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How K12-Powered Online School Works

Set your child up for success with personalized learning at a K12-powered online school.

A Best-in-Class Education

Students at K12-powered schools can learn at their own pace, in their own place—supported by an innovative online curriculum and state-certified teachers who make school fun.

Go Online, Go Further

Families find what they need to succeed with K12: a personalized approach to learning, inspiring educators, engaging technology, flexible scheduling, community support, and more.

The Student Experience

Every student is engaged, elevated, and empowered to be their very best.

Students learn through an engaging mix of live online instruction, offline activities, self-paced assignments, videos, quizzes, and games.

Students socialize in a safe virtual environment and deepen bonds both online and offline through clubs and activities.

Teachers and tech support are available 24/7 via our online platform, so families get help whenever they need it. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Real Students, Real Stories

Variety is key to the K12 experience. Students balance online classes with engaging offline activities, like inspecting fossils under a microscope or observing marine life at the local aquarium. Each experience is unique, and you can hear more from online school families.

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Top Five Things to Know About Online School

Wondering how K12 can enhance your child’s education? Take a peek behind the scenes:

What does online school actually look like?

Students and Learning Coaches log on to their online school portal to access schedules, attend lessons, complete assignments, see grades, and communicate with teachers.

What is a Learning Coach?

A Learning Coach is a trusted adult who helps support, motivate, and guide their student through a successful school year. Depending on your child’s grade level, the Learning Coach time commitment will range from 4–6 hours to 1–3 hours per day.

Are there teachers and live classes?

Yes! Students attend live, regularly scheduled lessons led by state-certified teachers . 

Is there work outside of class?

Yes—outside of class, students participate in self-led assignments with support from their Learning Coach.

How should you schedule your school day?

Outside of live classes, students and Learning Coaches can set a schedule that works with their unique needs and commitments.

STUDENT SUCCESS

A Platform for Personalized Learning

With K12, each student receives an  education  tailored to their academic needs and passions whether that’s exploring engineering courses or learning more about entrepreneurship.

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Grades K–5 Tour

Discover what K12-powered online school is like for elementary school students and their Learning Coaches.

Grades 6-12 Tour

See how middle and high school students at K12-powered schools learn in the ways that are best for them.

Embrace an A+ Education

All K12-powered public schools adhere to state testing, school accountability, and attendance policies, with graduates earning a high school diploma. Students benefit from:

An Innovative Curriculum

Every learning style is supported at K12-powered schools. Through live lessons, hands-on exercises, videos, quizzes, games, and more, your child can embrace what works best for them.

Engaging Lesson Plans

Lessons are mapped to state requirements and personalized for your child, inspiring students to discover a lifelong love of learning.

Helpful Online Tools

Students and Learning Coaches can easily access assignments, engage in live virtual instruction, and communicate with teachers through our online learning portal.

TEACHER SUPPORT

Support at Every Step

Students receive one-to-one support from teachers who celebrate their unique learning style and use innovative educational technologies and tools to guide success.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

The Role of a Learning Coach

Parents have the opportunity to serve as their child’s Learning Coach: recording attendance, tracking academic progress, and addressing any challenges. Younger students need consistent support, while older students can work more independently.

Starting Online Learning Strong

Empower your child with a K12-powered education.

Game Plan for Success

K12 sets students up for success with the tools they need to thrive.

Tips for Everyday Success

Discover everyday tips to ensure a successful learning journey. 

How do I get started?

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Your ideas. Your creativity. For all to see.

Welcome to wvva.

West Virginia Virtual Academy (WVVA) is a tuition-free online public school serving grades K–12. We’re dedicated to inspiring and empowering students through an education experience tailored to each child’s needs.

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Get Ahead With Career and College Prep

Although the future can seem far off, students who begin preparing for careers in middle school and high school can gain significant advantages. Middle and high school students can explore career fields to discover and pursue their interests. Whether they already know where they’re headed, or are just beginning to find their path, this program can help get them where they want to go.

