Welcome to the American School Blog!

Since 2006, the American School Blog has kept students, parents and school officials up to date on what’s happening at American School. Below are our most recent blog posts.  Visit the American School Blog Archive to read noteworthy blogs from over the years.

 

 

 

American School Holds 126th Annual Meeting

It’s October 23, and today American School is holding its 126th annual meeting of trustees and corporate members.  The annual meeting is a yearly chance to review the challenges and opportunities of the past year and to plan for an even better future.  For the first...

Today’s Anniversary: The Sydney Opera House

It’s October 20, and the famous Sydney Opera House opened in Australia 50 years ago today.  The opera house is best known for its unique architectural design, but it’s also been the home of some amazing musical performances in the last 50 years.  This famous...

Testimonial Thursday

It’s Thursday, so we have a testimonial from one of our students.  Hannah from Arkansas writes, “Everything is easy to understand.  I think you can’t get much better with a homeschooling program.  It is very flexible and can work for just about anyone.”  We thank...

Today’s Anniversary: Moby-Dick

It’s October 18, and Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick was published on this date in 1851.  Herman Melville was a great American writer, and you can read works by more of them when you take our American Literature course.  We are happy to offer it among our high...

Boss’s Day 2023

It’s October 16, and today is Boss’s Day.  It’s a great opportunity for us to look back at the people who have served as THE boss here at American School, namely our presidents.  R.T. Miller founded American School in 1897 and served as president until 1945.  He was...

Today’s Special Occasion: Friday the 13th

It’s October 13 and it’s a Friday, so today’s blog is going to talk about Friday the 13th.  For many people this date is unlucky, but it doesn’t have to be.  You can make your own luck by enrolling and becoming an American School student.  Studies have shown that...

Testimonial Thursday

It’s Thursday, so let’s hear another testimonial from one of our students.  Nicole from Michigan writes, “American School was nothing like what I expected.  It was indeed better.”  We thank Nicole for those concise but powerful words.  Sometimes people enter into new...

Semesters of Online World Language Courses

Today’s blog is about semesters of our online world language courses powered by Rosetta Stone which are great additions to an accredited high school program or independent study program.  Rosetta Stone’s courses are divided into levels, and each level is the...

American School Staff Completes Mandated Reporter Training

American School staff recently completed mandated reporter training.  By law our staff is required to report suspected instances of child abuse, and the mandated reporter training helps us do that.  Although we may not see visible signs of child abuse or neglect...

American School Closed Monday, October 9, 2023

American School will be closed Monday, October 9.  We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, October 10, and look forward to assisting you with your accredited middle school courses and accredited high school courses at that time.  Thank you for making us...

Today’s Anniversary: PBS

It’s October 5, and the Public Broadcasting Service, more commonly known as PBS, was launched on this date in 1970.  PBS airs a variety of programs, including shows relating to current events, science and history, but a good portion of its programming focuses on...

American School and Twitter (X)

Today’s blog has an update about American School’s page on Twitter (or X as it is now being called).  American School has had a page on that site for several years @as_hsdiploma, but due to the uncertainty surrounding that site, we have scaled back how often we post...

American School Nominated for 2023 BBB Torch Award

American School is proud to be nominated for a 2023 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics.  According to a press release, the Better Business Bureau Torch Awards are the highest business honor given to business, based on exceptional dedication to ethics,...

Additional Update to Frequency of Facebook Posts

Today’s blog has an additional update to the frequency of our Facebook posts.  Effective October 6, we will no longer post general education articles every weekday evening.  Instead our Facebook page will continue to focus primarily on American School and events...

Today’s Birthday: Miguel de Cervantes

It’s September 29, and author Miguel de Cervantes was born on this date in 1547.  You may know his name because he wrote Don Quixote, which is one of the first great world novels.  You can read other works of literature by authors from around the world by taking one...

Google Celebrates 25 Years

Today's blog celebrates Google's 25th anniversary.  Sometimes it's hard to believe that the internet existed before Google came along on September 27, 1998.  That's because today the word "Google" is almost synonymous with internet searching.  We know that so many...

Today’s Anniversary: Silent Spring

It’s September 27, and Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring was published on this date in 1962.  The book led to a renewed focus on environmental awareness and eventually led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  American School offers...

