In 2017-18, 501 virtual schools served 297,712 students, according to a report released last year by the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. do not earn a diploma.Īcross the country, hundreds of thousands of kids attend online schools. A 2016 investigative series published by The Mercury News found, among other things, that most California students attending a virtual high school managed by the for-profit company K12 Inc. Journalists and others, however, have raised questions about student performance and whether states are giving online schools adequate oversight. School choice advocates promote them as a way for kids to complete lessons at their own pace in almost any location, a significant benefit for families in rural areas as well as students who need or want more flexible academic schedules. Over the past 20 years, virtual schools have become a popular alternative to traditional, brick-and-mortar schools. But setting up online schools wouldn't be easy and, according to research, moving from the actual classroom to a virtual classroom can hurt student performance.Īs Education Week recently reported, "E-learning has been touted as a potential tool for minimizing disruption and keeping instruction flowing during an extended break - but significant gaps in access and resources mean not all schools are prepared to offer virtual classes, and not all students are equipped to learn online." MaOnline schools: Students’ performance often falls behind kids at other public schoolsīy Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist's Resource March 11, 2020Īs states and school districts consider closing public schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, educators are debating moving instruction from classrooms to families' living rooms via the internet. Online schools: Students’ performance often falls behind kids at other public schoolsīy Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist's Resource
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |