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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ISBerne Online is accredited through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), which is indicative of the high quality education
and rigorous standards that are met. Full courses are offered from Kindergarten through Grade 12, and an American High School Diploma is awarded
upon graduation. High school students can also participate in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and requisite exams that can be used to apply for college credit at US institutions. We offer support from qualified and experienced licensed teachers based across America, Europe and the Middle East. ISBerne Online offers teacher-led virtual classes, using our own platform.

Due to changes legislated by the International Baccalaureate, IB courses are no longer available for distance learning programmes such as ISBerne Online. Therefore, ISBerne Online no longer offers IB courses. If you are interested in IB, you must enroll and attend an IB school on campus, such as our International IB sister school, ISBerne, in Switzerland.

Depending on the learning challenge, it’s best to discuss the specifics with the Enrollment team. Online learning can be a terrific alternative for students who have difficulty concentrating in a traditional classroom. Since students can go at their own pace and work through the material independently, oftentimes the flexibility of online learning is an appealing option for families. If a student requires a lot of extra guidance or support, the learning coach at home may need to allocate more of his/her time to the student’s studies. Again, best to discuss the issues with our Enrollment Team to see if online learning is a good solution for your child.

There is plenty of support for each and every student.  Each course has highly qualified, course-specific teachers who grade assignments, provide feedback, and answer questions concerning the course content.  Teachers are available over email, Google chat, phone or Skype. The Academic Advisor acts as a student’s liaison to help with questions concerning the school, assist in navigating the system, and who regularly keeps the parents up to date on a student’s progress. Additionally, ISBerne Online has a School Counselor available to students for personal and academic support, in addition to help with the application process.

When enrolling a sibling, we offer a 10% discount on full time enrollment for each subsequent child. However, there are no scholarships awarded for ISBerne Online at this time.

A full time student can take up to 6 courses at a time. A part time student can take no more than 3 courses at a time. Since a part time student is normally following
a full school workload at their local school, we urge students to consider how much time they have to dedicate to the required work before enrolling in multiple online courses in a single term.

Our online courses do not require you to be online at a specific time. We have submission deadlines but students choose the place and time to attend courses and work on assignments. Students should plan on logging into the online learning school at least an hour a day for each subject.

ISBerne Online is for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12, typically aged 5 to 18 years. Students can study full time or part time, entering at any grade. For students older than 18 years old, enrollment is possible provided that courses are finished before a student turns 22 years old. For more information or to explain your situation, please contact us.

Minimum System Requirements

All Systems

  • High-Speed Internet Access (DSL, Cable Modem, FIOS)
  • Sound Card
  • Microphone
  • Camera (Optional, for Web Conference)
  • Headphone/Earbuds (Recommended for Windows & Macintosh, Required for Chromebooks)

Microsoft Windows 10

  • Chrome Browser (Recommended)
  • Recent Version - Auto Update Enabled
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader

Macintosh OS 10.10 "Yosemite"

  • Chrome Browser (Recommended)
  • Recent Version - Auto Update Enabled
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader

Chromebook/Chrome OS

  • Fully Supported Model
  • See https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en

You can take our online classes using either a PC or a Mac.

In Lower School, the online curriculum includes courses in the four core subjects—language arts, math, science, and social studies. Students also have access to elective courses at each grade level, plus world language options from Grade 3 onward. Every course offers flexible pacing, allowing students to move at the speed that best suits their needs. Those who are ready to move on to the next lesson or unit can do so, while those who need just a little more time may take it. Nearly all courses are complemented by a wealth of hands-on teaching tools you would find in a traditional classroom. Students are placed in a homeroom and assigned a homeroom teacher. This person is your first point of contact with any questions or concerns and will meet with the student and learning coach 1:1 on a bi-weekly basis. Students also receive live teaching sessions in Math and Language Arts. These sessions are designed to provide introduction or review practice as well as an opportunity for students to interact in small group activities.

The Middle School program (Grades 6–8) offers a moderate degree of flexibility. An assignment calendar is provided to the student each week which shows suggested pacing; this calendar should be adhered to as closely as possible, however all work is due by the end of the term. The parent/Learning Coach can vary the pacing to accommodate the student’s abilities. The online teachers work in conjunction with the parent/Learning Coach to review progress and modify the pace when necessary.

