Frequently Asked Questions
Application and Enrollment
What does Insight’s “alternative” classification mean ?
In the State of Oregon, private alternative schools work in partnership with each local school district. School districts may enter into a contract with Insight School of Oregon to provide educational services to students who reside in that district. Those educational services remain free to the students and families served by the private alternative school. The most significant impact is that before we can serve you, we must meet with your district Superintendent and establish an agreement to work with us.
What are the location and age restrictions?
Students must be residents of a District within Oregon with an established agreement with Insight. Students must be 19 years of age or younger when they enroll. Students who are 20 years old and need additional education in order to receive a diploma may also be admitted. Students must also be able to demonstrate completion/mastery of the eighth grade.
Do students have to start in the 9th grade?
Students may start in 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade.
What is the status of my application?
Whether a student can attend Insight is ultimately at the discretion of the local district. Interested students can express their desire to enroll in Insight by contacting a local school official. The application will be reviewed by the local district and students will be informed by the district of their decision. If approved by the district, Insight will contact students directly to review any further application steps.
What can I do to improve my chances of acceptance?
If information is needed, you will be contacted. If your District does not have an established agreement with Insight, you may wish to write to or speak with your District to determine if one is forthcoming.
When will I know whether I’ve been accepted?
You will receive notification after we have received all required enrollment documents and your enrollment has been confirmed by your District.
How many students will get into the school?
The School is a private online alternative high school, with an agreement with your district, all students who wish to enroll are admitted subject only to capacity and the geographic and age restrictions listed above.
Can I attend part-time?
Students must take a minimum of 4 Insight classes, which is full-time status. Students wishing part-time courses should check with their School/District to determine if this is an option.
Online Learning & Technology
Do I need to have a computer to attend Insight School of Oregon?
Full time students enrolled in four or more classes are provided with a late model laptop computer and printer.
Who is responsible for ink/toner replacement for the printers?
Insight Schools will provide full-time students with a starter set of ink/toner with the initial printer shipment. It is then the responsibility of the family for future ink/toner replacement.
What are the internet connection requirements for a student to be successful?
The minimum ‘connection requirement’ for students who attend our schools is dial-up speed. Faster transmission speeds and more powerful computing platforms may provide a richer experience, but are not required.
When will my computer arrive? How will I get it?
Your laptop computer will be shipped before orientation and the start of the school year.
How do you protect against cyber predators?
Cyber predators today are something that all schools, online or not, must deal with. At Insight Schools, the education we deliver and the tools for virtual socialization we provide (discussion boards) are located behind secure, password-protected servers. Insight-issued laptops are outfitted with software to block the more sensitive sex and violence oriented sites, which can be areas where cyber predators seek out children.
Although nothing but strong parenting coupled with educating our children of the risks of cyber predators can stop predators from being completely successful, our program encourages students to socialize online behind safe ‘doors’.
General
How do you offer socialization in an online high school?
The level of socialization a student wants is a decision of the family and the student. However, Insight offers both virtual and face-to-face opportunities to interact with other students and families.
The classes that students take provide many opportunities for interaction through discussion threads and ‘virtual classrooms’ where students are together at the same time communicating through two-way voice over IP, instant messaging, and application sharing.
Virtual socialization also includes participation in clubs (e.g., debate, newspaper, student government, chess) organized and run virtually. Face-to-face socialization includes periodic events organized by Insight and held in different locations throughout the region. Through our prior experiences, students have told us that they found they could build great relationships with other students through the community-building structure we provide.
Will school dances be held? A graduation/commencement ceremony?
Yes, there will be dances and a graduation/commencement ceremony. Periodically, Insight School of Oregon will hold field trips and events in different geographic locations throughout the state.
What about athletics and other extracurricular activities like band and drama?
Insight School of Oregon full-time and part-time students may participate in extra-curricular activities at the resident public school at the District’s discretion.
Where does the name “Insight” come from?
To gain insight is to find the true nature of something, to find an answer to a difficult question. Insight School of Oregon works with students for whom traditional high school is not the best setting. It helps students find insight into how they can succeed in their own education given their own personal aspirations and abilities.
The emphasis on the ‘I’ in our logo represents four things. First, it represents our principle of the celebration of the individual and the uniqueness in each individual’s abilities, dreams, and history. Second, it symbolizes the fact that our program is delivered over the Internet. Third, it relates to our program being a self-directed, fully supported, independent study program. Finally, it represents interaction in our courses, between students, and between families.
Is the school accredited?
Insight School of Oregon was awarded full accreditation in the spring of 2008 by the National Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS). Click here to learn more about accreditation.
Courses & Instruction
Does online learning in an independent study format work well?
Yes. For many students, online independent study learning is an excellent means by which their personal strengths can be drawn out, while their weaknesses can be addressed. An online independent study program addresses students with different learning styles. It also allows students to engage in meaningful one-to-one interactions with instructors in a more anonymous environment that rewards curiosity and exploration without retribution. Finally, it offers engagement through interaction and access to information made possible through technology at a pace and time that suits teens.
What roles do instructors play?
Instructors, all of whom are highly qualified and certified in their content area, are able to focus their time on teaching, mentoring, and engaging with students rather than on classroom management because of the professionally prepared curriculum and the independent study nature of the program. Instructors are able to prioritize building relationships with each and every student and understand their particular needs because the means for interaction are primarily one-to-one.
