to start taking in person classes or create a hybrid schedule, where some classes are taken remotely and some in person. We have over 80 physical campuses across the United States.
If Fusion Academy seems like a good online school for your child, you can contact us to learn more or keep reading to learn about how online classes at Fusion are tailored towards each student.
Interactive Classes Tailored Towards Each Student
At Fusion, our classes will often use a mixed media approach to keep learning interesting, as well as interactive tools that maintain each student’s engagement and attention throughout the entire lesson.
For example, in an English class, we might have a student annotate digital pages of a poem that they’re studying, allowing them to offer their own interpretations.
And at Fusion, students get dedicated attention. This is for two reasons. First, each class is structured as one-to-one (one student, one teacher). Second, on average teachers only see around 6 students daily, so they’re spending more time and resources on each student. That allows us to integrate your child’s interests into their learning, designing custom content which is relevant to them.
For example, if a student needs to cover probability in math and is interested in zoology, we could use wildlife data from a nature reserve to calculate the probability of encountering one type of animal over another.
We’ve found that personalized learning not only helps our students feel seen and heard, but also fosters far healthier relationships between them and their teachers/mentors.
Moreover, it allows students to progress academically two to three times faster than their peers.
Flexible Online Class Scheduling
With Fusion Global Academy, there is plenty of flexibility for students when making their class schedule. Their classes can be held any time between 5:30 AM and 11:30 PM Eastern Time, depending on your needs.
With this flexibility, a student can:
- Choose which days of the week to have their classes. Classes don’t need to be five days a week, for example. Some students prefer to have most of their classes on two or three days a week.
- Choose whether they’re taking classes earlier in the day or later. This helps a student create a schedule that factors in all of their other obligations and needs.
- Strategically choose when they have specific classes. For some students, taking a math class is much more labor intensive than taking an English class. With Fusion, it’s easier to schedule their classes so their schedule does not overwhelm them. For example, they could schedule a math class, followed by a break for the rest of the day.
Plus, Fusion has open enrollment. Your child can begin online learning with us during any point of the year. This is great for families that are moving into a new neighborhood and need a new school, for students who want to start getting ahead on their education, or students who need to catch up or perhaps take some remedial classes.
As we have physical campuses alongside our online academy, students can attend some classes in person for hands-on learning while taking others online, creating a hybrid program.
Along with our full time online program, we offer additional programs which can also be scheduled flexibly, depending on your needs. For example, we offer:
- Private Tutoring
- Post-Secondary Counseling
- A Math Intervention Program
- A Reading Intervention Program
You can learn more about all of our academic programs here.
Socialize with Classmates Virtually
Often the benefits of online education (such as flexibility) can come at the sacrifice of socialization. But Fusion’s online school factors in the importance of socializing with peers.
We host online clubs and events for our students, where they can meet up, play games, socialize, and more. We also host meetups at our physical campuses where online learners can get together with online classmates for community events, field trips, and a school prom.
Some examples of online clubs we’ve hosted for our students include:
- Open Mic Night
- D&D
- Gaming Club
- Fitness Club
- Art Club
- Anime and Manga Club
Our teachers pay close attention to each student’s interests, and actively create opportunities to pair students together during activities if they notice mutual interests. That can help significantly towards building online friendships outside of school.
Along with events and activities, our students can also complete their homework together online through our “Global Homework Café” — a space for Fusion students around the world to collaborate on projects, socialize, and complete homework.
We have six virtual rooms for focused work, ensuring everyone is engaged in similar activities:
- Quiet Homework Café – for muted, focused work
- Math Meetup
- Science Lab
- English Language Arts
- History Hub
- What the Tech – for students experiencing technical troubles
All homework is done during school hours in the Homework Café. We don’t expect our students to do anything during after school hours, which should be spent on extracurriculars and family time.
Along with rooms for focused work, we have virtual rooms for socializing as well:
- Social Homework Café – for collaboration on homework.
- Community Event Space – for clubs and fun.
- Zen Zone – a place to meditate and enjoy soft music.