EARN COLLEGE CREDIT

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DEVELOP REAL-WORLD SKILLS

Webinar: how it works — online teachers.

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What’s online learning like?

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Online public schools in missouri.

Missouri Virtual Academy (MOVA) is a full-time online public school for K–12 students. We’re dedicated to inspiring and empowering students through an education experience tailored to each child’s needs.

ABOUT OUR SCHOOL

Get Ahead With Career and College Prep

Although the future can seem far off, students who begin preparing for careers in middle and high school can gain significant advantages. MOVA students can explore career fields to discover and pursue their interests. Whether they already know where they’re headed or are just beginning to find their path, our  career and college prep program  can help get them where they want to go..

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K–12 Online Instruction

Virtual Virginia provides online instruction to students throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia-certified instructors teach courses from kindergarten through the twelfth grade, through daily synchronous instructional sessions and asynchronous content, assignments, and feedback.

Elementary School Instruction (Grades K–5)

Online K–5 instruction in core academic subjects, plus instruction in a variety of special areas, including world languages, fine arts, health & PE, and computer science

Middle & High School Instruction (Grades 6–12)

More than 140 online courses taught by Virginia-certified instructors for grades 6–12, covering core academics, electives, world languages, CTE, and more

VVA Pathways: Unique Instruction Programs (K–12)

A wide variety of personalized online educational opportunities for grades K–12, with a focus on flexibility through a variety of learning paths

High school and middle school courses

See the standards-based courses we offer for high School and middle school students, developed and taught by Virtual Virginia’s state-certified online instructors.

Do you homeschool?

Virtual Virginia welcomes homeschooled schools for instruction in all grade levels. Learn how your child can enroll in home instruction with VVA.

Dates, Enrollment, and Fees

Find everything you need to know about VVA’s academic calendars, the enrollment process, enrollment fees, and more.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: What’s the Difference?

Synchronous instruction.

For synchronous instruction of VVA courses in a school setting, live instruction is delivered to all students simultaneously. Each student interacts with the VVA instructor individually, and a mentor is present to support students and interact with the VVA instructor as needed.

Asynchronous Instruction

For asynchronous instruction of VVA courses in a school setting, students access their online courses, complete work, and ask their instructor for help. A mentor is present to support students and interact with the VVA instructor.

How to be a successful online student

Get the inside scoop on the steps you can take each day to be successful when taking online courses with Virtual Virginia!

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Hybrid Learning: What is it & What Does it Mean For K-12 Schools?

Doug Bonderud is an award-winning writer capable of bridging the gap between complex and conversational across technology, innovation and the human condition. 

Faced with ongoing and unpredictable pandemic challenges, K–12 schools have been forced to get creative — finding new ways to facilitate learning at a distance, sustain student engagement and deliver consistent success.

It’s been no easy task. Data collected by  Education Week  highlights the continually changing, state-by-state nature of the U.S. COVID-19 response: Some school districts have been ordered open, others remain completely closed and many are left to find a functional balance between in-person and virtual learning on their own.

Given unfamiliarity of the U.S. K-12 system with virtual learning at this scale, substantial confusion remains around effective application across online environments — and what this solution means for schools going forward in 2021.

To help clarify what hybrid learning means, and how it might differ from similar terms that preceded it, we need to start by examining the definition of the term.

What Is the Hybrid Learning Model and How Has it Evolved?

At its most basic, “hybrid learning uses online components for teaching and learning that replaces face-to-face classroom time,” says Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, chief transformation officer for the  National School Boards Association .

While initial hybrid learning approaches happened almost entirely at home — for both students and teachers — McCotter-Jacobs notes that in many cases, “teachers were in the classroom teaching both in-person and online as schools shifted from an all-remote approach to a combination of virtual and in-person classes.”

As a result, the hybrid model is now used to supplement multiple solutions for student success. In some schools, this means having students at home part time and in class part time; other districts have chosen to keep certain grade groups home full time and allow younger children to return in person.

How Does Hybrid Learning Differ from Blended Learning?

