Policymakers considering increasing access to full-time online schools should take a look at recent outcomes analyses. The following represent some examples, suggesting lawmakers exhibit abundant caution in the policymaking process.
Colorado’s Department of Education study shows full-time online student performance falls behind the performance of non-online students.
After examining the following table
officials at the Colorado Department of Education wrote,
“….online students consistently achieve proficiency at rates less than non‐online students. The differences in proficiency rates were greatest in math and the smallest in reading and science. Also consistent with Table 8, logistic regression results for data reported in Table 9 indicate the within grade differences between online and non‐online students in the likelihood of achieving proficiency were all statistically significant (p<.05).”
Minnesota also shares depressing educational outcomes for full-time online students in grades 4 through 8. These students were about equal in reading as their peers in traditional schools but made half as much progress in math during the 2009-10 school year, measured by annual state exams. In addition, Minnesota’s Office of the Legislative Auditor found much higher dropout rates in virtual schools, 25% compared to 3% of seniors statewide. In addition, course completion rates are far lower for online students compared to non-online students. The Auditor’s report states,
“While the number of course registrations has quadrupled over the last few years, full-time online students have become less likely to finish the courses they start. Course-completion rates for full-time online students dropped from 84 percent in the 2006-07 school year to 63 percent in 2009-10. During this period, several individual online schools experienced large and steady declines in course-completion rates, while only one program showed significant improvement.”
Pennsylvania’s experiences with for-profit online educational entities haven’t been encouraging. The New York Times, reporting on K-12 Inc.’s Agora Cyber Charter School, says,
Nearly 60 percent of its students are behind grade level in math. Nearly 50 percent trail in reading. A third do not graduate on time. And hundreds of children, from kindergartners to seniors, withdraw within months after they enroll.
Recommendations
Online learning certainly has a role in America’s education future but the above findings provide abundant caution for any calls to increase full-time online schools. In addition, after examining many issues associated with virtual schools, Gene Glass and Kevin Welner (2011) in an article titled, Uncertain Private Ventures in Need of Public Regulation, make the following recommendations:
Authentication of the Source of Students’ Work. Teachers are well-acquainted with the parents who actually create their middle school student’s science fair project. Virtual schools offer much greater opportunity for students to obtain credit for work they did not do themselves. Since an online instructor does not generally know who actually completes all those online assignments and takes the tests, sensible precautions are in order. For example, a trusted organization might administer in-person exams, as is currently the practice at some virtual schools.
Fiscal and Instructional Regulations. K-12 virtual schooling is complex; its proper regulation will also be complex. Legislators will have to address, at a minimum, four issues concerning the costs and effectiveness of virtual schools: the level and extent of teacher involvement in the instructional process; the certification status of teachers employed by virtual schools; the role of tests in earning online credits; and reciprocity of teacher certification across state lines. They will also need to determine whether and how traditional accounting practices used to fund conventional schools, such as 100-day enrollments or average daily membership, apply to funding for virtual schooling.
Audits. States should conduct audits of private providers, to determine actual costs incurred by such companies providing courses and services to virtual schools. Pegging reimbursements at some arbitrary level (e.g., 75% of the state’s average contribution), ignores the reality of actual cost savings afforded by online instruction. The funding system adopted should also deliberately include incentives to provide a high-quality as well as an efficient education; audits will inform such decision-making. Virtual education costs will depend on such things as the subject being taught, who serves as teachers, and how many students are being taught. While private companies must be allowed reasonable operating funding, audits can help determine this reasonable amount.
Accreditation. Currently, there are few agencies to turn to for help in evaluating providers of online schooling. States or other public bodies should create and maintain a list of legitimate agencies that accredit providers of K-12 online education. To avoid abuses such as those encountered with proprietary schools (truck driving, cosmetology, and the like) and online diploma mills, the traditional high school accrediting agencies or some state or federal governmental agencies must address more vigorously the accreditation of commercial online providers of both courses and full-time K-12 programs.
Reference
Colorado Department of Education. (2011). Summary Report of the Operations and Activities of Online Programs in Colorado. June 1. http://www.cde.state.co.us/onlinelearning/download/1011/2011_AnnualReport_OnlinePrograms.pdf
Glass, Gene and Welner, Kevin. (2011). Uncertain Private Ventures in Need of Public Regulation. National Education Policy Center. School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder.
Office of the Legislative Auditor. (2011). Evaluation Report: K-12 Online Learning. State of Minnesota. Program Evaluation Division. http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/pedrep/k12oll.pdf
Saul, Stephanie. (2011). Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/online-schools-score-better-on-wall-street-than-in-classrooms.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all