The K-12 students will be part of the district’s first-ever virtual school.

The box will contain grade-specific supplies – books, globes, maps – that students will need to finish a year of school from home.

Virtual schooling is gaining traction among California school districts looking for ways to increase revenue and decrease spending.

The cyber school could help the district bring back students who have left to attend charter or private schools, and could draw students from other districts, said Anne Zeman, director of curriculum and professional learning for the district. And with those additional students will come additional state funding.

Elk Grove will pay K12, the company that provides the instruction plans and materials, 85 to 90 percent of the $5,219 the district receives from the state for each student, Zeman said.

She said the district may not make any money on the endeavor, but she’s certain it won’t cost any more than it brings in. “We can’t afford to embark on a program that is a new expense,” she said.

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http://www.sacbee.com/2010/02/24/2560205/elk-grove-unified-to-open-a-virtual.html

By the time he was 17 he had totally lost his eyesight, fallen behind on his classes and wasn’t given much hope for graduating on time with his classmates. He even considered dropping out of school, but that went against his belief that “school is the only way to succeed in life.”

With assistance from teachers and administrators, Contreras began looking for options that would help him earn the credits he needs to graduate on time. Now due to his determination and the flexible scheduling and one-one-one instruction available through the Spring Independent School District Virtual School, he is on target to graduate with his class in June 2010.

Getting this far, has not been easy for Contreras.

Based in Orlando, it serves everyone from home-schoolers to traditional school students who need an extra course for catch-up or enrichment. The state treats it as a school district of sorts, but funds it at a significant savings over its bricks-and-mortar counterparts.

The state doesn’t have to pay for busing, food, or building maintenance for this “district.” Its per-pupil costs are lower as well. About 54,000 Florida students completed a total of 116,000 semester-long courses through FLVS in 2007-08. That translates into just over 9,600 “full-time equivalent” students – and for each of those the state saves about $1,000, according to a study by the nonprofit group Florida TaxWatch. Enrollment has been growing fast.

Schools save indirectly, too, because of this option. A small group of students might be able to take Latin or an advanced biology course through FLVS, for instance, rather than their school having to hire teachers with those specialties. And every time a student is promoted to the next grade because they pass a class through FLVS that they failed in the regular classroom, a year’s worth of costs are saved on that student.

For the rest of the article, click here.

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Online school is a cheaper way to educate by Stacy Teicher Khadaroo

From http://www.csmonitor.com

For him, few things are more important.

And so when he discovered he needed to take algebra to be on par with other rising freshmen at Holy Spirit Preparatory School, he knew he had to find a way to get it done this summer — without giving up camp.

Luckily for Quinn, of Atlanta, he could take the course online at Kaplan Virtual Education.

While virtual schools are nothing new, online summer school is quickly becoming a favorite among students and parents unwilling to sacrifice summertime pleasures. In fact, in some cases online school enrollment is increasing as brick-and-mortar enrollment decreases.

More than 1,500 private school students around the world are enrolled in Kaplan’s online schools, including 200 like Quinn in metro Atlanta.

Administrators say that more students are going the online route either to replace a low or failing grade or to move ahead.

Quinn needed to take algebra so he’d be ready for ninth-grade geometry. Because neither Holy Spirit nor DeKalb Online Academy offered the course, his father Tom Pratt said Kaplan was the next best thing.

It’s considered a leader in private online high school education, he said.

For the rest of the article, click here.

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Online school enrollment soars in summer by Gracie Bonds Staples

From AJC.com

“Delta Pacific Online School is a self-paced program for students looking for an option to the traditional school environment,” said David Thoming, Delta Charter School superintendent. “Students who enroll in the program will benefit from individualized attention, around-the-clock support, and a flexible class schedule.”

Delta Pacific Online School is a rigorous, high-quality program ideal for many students including home-schooled students, advanced learners looking for a head start on college, students with health or physical challenges, those needing a flexible schedule in order to work or pursue outside interests and many others. The full-time online program complies with all California graduation requirements and offers a full middle and high school curriculum, including core, electives and college preparatory courses. Students earn their high school diploma, issued by Delta Charter School, in a personalized program that lets them complete their studies at their own speed and in their own setting.

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Delta Charter School Partners with Advanced Academics to Launch Innovative Online School for the 2009-2010 School Year

From MarketWatch.com

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Bill Price says the Virtual School option will be ready for the next school year.

“The state mandated last year that we begin working on virtual schooling for kindergarten through 12th grade,” Price said. “We have to have it in place by the beginning of this next school year. For the high school component, we will use Florida Virtual High School at a cost of $39.95 per student. The statute says we have to offer this to students free of charge. But we will then be able to claim those students in our head count for state funding.”

Price said for the K-8 program the district will purchase the program and run its own Virtual School program.

“We will share the same franchise manager that Okaloosa County is using. They have been running their Virtual School for more than a year now, so they know what they are doing,” Price said.

Virtual School is an alternative for students expelled or suspended instead of going to the Learning Academy or using home- schooling. Price said there are 19 students already using the Virtual School program, but beginning next year the district can claim those students in head count. There also are 800 students in the county participating in homeschooling right now.

For the rest of the article, click here.

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Virtual School option to be available this school  year by Pam Brannon

From GulfBreezeNews.com