Is PENNFOSTER the right high school program for homeschooled teenagers.?

Question

i am currently enrolled in the pennfoster high school program and am questioning the program itself.it is way too easy to pass.open book tests,all multiple choice except a few where you have to send in an essay,and that you can get a high school diploma in less than a year and a half.all the books for each subjects are only like 50 pages long.sure you might get 2 or 3 of them but still is that all you need to learn a particular subject subject?ok so maybe a couple of subjects have a large textbook but only 2 or 3 of the subjects.all you need to do is complete the 17 core subjects and 5 electives and you will get a high school diploma.but heres the thing that gets me wheres the algebra?its not in the core subjects and it sucks that i have to use my electives for a mandatory subject (if they even have it for electives).the only math that they have is simple addition,subtraction,multiplication,divi... fractions.for example 45+10+.(come on it's a high school program not 1rst grade)

Answer 1

I agree.  Penn Foster isn't a "bad" program, but it's a very basic high school diploma.  It is right for some kids, but it really doesn't sound like it's a good fit for you.

I would also suggest homeschooling independently.  Honestly, the only real value to an "accredited" program is if you wish to go back into a public school sometime before graduation - the accreditation will make sure that the public school will accept your credits.  Colleges really couldn't care less (except for the UC system) whether you homeschooled online or on your own - they are happy to accept a diploma and transcript that your parents sign.

Here are some programs you might want to check out:

TRISMS http://trisms.com/ - an integrated curriculum that includes everything except for foreign language, lab science and math.  You can even integrate worldview studies into it.

Video Text Interactive http://videotext.com/ - one of the best math programs I've ever seen.  Teaching Textbooks (from the poster above) is also really well done.

Apologia http://apologia.com/ - complete science curriculums, both regular high school level and AP level.  The advanced levels are college work.  These also provide MP3 and CDRom supplements.  The MP3s will read the book to you (if you are an auditory learner) to help you get the info nailed down, and the CDRom will either present the entire course on your screen or provide you with multimedia presentations and virtual labs (you have a choice between the two versions).  (These are solid science from a creationist point of view.  There are other good science texts from a secular point of view, as well.)

You can easily get through high school level work on your own, as well as start on college work.  All of the above curriculums will let you work at your own level and pace to go through them as slowly or quickly as you need to.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

I am also a Penn Foster student getting my diploma. I did take Algebra1 and Algebra2. That was only because I took one year of public high school and got transferred credits. Penn Foster is a preferable homeschool program. If you are really reading all the material they provide you...you will be surprised at all the things you learn. I learned a lot. I already finished my work but I still need to pay my tuition so that's what is holding me up from graduating. Regardless, you are able to take Algebra through an elective selection. So either way if you are really "interested" in taking something like that you are able to take it *DONT MAKE EXCUSES* Penn Foster is the largest acrredited homeschool course you could take. No other better. You have to apply yourself and make the most out of the program. You have to study hard to get good grades. Nothing is easy. It all comes down to you.

Answer 3

I think you know the answer to your own question.  It doesn't matter as much which "school" you are using, what matters is how much you learn.  Colleges will expect you to study Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, and usually trigonometry or Pre-calculus.  They will expect that you have spent time reading the classics and learning true composition skills.  They will expect that you have taken 3 or 4 science classes with at least one or two lab sciences.  

You would be better off homeschooling independently.  Colleges accept homeschoolers with homemade transcripts and good SAT scores.  It happens all the time, homeschooling without a correspondence or on-line school can be far superior to what you can do with one.  Imagine all the money you spend on tuition being spent on lab supplies and books.

Check out this site for Algebra you can do on your own at home:  http://www.teachingtextbooks.com

If you do want a school, and you don't want a "phony" one like pennfoster, try

http://www.aopacademy.com (Christian) http://www.abekaacademy.com (Christian) http://www.edanywhere.com  (Secular).

Answer 4

I use Penn Foster High School Program.

For me, it is the best program out there.  It's affordable and most importantly, I am learning.

I guess that the reason why Penn Foster High School is so general is because everyone is in the program for a different reason.  I think that Alg. 1 and Alg. 2 are considered higher learning, so people that do decide to take them are interested in going to college.  

I like Penn Foster because I get to study their books and my own.  I do 1-2 hours of Penn Foster and the rest of my day is all about music (violin and alto sax).  

Using Penn Foster gives me the ability to learn a lot in a short period of time.  So for me Penn Foster is the best high school program out there for me.

Answer 5

Sounds like it's a GENERAL (non-college) diploma.  AT my school that that took 100 credits.  A college program was 150 credits.

You didn't need Algebra, Geometry, Trig, Biology, Chemistry or Physics to get a diploma.

But that is required for college.

So their college program is all electives (technically it's that way in high school too, you decide if you want a COLLEGE MAJOR or not).

At my high school you could GENERAL major and then take other classes as electives for your goals.  Some kids took auto shop for 3 years, some took electronics shop for 3 years, some took drama or music for 3 years.

Answer 6

i thing PENNFOSTER is the right high school program for homeschooled teenagers But

I have a nice site for u where u get interested  information about HomeSchooling & Free HomeSchooling.

http://www.OnlineStudyInfo.com