While the terms “hybrid learning” and “blended learning” are often used interchangeably, they’re not identical.

“It can be confusing, but when you think about blended learning, you’re not taking away from face time. Instead, it’s about providing online materials and tools that supplement learning rather than replacing the face-to-face experience,” says McCotter-Jacobs.

In practice, blended learning often takes the form of new initiatives such as project-based learning that add multimedia resources to common coursework and allow students to self-direct some of their learning to explore the holistic results of differing educational disciplines such as math, science or math and sciences.

Hybrid classes, meanwhile, take these online tools and provide them to students through remote learning portals and online learning management systems for use outside of the traditional school environment.

When it comes to hybrid learning vs. blended learning, here’s a good rule of thumb: If tools augment face-to-face frameworks, they’re blended learning models. If they facilitate the replacement of in-person instruction, they’re hybrid.

What Strategies Can Schools Use to Improve Hybrid Learning Models?

Recent research from the  Economic Policy Institute  suggests that online teaching and learning models can be effective “if students have consistent access to the Internet and computers and if teachers have received targeted training and supports for online instruction.”

McCotter-Jacobs echoes this sentiment, noting that “teachers in many cases are older and are not necessarily equipped for this technology.”

In fact, some of the biggest pain points that have emerged have less to do with the technology used to  facilitate remote learning  and hybrid learning itself and more to do with tech-challenged educators tasked with using that technology.

“The training and support they need is critical, and it’s not just for the software itself. How do they create lesson plans under this new model? How do they help students who are struggling? What happens when the software fails?” she says.

For McCotter-Jacobs, there’s one rule to follow when it comes to tapping the benefits of hybrid learning: Keep it simple. From streamlining the volume of applications and services students use to reducing the number of passwords and logins required to gain access, simplicity benefits students, teachers and parents alike.

DISCOVER:  5 tips for an effective hybrid instruction experience.

What Technologies Are Required for Effective Hybrid Learning Plans?

Hybrid classes are only effective when  backed by the right technologies . For McCotter-Jacobs, this starts with Wi-Fi in school buildings, especially as some kids head back to the classroom part time.

She also notes, however, that in-school Wi-Fi isn’t enough to create effective hybrid learning plans because many families lack access to reliable broadband internet at home. “There’s a vast deficiency here,” says McCotter-Jacobs, “with at least 17 million students lacking access to high-speed internet.”

To address this issue, McCotter-Jacobs notes, some districts equipped school buses with Wi-Fi and then drove these buses into underserved neighborhoods. Still, she says, there is a need for broader support to address the digital divide in education. As a result, she says, the NSBA has called for an additional  $12 billion  from the federal government to help deal with the homework gap and help facilitate effective hybrid learning.

What Does the Next Iteration of Hybrid Learning Look Like?

For those under the assumption that hybrid learning is a temporary stopgap, McCotter-Jacobs cautions that “the new normal is not going away.”

As schools prepare for a potential return to the classroom in fall 2021, several elements of hybrid learning will remain. This could take the form of families opting for at-home learning out of an abundance of caution until vaccine rollouts reach a certain threshold or schools choosing a partially hybrid model to reduce classroom overcrowding and improve one-on-one interaction.

That’s why it’s important for educators to embrace the hybrid learning shift as a foundational change to be absorbed and implemented into the broader plan and vision for the future of education.

“There’s an opportunity here for schools to get creative and shift the way students learn and the way teachers provide guidance,” says McCotter-Jacobs.

While she notes that this approach isn’t without its challenges, given “the many intangibles that we can’t put our finger on and the need for the right combination of funds, training and creative minds,” McCotter-Jacobs believes that hybrid learning can have a positive impact if it’s at the forefront of educational change.

“This shift can help take kids to the next iteration of learning,” she says, “and it’s not sitting in a classroom.”

MORE ON EDTECH:  Google for education offers an effective ecosystem for hybrid learning.