In the High School program, students are expected to be more accountable for their daily progress and time management. The student is expected to move at a more consistent pace with her or his classes, in each subject, though there is room for flexibility. There are weekly and sometimes daily assignments and due dates. Students are expected to complete assignments and submit them on or prior to the due date or the grade may be penalized. Students can work whenever they want, including on the weekends, but must meet due dates for assignments. If students have a call scheduled with a teacher or have a synchronous online session, they are expected to attend those meetings. There is no fixed time for students to log into the online school. They are free to do so anytime during the day. We recommend students to take at least an hour per day, per subject for the ordinary online courses. Advanced Placement courses have different requirements.

Students will automatically receive an academic record upon completion of their enrollment but may also request an academic record any time.

ISBerne Online uses several types of assessments including practice quizzes, short answer and essay questions, objective multiple choice exams, and oral examinations (when appropriate). This mix provides the independent learner with checkpoints to monitor his or her progress through each course.

Yes, our teachers are a fundamental part of our school. The course teachers are all highly qualified and certified teachers with an average of at least 7 years of teaching experience. The academic staff at ISBerne Online have years of international experience and provide excellent guidance and support to our students.

ISBerne Online students can choose if they want to come to the Berne campus for residency weeks. These weeks are designed to support the student academically
and socially, but are not required. Students can also opt to participate in our Study Abroad Program and enroll in traditional classes on-campus or take a combination
of both on-campus and online courses, for either a semester or full year. The student will stay with either an ISBerne or local Swiss family.

Yes, students are assigned a teacher for each course in addition to support from the Academic Advisor and School Counselor. For specific course questions, teachers have “office hours” when they are available online, and they will respond to emails within 24 hours. Teachers are available for Skype and phone calls as well. Each week, students and teachers can connect real-time in Big Blue Button, our virtual classroom.

Currently, the majority of our course instructors are based in the United States with a few residing in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

Yes. Part of the enrollment process is for our Enrollment Team to evaluate the transcripts from his/her previous high school and determine the number of credits that can be transferred to meet our own graduation requirements. Some Grade 10-12 international transcripts may require translation and/or evaluation through an external agency, The Arizona International Credential Evaluators, at an extra cost prior to being considered for transfer credits.

Students need to log in to our online platform and are assigned their own teachers along with a Homeroom teacher for KG- Grade 5 and an Academic Advisor  for Grade 6 to Grade 12. The teacher will contact you on the first day of school and will work closely with the student to ensure that they are fully supported and on track with their coursework.  We have 2 terms per year (each term is 5 months) and the end date depends on your start date. Both the students and parents will have their own log in access details.

Teachers do not send schedules. Students follow a pacing guide/calendar. Teacher led live classes are available throughout the week, classes are also recorded and can be replayed on our platform. Your Canvas Calendar can be used to manage work that are due. It is recommended that you use the agenda view so that you can see all outstanding tasks.

Live classes are scheduled during the week (Sunday-Thursday) and scheduled within Gulf Standard Time. All classes are recorded in case of absence and can be played back at your leisure.  Students can contact the teacher directly via Google Chat for further support.

All our material is digital and can be accessed through our online platform. Students are required to submit their online coursework, quizzes, essays and exams.

ISBerne Online uses several types of assessments including practice quizzes, short answer and essay questions, objective multiple choice exams, and oral examinations (when appropriate). This mix provides the independent learner with checkpoints to monitor his or her progress through each course.

Exams are taken online at home. The date and time is set by our school. The platform is secured in order to ensure that students cannot open any other webpages.

Students in Kindergarten through to Grade 8 are required to study between 4-6 hours per day, 5 days a week. Students in Grade 9-12 are required to study around 6 hours per day, 5x a week.

We are fully licensed and accredited by NEASC  and our report cards are accepted by schools internationally. We offer students an American High School diploma that is fully recognized by universities. Please check our university acceptance page on our website.

In Kindergarten to Grade 8, students are required to take 4 core courses: English, Math, Science and History, and can choose 2 electives which are optional. Please do refer to our course catalog for more details.

In Grade 9-12, we follow a credit system and students are required to take 6 courses per year: English, Math, History and Science a world language and electives in order to earn 6 credits per year. You would require 24 credits in order to graduate. Please refer to our course catalog for more details on the high school courses.

Students studying from home require their parent (or another responsible adult) to serve as the "Learning Coach". The learning coach works in conjunction with the teacher, helping facilitate progress through the daily lessons and working to modify the pace and schedule according to the child’s needs. The learning coach assists the student as well to stay on schedule, monitors attendance, and communicates with the online teachers. Although parents play the role of learning coach for their students in managing the schedule and ensuring the student is completing work at a reasonable pace, teachers remain constantly involved to monitor progress, ensure mastery, and develop specific intervention plans when a child is studying.

Still have a question?

Contact Us or fill out an Enquiry Form and someone from our Enrollment team will reach out to you.

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