Today’s Birthday: Jack LaLanne

It’s September 26, and fitness expert Jack LaLanne was born on this date in 1914.  His food intake regimen and exercise plans helped him live to age 96, and his birthday got us thinking about physical education.  Because we are a distance education middle school and...

New Year-End Schedule Reminder

Today’s blog is a reminder about our new year-end schedule which will go into effect this December.  Starting this year and going forward, American School will always be closed from Christmas Eve (December 24) through New Year’s Day (January 1).  In 2023, that means...

Tomorrow’s Special Occasion: The First Day of Fall

It’s September 22, and tomorrow is the first day of fall.  When people think of fall, they think of falling leaves, football and cooler temperatures, but they might also think about going back to school.  If you’re in the latter category but haven’t decided on your...

Today’s Special Occasion: International Day of Peace

It's September 21, and today is the International Day of Peace.  It's a United Nations initiative which promotes peace around the world.  Today's celebration got us thinking about our international students.  We are proud to serve students in 65 countries around the...

Today’s Anniversary: The Battle of the Sexes

It’s September 20, and 50 years ago today a very famous tennis match took place at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.  Billie Jean King (a female) defeated Bobby Riggs (a male) in the “Battle of the Sexes” and that match got us thinking about the students we serve.  It...

ISBE Region County District Type Schools Lookup

Today’s blog is about the Illinois State Board of Education’s Region County District Type Schools lookup, often abbreviated at RCDTS.  Although we are a distance education middle school and distance education high school, we appear on the list because our headquarters...

ISBE State Course Catalog Numbers

Today’s blog is about the Illinois State Board of Education State Course Catalog.  Occasionally homeschool families or school counselors will contact us about this catalog and ask us if our accredited middle school courses and accredited high school courses match up...

Homeschooling has taught me a lot of new things.  It has taught me self-discipline and made me take my studies more seriously than before.  I have learned to study properly.  The books and materials were very helpful.  It is a fun experience to do homeschooling.  Many people are amazed to know that I did homeschooling.  This has opened and changed a lot of people’s minds.

– Jekah from United Arab Emirates

American School has more to offer than any public school.  Two of my children, two of my grandchildren, and one niece completed their high school education with American School, and my sister and I are enrolled at the present time.

– Marilyn from Missouri

I learned a lot, and the skills are helping me in my college classes.

The most important thing I learned was how to schedule my time and organize my work.  The study guides helped to show me how much work to do at one time.  I’m glad to be part of American School.

– Peter from Illinois

I have found the methods, instruction, textbooks, study guides and service satisfactory because they are all up-to-date and made ready for me to learn.  I am greatly thankful for this service because now I can graduate early with all my credits in.  Thank you very much, American School!

– Ada from Michigan

American School was an easy yet efficient way to earn the extra credit I needed to graduate.

– Elizabeth from Illinois

I greatly enjoyed American School.  The instructors’ comments were very helpful.  I enjoyed this method of learning.  I feel I have learned a lot more than I did in public school.  I was able to keep up with school through all the moves I made without going through the hassle of switching school systems.  I enjoyed the honesty of the

instructors and the overall program.   I will recommend American School to anyone interested.

– Enoch from Texas

Get Started Today. Choose a Program Below. 

Why you should enroll with American School…
We call these our Four C’s.

Curriculum

American School’s innovative paper-based and online curriculum offers something for everyone in grades 6-12. Students can choose from more than 100 self-paced courses in traditional subjects such as English, math, social studies and science and take electives in such subject areas as business, career and technical education, fine arts, and world languages,

Cost

As a not-for-profit institution, American School puts students’ educations first. Our tuition is affordable—much lower than many other distance education and online high schools—and all textbooks and study materials are included at no additional cost.  Monthly payment plans are available for students in full years of American School’s middle school or high school program.

Caring Student Service

When students are accepted at American School, they not only receive interesting curriculum at a reasonable cost from a pioneer in distance education; they also receive outstanding, caring student service.  Students may enroll anytime and work at their own pace.  Help is available from American School staff during business hours and around the clock in American School’s Online Student Center.

Credibility

Founded in 1897, American School later became the first correspondence school to become regionally accredited. Today we are accredited by three reputable accrediting bodies and recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as a non-public high school.  American School’s diploma is accepted by colleges and universities, and thousands of high schools use our courses for credit recovery.

Our Affiliations
Get Started Today. See what sets us apart from other distance education high schools.