A high school diploma is one of the most important things you can earn in the course of your life. A high school diploma lets you move on to college, get a better-paying job, and apply for vocational school. Statistics show that a high school dropout will earn around $200,000 less than a high school graduate over the course of a lifetime. However, as important as a high school diploma is, unfortunately not everyone is able to finish high school in the traditional manner by graduating after four years of study. For those who are unable or unwilling to finish four years of high school, there are alternative high school options available. This article will look at some alternative ways to finish high school and earn your high school diploma.
- Attend Charter Schools: One of the alternative high school options you can consider is transferring your child to a charter school. The benefit here is that charter schools offer modified curriculums that allow students to learn subjects at their own pace. Charter schools are ideal if your child is behind in a few subjects and needs to catch up so they can graduate with their diploma on time.
- Take a High School Proficiency Exam to Graduate Early: If your child has attended two years of high school and are looking to graduate with their diploma early because they want to move on to vocational school, or want to start college early, then in most states they can take a high school proficiency exam to earn their diploma. The requirements vary by state, but in essence the exam broadly covers everything your child is supposed to learn in four years of high school, and if they pass the exam, they’re allowed to graduate with their diploma.
- Take Adult Education Classes: Another of the alternative high school options you can consider, especially if your child dropped out of high school, is taking adult education classes. If your child take them while they’re still around 18, they can take these classes to make up for the credits they didn’t earn in high school. Once they’ve earned enough credits, they can apply to receive their high school diploma.
In conclusion, there are several alternative high school options available for earning your high school diploma. These include attending a charter school to allow your child to study at their own pace and make up necessary credits in order to graduate on time. There’s also taking a high school proficiency exam and graduation early after passing. And finally, there’s also taking adult education classes if your child dropped out of high school and making up credits to earn a diploma. These are all viable alternative options for earning a high school diploma.