Instructors work closely with students as subject matter experts to help with the exploration, comprehension, and application of course concepts. Instructors answer day-to-day questions and assess the student’s performance through assignments, exams, and quizzes. Instructors work closely with students and their families on the formation, progression, and evaluation of the student personal education plan (PEP).
Do your courses require textbooks?
Some courses require books. Insight provides required books to all students. Optional books can be purchased in Insight’s online bookstore.
How do you teach lab courses like Biology or Chemistry?
The content component and structure of our biology courses (SCI 200, 210 and 220) are the same as our other courses. We make use of the latest technology to walk students through virtual labs and dissections.
How do you satisfy the physical fitness requirement?
We have a set of courses (HPE110, 111, 112, 210, 211) that emphasize individual physical fitness and nutrition. These courses require the student to form, measure, and report on their individual fitness as they complete individual physical fitness exercises.
Are there assignments and due dates?
It is important that students complete assignments and stay within close proximity to a schedule. Staying current with assignments will allow teachers to more effectively provide group as well as individual assistance. Completing assignments will provide the student with knowledge necessary to be successful in future coursework.
Our curriculum provides due dates for assignments. Students should complete assignments on the assigned dues dates.
How do you prevent students from cheating?
Insight takes academic integrity very seriously and has a number of methods to prevent plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration. We use a number of online tools designed specifically for identifying plagiarism in type-written assignments. Our online quizzes and exams require proctor passwords and the feedback for online quizzes is designed to include “flags” that signal instructors when a student is copying from another student. Date and time stamps and clocks that measure the amount of time spent on the online quiz can also be used to identify inappropriate student collaboration.
A more subjective, but no less effective, tool for identifying cheating is the instructor’s knowledge of the student’s ability, past work, and verbal “print”. Keeping in mind that much of the relationship with the student is built via the written word, a student’s “word print” is as unique and identifiable in an online classroom as a student’s face is in a face-to-face classroom. Although no school—online or otherwise—can guarantee 100% academic honesty, we’ve taken all reasonable measures available to us to monitor student activities and to identify cheating when it happens. Instances of academic dishonesty will be dealt with immediately and in accordance with School policy. Prior to enrolling in classes, students and their parents are required to sign an academic honesty policy.
How do parents stay involved?
We sincerely hope that parents will be deeply involved in their student’s experience at Insight School of Oregon, although we recognize that for some students this may not be possible. Although the level at which parents involve themselves is a family decision, we hope parents at least support their son or daughter in their studies, keep informed of their progress, and encourage them to stay on top of their work. Parents will be provided access to up-to-date information about their son’s or daughter’s progress throughout the semester via the Insight School of Oregon regular update mailings.
We also recognize that as students enter the high school years, they often seek to become more independent. Our program is designed to support exploration of that independence, but always providing necessary guidance and expertise through the Insight iSupport Team where needed.
How frequently will I get progress reports/how do parents get information?
Parents are provided access to our student information system, and can access the system at any point with username and password. Grades are updated weekly. Insight instructors are always available to consult with parents by email or telephone.
What support do you offer students?
Support comes in many forms: academic support, student services, and technological support.
All students are provided with an iSupport Team led by the student’s iLearning Instructor, the team member who serves as the primary point of contact with the family. Additional members of the team include the student’s instructors (subject-matter experts), admissions counselors, and special education coordinators as needed. The purpose of the iSupport Team is to provide guidance and communication, to help with learning strategies, and to enable success.
Students and their families will also be able to access Insight's Student Services Team for policy questions, academic records, and other operational-type questions. The Technological Support Team will help families with course access issues, lost passwords, and hardware issues.
Do I have to be home while my child is doing schoolwork?
No. Although your son or daughter will benefit from your encouragement and knowing that you care about his or her progress, the Insight iSupport Team is available for support. One benefit of our program is that your son or daughter can study at his or her own time, place, and pace—you will be able to observe your student “going to school” during your off hours.
Does Insight offer summer school courses?
Summer courses are not yet available as part of our program. We’re looking into how we may provide those to our students in the future.
Academics
Do students take the Oregon Standards Test?
Students who are enrolled as full-time students at Insight School of Oregon are required to take the Oregon State Assessment for Knowledge and Skills and Writing Standards Test. Insight staff will work with Districts to make arrangements to have students take the tests in locations that are geographically close to where they live.
Can I transfer credits in from a homeschool portfolio? From standardized exams?
Students can be in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade when they enroll. Generally speaking, students can transfer in high school credits or earn credit for homeschool work to apply towards their graduation requirements at Insight. Students who enroll with high school credits or with work from a homeschool portfolio must meet with an Insight Admissions Counselor to evaluate satisfactory completion of the work as it relates to Insight standards.
Can my child apply to college after completing our Insight program?
Absolutely. When your son or daughter completes the Insight of Oregon program, he or she will have completed coursework that makes them eligible for an Oregon authorized diploma. With that diploma comes all the records that are required for the college application process: valid transcripts, SAT/ACT scores “attached to” a public high school, instructor recommendations, school extracurricular activities, a student portfolio and culminating project.
There are incremental benefits for college-bound students who graduate from Insight School of Oregon. First, students can choose from multiple academic options—AP, Honors, and College Prep—designed specifically to achieve the goal of getting into college. These academic options offer the necessary courses, preparation, and challenge. Second, the view of colleges over the last several years towards independent study programs is that they do a better job preparing students for college because of the time management and individual responsibility skills they imbue. Colleges are finding more and more that students from programs like Insight School of Oregon make the transition into college more readily than their counterparts.
