NEED TO KNOW

Between grades 10-12 students can enroll in any course at any school in the province.

It is possible for grade 10-12 students to work at both a brick and mortar school and an online (DL) school.

It is possible for grade 10-12 students to work at more than one DL school simultaneously.

There is lots of flexibility and a great deal of choice of courses.

There are some challenges with organization associated with cross-enrollment.

Distance Learning And Cross-Enrollment

1) What is Distance Learning?

Distance Learning (DL) is a publicly funded education option from the BC Ministry of Education. It allows students to have a more flexible education with more options and choice for parents.

2) How does it work?

Students and parents fill in an application form for a DL school. The student registers and completes an activation assignment for each class they want to take. This opens the course for them, connects them with a teacher and starts their DL experience. Students then complete assignments (mostly online) and submits them to their teacher who marks them and provides feedback and grades. At the end of the year, each student receives a report card as usual, and has a BC education transcript that is transferable to any other school or university.

3) How can my child study at different schools?

It?s called “cross-enrollment.”

Cross-enrollment is relatively easy for students in Grades 10-12. The Ministry of Education makes it possible for students in these grades to take any course at any school. The schools where the majority of courses are being taken becomes that student’s ‘home school’. They will collate the grades from the other schools and issue the transcript. It is very possible to have a student attend a regular school for the bulk of their courses, but take specific courses (Math 10, Physics 12 etc) online. It is also possible to attend a DL school for some courses while still attending a brick and mortar home school.

4) What are the potential problems?

There are some challenges if your child gets funding for learning support. This is due to the way that the funding is used to pay a Special Needs coordinator who will be based out of your child’s home school. We will cover this more in the handout titled “Funding”. However, scheduling is the biggest problem that we find with students who cross-enrol while at a regular school. Often, brick and mortar schools have a day 1/day 2 schedule, which makes it difficult to find a regular time for studying the DL courses. This can be managed, and BrainBoost can help you out. The counselors at your ‘home school’ and your DL school(s) will also be able to help with any specific problems.

5) What are the advantages?

We work with many students who take certain subjects through DL while mostly working at a regular school. Sometimes students find the instruction suits their style better, others find the flexibility in timing allows them to spend longer on units they find difficult, and move through easier units more quickly. They would not get this flexibility in a regular school. It is also possible for you and your child to ‘shop around’ to find a course that suits you the best.