• Blended Learning
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Is Remote Learning Here to Stay? Yes, But It Needs to Get Better

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Most educators and parents would agree that the sweeping virtual instruction thrown together overnight at the beginning of the pandemic wasn’t nearly as effective as in-person learning for most students.

So, does that mean K-12 educators and policymakers should write off remote learning as a failed experiment to avoid at all costs?

Or, on the other hand, would it be better to ask questions, such as: When should schools use virtual learning and for what types of students? What lessons can be learned during the pandemic about what does and does not work in remote learning environments? And what do those lessons tell us about what this approach should look like in the future?

Two researchers, the authors of a recent report about online instruction , collaborated together on joint answers to those questions from Assistant Editor Alyson Klein. Alix Gallagher and Ben Cottingham, the director and associate director, respectively, for strategic partnerships at Policy Analysis for California Education , responded via email. The nonprofit group is led by faculty directors at Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of California Davis, the University of California Los Angeles, and the University of California Berkeley.

Many educators see virtual learning as inferior to in-person learning or totally ineffective. Others, though, see it as a great new path forward. What does the research say about the quality of virtual learning? Is the truth somewhere in between?

Looking Back: The field has developed wisdom over many years about how to provide effective in-person instruction. However, virtual learning had not been implemented on a broad scale prior to March of 2020. Initially, many students struggled to access a full instructional program and even as schools’ efforts to provide students technology access succeeded in many places , teachers were trying unfamiliar pedagogies and the results were generally inferior.

Humans are social creatures and schooling is a social enterprise and learning quality decreases when instruction occurs only through a screen. The quality of virtual learning improved with increased touch points between teacher and student and between peers (e.g. phone calls, small group instruction, and targeted feedback), but few teachers have learned how to facilitate vibrant interactions in their classes. That means, for many students, virtual learning remains a second-best option to in-person instruction.

Looking Forward: Because most teachers were novice virtual teachers and few had the support or time to learn how to teach effectively online, our experience in COVID tells us nothing about the potential of widely available virtual learning as part of our educational landscape. We know that effective instruction—virtual and in-person alike—engages students in interaction with the teacher and each other around content. It is certainly possible for teachers to become highly effective at supporting high-quality interactions in a virtual environment and some educators’ success during COVID paved the way for a future expansion of virtual options.

You talk about teaching quality a lot in your report. Do we have enough evidence to determine if it’s better to have an effective virtual teacher rather than a less effective in-person one?

Looking back: Effective teaching is better than ineffective teaching. COVID overturned our school systems almost literally overnight and because our understandings of how best to mitigate COVID risks continually shifted, it was difficult for districts to allocate resources such as money and time toward a long-term plan that sufficiently invested in building teachers’ skills in teaching online. Almost every teacher was in their first year of online teaching, and the results were that many teachers worked harder than they ever had and yet most students had a less effective teacher than they would have had in-person .

Looking forward: Many teachers got better at taking advantage of technology for teaching during the pandemic. They learned to maximize student engagement and collaboration and to use a range of innovative technologies (e.g. Zoom polls to rapidly check student understanding, Desmos for mathematical simulations,) to create a good learning experience. Many will retain some of those approaches as part of their instruction, whether in-person, hybrid, or virtual.

Who are the kids who benefit most from virtual instruction? And the ones who lose out most? How can schools remake virtual learning to help the students who struggle with it?

Looking back: One critical societal benefit of in-person schooling is that students are supervised by trained adults who are charged with their care during the school day. When that care vanished, it left many families scrambling to figure out how their student would be cared for while adults worked and many did not have adequate supervision and support with schoolwork. Students who did not have access to an academically supportive environment were most likely to struggle in distance learning, as were younger students who need more frequent support to stay focused, and low-income communities were disproportionately impacted by virtual learning.

The kids who benefited most were students who had the support and skills to fully engage in the instruction teachers were providing—generally older students, those who were already overperforming prior to the pandemic, and students with in-person support at home. Also, some students who struggled socially or were bullied in in-person school preferred and thrived in virtual schooling .

