Private Schools in U.S. and Abroad Offer Web-Based Classes Through New Venture

As online learning has been incorporated into nearly every aspect of U.S. education—from prestigious universities to struggling public systems—one type of school has largely resisted the trend: elite private academies. But now, some of the top independent schools are offering full-credit online classes to their students through a nonprofit venture called Global Online Academy. After a test run last year, 23 schools are participating this fall, including Dalton School in New York, Lakeside School in Seattle and Sidwell Friends in Washington (DC), as well as academies in Jordan, Indonesia, Tokyo and Beijing.