Online Alternative School Launches in Indiana

Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA new, statewide online school has launched to help Hoosier high school students regain a path to graduation. The Indiana Digital Alternative (INDA) school was established for students who have found themselves at a credit deficit or are facing life situations that have made it difficult to graduate. Elizabeth Sliger, head of school for INDA, says the school gives students the opportunity for live online instruction, as well as flexibility to work around a job or family commitment.
The school is part of the Indiana Digital Learning School network and Sliger tells Inside INdiana Business the demand for an alternative program is apparent.
“We have definitely seen the need within our own population and that has created some research and some interest in what we can do to expand this option for students in Indiana and especially now,” said Sliger. “We’ve all faced difficulty. Virtual education needs to be an option. We don’t know what’s coming next, especially lately, so we want to protect this option for all students and those in special circumstances who are struggling – they need our extra attention.”
Sliger says in addition to earning a Core 40 diploma, students will also have the opportunity for career and technical instruction in fields such as marketing, accounting, health sciences, business and management, and early education.
“You simply cannot meet each child’s individual potential if you say college is the right way for everyone. It’s not. It’s not even the best path to a productive career for some careers and some students. So, we want to make sure that we’re recognizing that and we’re working with each individual student, their interests, their strengths. We know that that’s how they’re going to succeed most.”
The school has begun enrollment for grades 9-12 for the 2021-2022 academic year. Sliger says enrollment will help the school identify the best times of day for instruction for each student.
“We’re going to have multiple times available if they’re open earlier in the day before they go to work or before the day starts, or if it’s the opposite and they need to work a little bit later, we want to identify that,” said Sliger. “We want to have flexible options available to them and we want to have high quality coursework that meets each student in the way that they need.”
Sliger says the demand for an alternative program was apparent.