Alternative program speeds graduation
Special to The Clarion-Ledger
OXFORD — Currie Martin is among the state's foremost young tennis players.
The 16-year-old also is one of the top students in the University of Mississippi's alternate route to high school graduation.
For students like Martin, the No.1 seed in tennis singles for his age group in Mississippi, Ole Miss' Independent Study High School offers the flexibility and preparation needed for college.
Martin, who is from Oxford, is not enrolled in a traditional high school. He previously attended Oxford High.
But through the Independent Study High School, he's able to stay on top of his studies while maintaining a rigorous practice and tournament schedule.
"These courses better prepare me for college because the tests cover seven or eight chapters rather than one or two like at a regular high school," Martin said. "By my senior year, I'll be able to enroll in dual-credit courses and most likely knock out half of my (college) freshman courses while finishing my high school courses."
UM-ISHS offers a full curriculum of semester courses for students in grades 9-12. Courses are facilitated via print and online and are taught by licensed teachers, most with master's degrees.
"This is an ideal route for students wanting to supplement their home-school curriculum in areas of the curriculum that parents are not confident teaching," said Stephen Beebe, coordinator of the program. "In time, it will be the No. 1 route for home-school curriculum in Mississippi."
Besides accommodating the curriculum needs of home-school students, UM-ISHS works to supplement the educational needs of students in rural and critical- needs school districts.
In many cases, students seeking advanced courses unavailable at their schools participate in advanced placement courses through UM-ISHS. The program also can help students working toward early high school graduation.
UM-ISHS is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Instructors are highly qualified and experienced teachers.
Each course contains detailed self-help activities that guide the student through a lesson without immediate instruction from a supervisor.
"Unlike before, now I'm having to sit down and read and learn rather than just memorizing like I was doing in school," Martin said. "It is not how good a student you are, it is how much you want to work at it, and the flexibility is really nice, too."
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