Educational opportunities are changing for America’s K-12 students. Online, or virtual, education is becoming an alternative for many students of all ages and abilities.

Parents today seek more personalized approaches to learning for their children. Many want flexibility for accelerated learners and assistance for children who need a little more help than they perceive public schools can provide. Online schools also meet the needs of children who travel with their parents and offer opportunities for home schooled students.

What are Virtual/Online Schools?
All virtual/online (the terms online and virtual are interchangeable) school courses are delivered over the Internet. Teachers communicate with students and parents via telephone, e-mail, online chats, instant messaging, and discussion forums. Home schooling instruction is mainly provided by parents, while online instruction is provided by certified teachers.

Approximately 328,000 public school students were enrolled in online learning courses in 2002-03, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. (If a student was enrolled in more than one class, he was counted for each course.) Of the total enrollments in online courses, 68% of the students were in high school, 29% were in ungraded or combined schools, 2% were in middle or junior high school, and 1% in elementary school (http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/2005010/2.asp). These figures do not include private, parochial, and home schooling students, so the actual number of online students is most likely much higher than 328,000 and is expected to increase.

Why Online Schools?
Randall M. Doerneman, director of the Center for Independent and Distance Learning at the University of Oklahoma, who runs the virtual University of Oklahoma High School, notes that convenience is a big factor in online learning. “Virtual learning offers a level of convenience never before available,” Doerneman says. “Students in our program come to us with a variety of reasons why the traditional classroom setting did not sufficiently meet their educational needs. Through technology, we can offer an educational option that can be available anytime, anywhere. Some students are struggling; some are not challenged enough; some have medical problems and need independent study; some are suspended from school; some are professional athletes who travel a lot; and some are students traveling on mission trips or with their parents.”

Public school issues, such as overcrowding and financial constraints, also incited the need for educational alternatives.

“One of our most useful purposes is to serve rural students,” states Doerneman. “They don’t have a variety of courses at the local schools, and we offer remedial studies as well. Last year, with budget cuts, we had ten students from one rural school who took our Spanish class.”

Benefits and Challenges
Craig McIntyre, director of the accredited distance school Oak Meadow School, says that the challenge of virtual learning is always to “provide quality and balance” in curriculum.

“We understand that we’re partners with parents, and I don’t think public schools understand that,” says McIntyre. “The nature of our relationship with parents is much different because parents have made the choice for us to provide their child’s education. Ours is a school where parents have to provide structure and guidance, although the curriculum allows kids to work independently.” Teachers are just an e-mail, instant message, or phone call away.

Certification and Documentation
Virtual schools may be licensed, accredited, or certified by the State Department of Education. The terms licensed, accredited, or certified are used at the state level and mean essentially the same thing.

“Regional or national accreditation means a program has been evaluated and proven to meet a level of criteria judged to be of quality,” explains Doerneman. “Part of accreditation would be using licensed teachers who teach in areas where they have a degree and teaching credentials. Typically, virtual schools are run by educators with graduate degrees. State and federal regulations vary, depending on the structure of the virtual school—public, private, for profit, or religious.”

Accreditation is an indication of the quality of the program that a virtual school offers, according to McIntyre. He cautions “buyer beware” when looking for a virtual school. Different schools emphasize different content and styles of learning. For example, one may emphasize a Bible-based curriculum, while another may focus on Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

“I would highly recommend that parents look for providers that have regional or national accreditation,” says Doerneman. “The University of Oklahoma High School is fully accredited by the North Central Association on Accreditation and School Improvement and is accredited by the Commission on International and Trans-regional Accreditation. Accreditation ensures quality and the ability to transfer courses to other high schools. It is also important for entrance requirements at higher education institutions if the student is considering furthering his or her education.”

Accredited Online Schools and Resources
• National Center for Education Statistics: nces.ed.gov/
• North American Council for Online Learning: nacol.org
• National Association of State Boards of Education: nasbe.org
• North Central Regional Education Laboratory: read their article, “Virtual Schools and e-Learning in K-12 Environments” at ncrel.org
• The University of Oklahoma Center for Independent and Distance Learning: http://ouilhs.ou.edu
• Connections Academy: ConnectionsAcademy.com
• Oak Meadow School: OakMeadow.com
• The Virtual High School: govhs.org
• The Jubilee Academy: TheJubileeacAdemy.org

Laura (Papp) Gater is a freelance writer in northeast Indiana. Her articles have been published in Chicago Parent, Young & Alive, Salute, Family, and many others.