http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=61810&page=1
The article I found speaks of an online survey done by eRepublic’s Center for Digital Education (CDE) in conjunction with the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. The survey was titled “Online Learning Policy and Practice Survey: A Survey of the States” and found that there has been a significant increase in the use of online education. It states that 25 states now lead statewide online-learning initiatives. There were only 15 states a year ago. The CDE also ranked these states, with Florida’s online-learning program at number one. The survey says that out of at least 27 states that have online-learning initiatives, 2 states have programs that are not state-led. Four more states also have plans to start online-learning programs, too. Most of the states with online-learning programs have seen a large increase in enrollment since last year, some as much as 50 percent.
As far as funding these programs, 9 states with state-led virtual schools fund their institutions with the same formula used by traditional schools. However, they differ from the traditional schools in that they also receive tuition funding from the district level or from students. Of course, there are other funding plans as well, some even creative like Nevada’s plan to reimburse traditional schools for students in online classes.
The CDE predicts that as long as more grade levels and courses are made available online, there will be an increase in virtual school programs. The survey also states that online schools also have helped students in rural areas who could not take certain classes before because they were not offered or couldn’t be afforded in the traditional way. The CDE, however, says that there will be obstacles in the states’ way to online learning, mostly about funding.
Despite the obstacles ahead, this article gives hope that online learning is the answer to the future of education. With the recession in our economy over and computer and Internet technology on the rise, the road to future online education may not be quite as rocky as predicted.
