Obviously, a straight high school diploma, after four years in a traditional bricks and mortar school is the preferred goal. But what of those who, for whatever reason, were unable to obtain a traditional high school diploma?

The choice becomes narrowed down considerably. To enter a college or trade school it is necessary to get either a GED or a high school diploma. If you choose to obtain a high school diploma through correspondence be sure the program is approved or licensed by the state in which the school. is located. A diploma that is backed by the State Board of Education will be essential for schools and also in the work force if you are looking for job promotion. Most schools and companies will accept the diploma if it complies with the above standard or a GED.

So, which is better. It all depends on your personal situation. If you have time to attend classes and can squeeze the time to take the assigned tests then the GED might be the way to go. But if you are working or under a lot of pressure to handle family and job then a program that allows you to work at your own pace could be right for you. There are a few approved, licensed, accredited correspondence or on line programs that fit the bill if that is your choice. The problem is that they cost money. The GED program does not cost much but you are working under the GED program’s schedule. You must complete the entire program in one year and pass all the subjects or you do not get a GED. Furthermore there is no carry over of your passing grades. You start over from scratch.

An approved correspondence program usually does not have strict finishing dates and you fit in your work on the schooling at your own pace. Most correspondence programs offer payment plans and tutoring so in the end the choice is yours.

Up until the 12th grade, courses and required core subjects are, almost country wide, specifically programmed for the student. For example, Algebra 2 follows Algebra 1, usually 9th and 10th grade. Biology comes before Physics and there is English 1, 2, 3, 4.

When a student drops out of school, he or she often will have passed some of these courses, received credit, and might not have done so well on the other courses. However, if often happens at Liberty High School that we will see someone who might pass all their Math courses and fail in English or vice-versa.

Therefore, when a student comes to us with a mixed record of achievement we grant credit for those courses passed and, in essence, fill in the gaps. Consequently, there is no structured 9th grade, 10th grade on up levels at an adult on line high school.

Under state law, all the core subjects must be covered along with electives but most times the courses are not sequential.

What’s important is that the student focuses on each course to fulfill what’s missing in their curriculum. Many times it has been our experience that with this focus, the student “gets it” this time around.

Liberty High School is proud to announce that it has formed an alliance with the Assembly of World Diasporas, diasporasworld.org an organization dedicated to helping the displaced persons all around the world. Liberty is offering courses and a high school program to aid these individuals in restarting their lives and giving them an opportunity to continue their education in the United States. They have offices in New York and Chicago.

We have found that more and more employers, even if an employee has been employed for years with the company, are being asked to provide proof of graduation from high school. As companies revised their databases they found some information, high school graduation, to be missing. We are receiving an increase in requests for transcripts from former students.