Distance Learning

Michigan Virtual School Reaches out for International Students

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 06/14/16

A Michigan school district with six schools, including one that delivers paid classes online for credit completion, will be opening its doors to international students. Clintondale Community Schools, which operates Clintondale Virtual School, will work with long-time technology partner EDUonGo on the initiative.

EDUonGo has a cloud-based platform that allows schools and educators to create online courses that are accessible on mobile devices and can accommodate web meetings in real time between instructors and students. The company has several pricing models, including  a revenue-sharing model enables schools to use EDUonGo in exchange for paying 20 percent of course revenue.

Clintondale's Virtual School charges $200 to $250 for each half-credit or one semester course. Students approved for the program will be enrolled in courses that are accredited towards United States high school diplomas. To determine their eligibility for enrollment, Clintondale will evaluate their transcripts and TOEFL English language test scores. Students must also provide proof of permission from the schools where they're enrolled.

The online courses will include U.S. history, U.S. government, English, math and computer science. Those are scheduled to begin in September 2016.

"Today's technology can grant international students the same opportunities our students have," said Superintendent Greg Green in a prepared statement. "We want education to bring hope on a global scale — and I believe our online high school will play an important role in that process."