Looking forward: The keys to providing equitable access to high-quality virtual instruction are to ensure that all students have the opportunity to have positive interactions with teachers and other students around rigorous content. That means training teachers in pedagogies that support engaging virtual instruction, making technology widely available, and ensuring students who need it have supplemental supports to productively engage in virtual learning.

You say in your report that one of the biggest problems with remote instruction is that students miss important, face-to-face “social learning.” How can teachers help address this challenge?

Looking back: Unfortunately, in the rush to implement distance learning, districts gave teachers broad guidance about how to engage students virtually—for example, suggesting that Breakout Rooms “worked,” when in fact, if implemented poorly, they can be a disaster. Because teachers received little support for understanding how to best support interaction as part of learning, virtual school rarely met students’ basic social needs.

Looking forward: Educators need to consider how to create spaces that facilitate more interactions with students and between students online. Virtual learning environments should not be structured in the same way as in-person learning; students shouldn’t watch a teacher on video all day. Schooling models such as “personalized learning” or the “flipped classroom” both have features that could effectively be applied to an online environment. They are among the approaches that create opportunities for individualized instruction or small-group interaction, as well as targeted feedback and support from the teacher. Substantial support for teachers’ professional learning would be critical to achieve the potential benefits.

Due to the pandemic, some districts are offering remote instruction as a full-time option for students who prefer to learn this way. In your opinion, is virtual learning here to stay? If so, what’s your best guess as to what it will look like a decade from now?

Looking back: The type of remote instruction we saw in the wake of the pandemic is one that was rapidly implemented when our entire society was experiencing a massive crisis. Many educators are feeling burnout associated with rapid adaptations and high stress created by COVID and COVID schooling. No one wants to repeat the schooling experiences of the past two years and luckily we do not expect to.

Looking forward: Virtual instruction is here to stay, but generally as a supplement to in-person schooling. The strain remote learning has put on younger students and parents to facilitate learning combined with the centrality of social development in education of young learners makes it untenable as the main elementary school option under most circumstances. However, added flexibility makes virtual school an appealing option for high school students in smaller communities to expand access to a wide range of courses, accelerate learning for students that can manage their own learning experience, or create more options for credit recovery for students who have fallen behind. In fact, the American School District Panel found that nearly 20 percent of districts were considering offering a virtual school option after the pandemic has passed. Additionally, the pandemic forced all teachers to use technology as part of their teaching, and many teachers are retaining some of the digital tools they were forced to use during the pandemic because they provide diverse ways for students to engage in content and offer easy access to remediation. Finally, virtual learning environments provide a means to mitigate school interruptions due to weather or other factors that prevent students from being physically in school.

There is a potential for virtual learning technologies to create more pathways for students to interact and learn material in diverse ways. However, providing high-quality virtual education at scale would necessitate transforming educational systems on multiple dimensions, from rethinking teachers’ roles as the main source of content knowledge to one as facilitator of students’ learning and revising traditional school policies and structures.

Given how extensive these shifts would be, it is unlikely that many school systems will undertake the necessary changes in the near future. We can, however, imagine a scenario where some communities (e.g. low-density rural communities with WiFi access) might find it beneficial to create a stable remote schooling option for a large portion of the population they serve or where many of the students whose needs are best-served by remote learning options—such as high school students who need to enter the workforce for financial reasons—have access to remote learning.

Maya Riser-Kositsky, Librarian and Data Specialist contributed to this article.

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K-12 Virtual Learning: The Future of Online Schooling

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“What is the future of…” is a phrase that can be applied to a lot of things today as organizations and professionals contemplate the things they have learned during the pandemic and how these learnings may fuel future activities.

Education is no exception to the rule. As K-12 virtual learning became the norm during the pandemic, administrators, educators, students, parents and others all began contemplating the future of online learning. What does K-12 virtual learning look like in the future? What will it look like when classes resume this fall?

