TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama Online High School (AOHS) has been awarded accreditation as a Distance Education School by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). The announcement was made during SACS’ annual meeting held recently in Nashville, Tenn.

“We are, to say the very least, ecstatic and pleased that our work, mission and potentials have been found trustworthy,” said Jon Chalmers, director for The University of Alabama’s Program for Rural Services and Research (PRSR), which houses AOHS.

“AOHS is a cost-effective tool that lessens the effects of poverty and financial hard-times on schools and the future opportunities of students,” he added.

AOHS provides schools with a link to educational resources not readily available within their own school systems. Using existing technology and personnel, high schools can expand their capabilities to allow students to catch up, take summer classes, prepare for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam, and take courses that could not otherwise be offered such as chemistry, physics, and foreign languages.

“AOHS is a prime example of the power of partnership between higher education and K-12, between The University of Alabama and its high school constituencies,” said Dr. Judy Bonner, UA provost and vice-president of academic affairs.

Accreditation is based upon an evaluation of each school to determine if standards and the needs of the students and community are being met. The evaluation process includes a self-study by each school’s faculty and a review by an outside team of trained professional peers representing SACS.

Due to its long-standing relationship with rural schools through its PACERS Cooperative, UA’s PRSR recognized the need for online courses as a means to increase course offerings, alleviate teacher scarcity, and prevent the possible closures of rural schools. AOHS is a result of a partnership between the PRSR and the Alabama Department of Education.

In 2000, PRSR partnered with the Alabama Department of Education to create AOHS to address these needs. Today, AOHS affords all public school students the opportunity to access courses required for both standard and advanced diplomas, as well as online tools to prepare students for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam.

Over 2,300 students from 88 Alabama schools have enrolled in AOHS credit courses and AHSGE remediation modules.

Founded in 1895, SACS is a voluntary, nongovernmental agency composed of more than 13,000 accredited colleges and universities, secondary, middle, and elementary schools in 11 Southern states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia as well as Mexico, Central and South America, and islands of the Caribbean.

For more information on AOHS, go to http://aohs.state.al.us; and for more information on PRSR, go to http://www.prsr.ua.edu.