Washington State Now Offers Required History Course Online -- THE Journal

Distance Learning

Washington State Now Offers Required History Course Online

By Mike Hohenbrink
10/15/12

A mandatory history class in Washington state is now available online in order to make it easier for students to meet a state requirement that they be familiar with the history of the state prior to graduation.

Washington State History will be offered for students through Red Comet's online program with the class covering the state's history from its earliest days up until the present.

The offering is self-paced and intended to meet a gap in districts unable to offer the course every term, a challenge for students who fall ill or who otherwise miss the normal sequence of course offerings. The class will also be utilized in some cases for credit recovery, according to information released by the company.

Mandated by the Washington State Board of Education, the course is designed to cover a variety of topics relating to the state's history with emphasis on climate, economics, geography, and government. Early settlement, statehood, and challenges today are among lessons that make up the class, as well as identifying major industries that drive the state's economy and the state's six primary geographic regions.

Also included is a civics component designed to help students to understand just how government functions, the division of government into local, state, and national components, and how the system of checks and balances helps to make sure the system functions as it ought to.

Respect for diversity is also stressed with an emphasis on the unique cultural and ethnic groups that have helped to make the state what is today.

"Once we launched this course, there was an overwhelming response from both the students and school administrators," said Dr. Jay Srinivasan, managing director of Red Comet. "Students and parents were glad that they had the option to take this self-paced course online anytime during the year. School administrators are pleased that Red Comet courses help their students graduate on-time."

Founded in 1999, Red Comet is an online provider of high school course offerings with the approbation of the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The company holds accreditation with the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), part of AdvancED.

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