Current state of in-person learning vs online learning in K-12 settings

While vaccinations and a decline in COVID-19 cases have the potential to drive more in-class and in-person learning during the 2021-2022 school year, it is likely that some form of virtual or online learning will still be in play. We asked educators, administrators and education experts for their perspectives on the issue and what they believe the future of K-12 virtual learning will hold.

Best Practices for K-12 Student Virtual Learning

Margaret Choi is a teacher with CodeWizardsHQ which has been teaching students from 8 to 18 online exclusively for more than five years, well before the pandemic. “Virtual learning is still in crisis mode,” says Choi. It hasn’t been a simple switch for anyone, she says—teaching in-person and teaching online is not the same thing. “In the same way that retailers had to rethink and rebuild the methods used to reach customers, teachers need to rethink their strategies as they attempt to interact with their students in a digital environment.” As they look to the fall and beyond, Choi recommends:

• Reconfiguring class sizes
• Redesigning curriculum
• Rethinking professional development
• Rebuilding online learning tools
• Reaching for Beyond the Classroom Learning (BCL)

Lee Wilson is a consultant and ed-tech industry expert with VEDAMO , an online classroom platform. Today, says Wilson, schools know they can make the leap from traditional to digital classrooms successfully. “At all levels of the school staffing ecosystem, employees have gained the technical training and experience to continue teaching remotely when required, and most students have the equipment needed to connect remotely.” As schools move farther away from panic response mode, they are beginning to create more thoughtful approaches to K-12 virtual learning based on what they learned during the pandemic.

As they look ahead to fall, educators see the opportunity to leverage what they have learned over the past several semesters and apply best practices to both in-class and virtual classrooms . They no longer have to ask, “what is virtual learning?” Virtual schooling has become commonplace, and experts say it will likely continue to have a place in 2022 and beyond.

The Future of Student Virtual Learning and Development in K-12 Settings

What is the biggest takeaway from educational experts’ perspectives? The “new normal” is anything but.

“Every day the VEDAMO team talks to educational district leaders and administrators at the K12 level. In conversation after conversation we are hearing that their school systems will still need to teach a number of students virtually moving forward into 2021 and beyond,” says Wilson. This, Wilson says, “is a complete sea change from the pre-COVID landscape when virtual learning was not a universally accepted practice.”

Eric Kim, co-owner and program director of LA Tutors , an international private tutoring company, says that while many families are eager to return to in-person learning, virtual learning in some format or another is here to stay.

James Bacon, director of outreach and operations at Edficiency, an automated educational scheduling software service, has been a teacher, district administrator, and school consultant and coach, working in districts as few as 500 students ( Tensas Parish Schools ) to those with almost 150,000 students ( Charlotte Mecklenberg Schools ), and everything in between. He agrees that virtual learning or classrooms, in some fashion, are here to stay.

“While we’re seeing most schools plan to return primarily in-person for the fall, I believe that many districts will be forced to continue some kind of virtual option for students, mostly because some families liked the flexibility and option to learn at their own pace,” Bacon says. “To not lose students, and subsequently their funding, I think that some larger districts with multiple schools at each grade level will offer some virtual options through a centralized program to get some economies of scale from their teachers, platforms, and systems. Ideally, teachers in these larger districts will not have to support a mix of in-person and virtual students.” He’s already seeing some interesting virtual learning models emerge. For instance:

A few schools in the Salt Lake City area have implemented “flex Fridays” where students do not have to come to school in person unless they are requested to by a teacher or choose to themselves. They can even come for only one or two periods and leave for the remainder of the day to learn virtually from home.

Another school in Georgia is currently talking to Class about helping them schedule a third of their students to be on campus for hands-on, choose-your-own-adventure style learning aligned to a STEM career path, while the other two-thirds of the campus stay at home to work virtually each Friday.

“These models I think will start to grow in popularity over time as we have some schools that start to see success and show other schools what it can look like to creatively and intentionally build partially virtual options into the regular schedule,” Bacon says.

