If you've lived in a certain county for a while and will be away with your child a set period of time, such as six months or one year, you can likely receive curriculum and instructions from the child's current school. Speak with your district for the requirements of the program and what your child will be expected to do. Typically with this type of program, a student meets with his teacher a few times a week, but some districts may allow you to do these meetings online. Some districts, such as Orange County in California, allow parents to be heavily involved in the creation of the curriculum by participating with the student and a state-accredited teacher to tailor the program for the child. The course of study is always state-approved and accredited. If your child plans on returning to the school or a school within the district upon returning to the U.S., these programs can help your child pick out courses and curriculum that will allow him to stay caught up with his classmates. Depending on your area, this option is usually free (as it is in Orange County, California).
Online schools give kids the freedom to live anywhere their lives take them while still earning accredited high-school diplomas. Students register for classes and order materials, and then log on each day for their work. Parents can help students with their work, or several children going to school at the same online school in one location can help each other. These schools are typically offered for kids in middle school and high school.
Some colleges have high-school programs that allow students to complete their high-school courses. While this is similar to online private high school, students can concurrently take online college courses to complete their studies. This allows students to earn college credits while completing high-school courses. This option is available for students of all ages.
Some parents would rather pick and choose their child's own curriculum, which is perfectly legal and acceptable, as long as the parent has time to devote to his child's studies. Parents should choose curriculum based on their state's standards in each subject (available at each state's Department of Education). However, with this program of study, parents can excel certain subjects children do well in and help nurture a child who is having issues with another subject.