By Patty Noriega and Lisa Vasquez

1. ByPatty Noriega and Lisa Vasquez K-12 Online Schooling

2. Clark (2000) defined K-12 Online Schools as “a state approved or regionally accredidated school that offers credit courses through distance learning methods that include internet-based delivery”. Definition of Online Schools

3. Local education agency based- school(s) operated by a single school or school district. • Consortium and regionally based- schools operated by a group of states, schools or school districts to pool and maximize resources. • State-sanctioned/state-based- schools operated on a state wide level. • Virtual charter schools- schools operated under charter school legislation. • Private virtual schools- operated in the same manner as a brick and mortar private school, but delivered online. • For-profit providers of curricula, content, tools and infrastructure- commercial companies that act as vendors of course delivery and content (example: K12 inc. and APEX Learning). • College and University based- schools operated by universities supplying introductory college-level and preparatory courses to online high school students (example: BYU Independent Study High School Program). Source: http://www.imsa.edu/programs/ivhs/pdfs/stateofstates 7 Categories of Online Schools:

4. Web facilitated: 1-29% online; courses that use a web based management system (i.e. Blackboard). • Blended/Hybrid: 30-79% online; blends online and face-to-face delivery, substantial portion is online to include discussions and assignments. • Online: 80%+ online; most or all of the course is delivered online. Allen & Seaman (2007) Types of Course Delivery in Online Schools

5. 1952 – FCC sets aside a handful of channels for public education. • 1980’s - public schools integrate distance education via VHS and public access learning channels. • 1996 - The development of the University of Nebraska’s high profile CLASS online high school. • 1997 - Both Concord University and Florida State Virtual High Schools are launched amongst the race to launch online schools. • 2000 - 32 online schools in the U.S. expand from high schools to provide elementary and middle school educations. • 2004 - The Department of Education estimated that 507,000 enrollments in online courses in U.S. public school districts which increased by 50% since 2002. • 2011 – over one million enrollments in fully online K-12 schools with a steady 10% increase per year. Online School Timeline

6. Pros • Flexibility (self-paced, medical issues, location i.e. home or vacation). • Second chance (can accommodate students who have dropped out or have been kicked out of public school to obtain a high school diploma). • Safety (no bullying or lack of campus security). • Increased access to high quality teachers. • Reduced classroom anxiety. Cons • Restricts student-teacher interaction (students who may need the support of a teacher to physically show them how to do a problem or answer questions i.e. math). • Instant feedback with work to ensure they are doing it correctly. • No social contact with peers. • Number of students is unrestricted. • Must be tech-savvy (most online schools may require students to navigate potentially complex learning programs). Pros and Cons of Online Schools:

7. Does interaction or lack of teacher-student interaction affect student performance? • How do teachers perceive their role as online teachers? • How do online schools support students with learning disabilities or ELL’s? • What is the ramifications of students who enroll in online schools and then return to public school? • What is the retention or graduation rate ? Questions and Concerns

8. A local school district board member in the San Gabriel Valley was interviewed and requested to remain anonymous. He provided his personal opinion to our “Questions and Concerns” as to why his district does not offer online or satellite courses. • Does interaction or lack of teacher-student interaction affect student performance? Definitely, the biggest concern we have is the challenges that traditional classroom teachers face can carry over to online schooling such as face-to-face support to motivate students. When material gets tough, students may be at risk for dropping courses. Interview

9. How do teachers perceive their role as online teachers? Many of the teachers we surveyed regarding teaching online expressed their concerns of feeling overwhelmed with the workload (i.e. curriculum planning and technology programs to support the delivery of the curriculum) and lack of training online teaching may require. Many teachers also felt isolated from their peers to collaborate with. • How do online schools support students with disabilities or ELL’s? ELL students may benefit greatly from technology. Students will have access to teachers from around the world who speak their language and can assist them in a larger capacity than the average classroom teacher. On the other hand, students with disabilities will be without the much needed small group or one on one support needed. Cont’d…

10. What are the ramifications of student who enroll in online schools and then return to public schools? When a student leaves a public school for example: an online charter school, that student takes the government money with them to the online school. If that student happens to withdraw from the online school and returns to public school, unfortunately, those funds remain with the online school, therefore costing the public school additional costs. It is not a risk many schools are willing to risk. • What is the retention or graduation rate? Unfortunately, not a lot of research has been done, but what we do know thus far is about 50% of the students who enroll in online schools actually graduate from them. It is thought that this figure is due to a return to the public school system. Cont’d…

11. After reviewing all the research, we have determined that considering an online k-12 school must be evaluated on an individual basis based on the needs of the student. Many parents are looking for a solution to the every growing fast pace classroom in fear that their children will be left behind or held back. Online schools often provide the medium to work at your own pace, but lack the traditional student-teacher interaction needed to motivate or help a struggling student. Even though many struggling schools may benefit from the opportunities technology can bring, some people believe distant learning can never be as productive as learning in a classroom environment. Conclusion

12. Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2007). Making the grade: Online education in the United States, 2006. Needham, MA: Sloan Consortium. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/sites/default/files/Making_the_Grade_Midwest.pdf Clark, T. (2000). Virtual high schools: State of the states - A study of virtual high school planning and preparation in the United States. Center for the Application of Information Technologies, Western Illinois University. http://www.imsa.edu/programs/ivhs/pdfs/stateofstates.pdf References