How Do Microschools Conduct Admissions Processes?

The National Home School Research Institute’s article on Microschools states that there are hundreds of microschools in America today. There have been a few case studies on microschooling, but no one has yet to study how the admissions process takes place at microschools.

Microschools could be classified into two types: non-cooperative and cooperative. Non-cooperative schools would have students who are isolated from each other while the cooperative schools would have interdependent relationships with each other. In the case of non-cooperative microschools, students would have their own curriculums and textbooks. These individualized curriculums would allow parents to hold teachers accountable for their children’s learning progress. However, this creates a problem with the admissions process because parents cannot know how other students are learning.

In contrast, cooperative microschools would have students learning together. This creates an advantage in the admissions process because parents can see how other students are learning and can compare their children’s progress with others.

However, there is research that suggests that microschools should not be cooperative because it could give way to discrimination. For instance, student A who has a high IQ may choose not to share his/her mathematics textbook with student B who is struggling in the subject. This creates an unlevel playing field for student B because he/she would be learning at a slower pace than the rest of the class.

Based on the info above, it is important to first identify which model your microschool will follow before moving forward.

Using an Online Admissions Management System for Microschools

An online admissions management system would be a great way to start this type of school because it could accomplish many goals at once. For example, it will give the students more opportunities than just online learning, which is not very prevalent in other microschools. Hiring admissions counselors may be an unnecessary cost for some groups, but if the school is expecting good results, then it may be worth the investment. The school could also begin to build a strong online community which can be seen as an advantage over traditional schools that use brick and mortar buildings.

Advantages of Microschools, Particularly in Their Admissions Processes

The basic advantages of microschooling are the small classes and the flexibility to study subjects that interest the students, instead of being forced to take a certain curriculum. Another advantage is that most micro-educational organizations do not have minimum or maximum age limits. This gives more opportunities for adults to keep learning new things.

Some of the advantages concerning micro-schools’ admissions processes are that they are able to accept students who have been homeschooled or even expelled from their last education institution, since these schools are usually private institutions. One other great advantage is that some micro-schools will accept students who can perform well in a different educational system, like at home or in a cyber school.

However, there are certain challenges that come along with micro-schooling and their admissions processes. Some may say that the lack of government mandated education laws could be an issue if parents want to enroll their children into these schools. These schools may also typically lack funding and resources due to their small size, which can lead to additional problems.

Micro-schools could be beneficial for those who are unable to attend traditional schools; however, there has been little research done on how these schools function and the admissions process that they use. Because of this many parents will have a hard time finding information about these schools.

In conclusion, there are many different opinions among scholars about the benefits and drawbacks of micro-schools. It is a well known fact that there has not been much research done on how these schools function and what their admissions process is like. Researchers have only made proposals in regards to this topic. However, for those who want to learn more about micro-schools, this research made by scholars have been a great starting point.

For those looking to start a microschool, a great place to start for most microschools is finding a good admissions management system online and trying out their free trial to see how it helps them. There is little commitment involved, and it may just work out for you.