Leveraging the Benefits of K-12 Online Learning Classrooms

EdWeek recently reached out to school leaders and education experts in a survey to better understand what K-12 virtual learning may look like in the future. While much is still “in a state of flux” some common themes emerged. For instance: “Nearly 70 percent of districts plan to offer a ‘much wider array’ of remote options next year.” EdTech reports that a “fall 2020 RAND survey of district leaders found that 1 in 5 schools have already adopted or plan to adopt virtual schooling after the pandemic.”

The state governments are also getting into the mix. In Nevada, for instance, “a bill inspired by the Blue Ribbon Commission for a Globally Prepared Nevada would compel all districts to make a plan for virtual education and ensure students have access to technology,” according to the Las Vegas Sun.

The bottom line: virtual learning in some form is likely here to stay at all levels of education long after the pandemic is deemed “over.”

“Teachers and students alike have found that virtual learning offers some significant benefits, especially in the private sector, and many families and students now prefer this method,” Kim says. What’s most important, he says, is that families and schools alike have come to appreciate the convenience of remote learning and the many benefits it can offer.

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• Virtual Learning: What Is It?

Students can interact with other students through the virtual setting, unless it is a one-on-one course, and can ask questions and address anything in real-time. Virtual classrooms can accommodate many more students than a traditional classroom due to limited capacity. Virtual schooling allows for customized learning, providing a safe school setting where students can thrive academically and invest in their health, personal preferences, and family life. 

Virtual learning is breaking down barriers that have previously been built. Whether it’s access to a good education or the ability to customize their learning experience, students can gain it all through online schooling. Technology is being used to reach students all over, not only in the state of Indiana but all over the world. 

In a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education , the published data shows that students who took part or all of their classes online performed better on average than students who took the same courses through a traditional in-person setting. Virtual learning can allow further access for students and lower the overall costs of education.    

The Benefits of Virtual Education

There are many benefits for both students and parents regarding virtual education. Some aspects may be more beneficial to others, but several benefits impact all virtual learning students. The first benefit is the flexibility that online schooling allows. Whether mornings are not a good learning time for a student or have work in the afternoon that they cannot miss, a virtual learning schedule can fit what works best for the student and the parent or guardian.

The flexibility of a virtual classroom also relates to the ability to attend class anywhere. As long as there is an internet connection and a computer, students can partake in a virtual course. Students can work from anywhere, at any time. This customized learning is a major benefit of virtual education. Each student’s specific learning style can be met through a customized education. The flexibility allows students more time to pursue hobbies or extracurriculars. With such a flexible schedule, students can join more outside of school.

Virtual learning allows students to get one-on-one support from online educators when they need a little extra help in a certain subject area. Even if the student cannot be with the teacher in a physical classroom, they have the option to reach out and communicate anytime they need help. Achieve Virtual’s teachers encourage students to build a relationship with them to feel comfortable enough to reach out for any help they may need.  

Learning in a virtual setting rather than an in-person classroom may be better suited for some students. Traditional schools can breed social, behavioral, and mental health issues. A virtual school environment allows a student to thrive without the pressures of all of these issues. Social pressures alone can cause a student to retrogress. Virtual education allows students to take control of their social interactions, keeping them more positive. 

Traditional schools have limited parental engagement, whereas a virtual learning setting allows for more engagement. Parents or guardians can be more involved if they wish to be. Parents used to drop their students at a traditional school and have limited interaction throughout the day. Still, online learning allows parents and students to have more daily interaction, encouraging a healthier relationship. 

Benefits of Virtual Learning in Elementary School

Grades K through 6 is an important time in a child’s development. Virtual learning in elementary school allows for inclusivity and accessibility to increase. Children at young ages can be extremely shy, especially when they’re just beginning to learn how to handle social interactions. A virtual school setting allows shy students to participate more easily because there is less pressure.

Accessibility to education has historically been limited and out of people’s control. Sometimes a child doesn’t live near a good school, or a parent’s financial means don’t allow for the best education. Access to highly qualified instructors can also be difficult to gain access to. Virtual learning allows for easy access. Children in elementary school can gain a solid education from qualified teachers no matter where they are. Achieve Virtual is tuition-free, allowing students from all financial backgrounds to access education.    