- Student Connections Corner – for one-to-one mentoring and emotional support.
Students can learn all about clubs and opportunities to socialize coming up through “The Global Neighborhood,” which they’ll find inside the Homework Café.
Additionally, for students who prefer to socialize off camera, we also offer “safe spaces of support” where they can do just that.
Fusion Academy Tuition
Fusion Academy offers flexible academic programs, so tuition can vary based on whether your child needs a full-time, part-time, or supplemental program.
When it comes to payment, you have several options:
- Paying in full (at a discounted rate)
- Enrolling in a payment plan
- Using third-party financing to help cover tuition costs
To get an accurate breakdown of tuition for your child’s specific academic program, contact us today.
2. K12 Private Academy
K12 Private Academy is an online school that works with students from pre-kindergarten, all the way up to the end of high school. They offer both full-time and part-time programs, host online students clubs, and are fully-accredited. They’re one of many K-12 schools, despite the name.
They’re accessible across the globe, and offer flexibility in enrollment, with several openings available in every semester. Additionally, they offer online tutoring, and a summer school program for children that need additional academic assistance.
Tuition ranges from $3,995 to $6,995 annually depending on your child’s grade level, but payment plans are aváilable, and students from Arizona can attend entirely for free through Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA).
3. Connections Academy
Connections Academy is a fully-accredited, tuition-free online public school serving 31 states across the USA. They work with students from kindergarten through to 12th grade.
Parental involvement is high, as the school implements “Learning Coaches” (parents or trusted adults) to oversee each child’s learning and communicate with teachers. This can take between 2 to 6 hours a day, depending on the child’s grade level.
Their curriculum is expertly-designed to engage middle school students’ minds. Social opportunities in the form of online clubs and in-person school trips occur regularly, and advanced courses are on offer for those who need an extra challenge. If a student needs additional support, whether it be with advanced or core courses, tutoring is also available.
4. Laurel Springs School
Laurel Springs teaches elementary school through to high school, and offers 24/7 access to their coursework that students can access globally, allowing them to self-study and progress at their own pace.
Students get 1-to-1 support from certified teachers, can choose the electives that interest them, and have access to over 30 online clubs and activities where they can make new friends.
Laurel Springs also offers tutoring to full-time students through Tutor.com, if they request it.
You can enroll at any point, and a full year of tuition costs $7,300.
5. Florida Virtual School (FLVS)
FLVS teaches grades K to 12, and allows students self-paced access to their middle school courses at any time, anywhere. The material is taught 1-to-1 by teachers who are available through their phone number, email, or a video call — making it easy to stay on top of your child’s academic progress.
Each student’s class schedule is flexible. Your child can schedule to attend anything from the school’s extensive course catalog of over 190 different online courses, at the time that best meets their needs. Additionally, students can participate in over 80 online clubs, with real-world opportunities to meet up in-person too.
Attendance is free for Florida residents, however for those outside of Florida, FLVS typically costs about $900 per course.
6. Pearson Online Academy
Pearson Online Academy is accredited and caters to K–12. Their teachers are certified, and offer individual attention to help students get through their challenging, high-quality curriculum, in preparation for college
Online classes are teacher-led rather than self-studied, and parents play a key-role in their child’s online education as Learning Coaches. Pearson offers both full and part-time courses, which can be flexibly scheduled to make your child’s education more convenient.
There are opportunities to socialize through online clubs and activities, such as art club, gaming club, and pop up events where students can learn more about each other.
Tuition costs between $5,016 and $8,050 depending on your child’s grade, and how you choose to pay.
Your Child Stays Focused and Enjoys Online Interactive Learning with Fusion Global Academy
Fusion Global Academy is a fully-accredited private online middle school. We cater to children in grades 6–12 across the world, and specialize in 1-to-1 personalized learning.
We’ll work with you to create a custom and flexible middle school program for your child, so that their online schooling is built around your life — and not the other way around.
Interested in online 1-to-1 learning for your child? Reach out to us.
We’re happy to answer any questions.