The technical skills learned through virtual learning are skills that can be taken with the child through their whole life. If the child can learn these skills at a younger age, their knowledge will only increase. It also sets them up to be more independent, which can be difficult for children at this young age to work on.  

Benefits of Virtual Learning in Middle School

There are several benefits to virtual learning in middle school. Kids can learn at their own pace and learn to be disciplined. The freedom of virtual learning allows the student room to follow guidelines and learn responsibility. Parents can take more of an active role in their child’s education as supervision increases. 

While you may think that not having a teacher physically in a classroom with the students can take away from supervision, online learning allows the teacher to focus on each student. Virtual middle school students are pushed to connect deeper with their teacher and their family.   

Benefits of Virtual Learning in High School

Virtual learning in high school is especially pivotal for students. High school is one of the most formative times during a child’s life, and their experience can set them up for life. Students can work whenever, wherever, which can allow them to have a job that can be important for students in high school. 

Students that attend Achieve Virtual high school can take courses in a subject that interests them. Students can sometimes fall behind on subjects when they are not interested in them at all, but virtual learning allows them to take courses that they are interested in, which sets them up for better success. Students can also pursue interests in a virtual classroom that would otherwise not be supported in a traditional classroom. For example, Achieve Virtual Education Academy offers technology courses and business and career courses that are not available in a traditional high school.

The ability to interact virtually is also a skill that can carry with them for the rest of their lives. As the workforce continues to become more technologically driven, students who hone their virtual interaction skills will thrive in these virtual settings in the real world. 

Learned independence is an additional benefit of virtual learning. Without the rigidity of a traditional schedule or a teacher in the classroom physically, students are pushed to become more responsible for their education. When a student is thriving in a virtual setting, they have accomplished something greater than just education—they’ve accomplished the ability to take control of their future.  

Virtual Schooling in Indiana

Achieve Virtual Education Academy is operated by the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indianapolis. We are backed by over a decade of online learning experience in addition to the district’s rich academic history. The academy first set out to help students who needed additional course credits; however, we now offer full-time schooling for grades 7|8 and high school. 

Our teachers at Achieve Virtual are passionate and committed to helping all their students achieve academic and personal success. They are fully licensed and highly qualified to teach their subject area. Achieve’s accreditation was received through the Indiana Department of Education, and our courses meet the curriculum learning and assessment standards of the state of Indiana.

Enrolling at Achieve Virtual Education Academy

Whether a student requires additional credits to get their diploma, or you’re looking to enroll your child in an online school full-time, enrollment information can be found anywhere on Achieve Virtual’s website. You can also contact us by phone or email to gain access to our resources or have any of your questions or concerns addressed. 

We offer high-quality online education to elementary, middle school, and high school students. With flexible classes, free tuition, and teachers who want to help, we strive to help students achieve everything they know they’re capable of. There is access to something for everyone at Achieve Virtual Education Academy. 

Our counselor and teachers can work with you and your child to find a customized education plan that can be adapted to your family, helping your child build more confidence and receive the best education possible in a safe setting that can accommodate any student.

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The Bottom Line The K-12 Virtual & Hybrid Education Enrollment Explosion

COVID-19 brought about a new work-from-home era. Starting in March 2020, vast numbers of employees began working from home for the first time, whether because their physical place of employment was closed or to provide supervision for their children whose schools were closed.

Even as the world reopened, workers were slow to return to the office. When they did, it was only to limited degrees in many cases. Yet others have not made a return to in-person work and instead continue working virtually full-time. According to a McKinsey and Company survey in the spring of 2022, 58% of Americans say they have the option to work from home at least one day per week, and 35% have the opportunity to work from home full-time.

As large segments of workers stayed hybrid or fully remote, so did many students. Despite the generally haphazard and low-quality remote instruction provided by public school districts spanning the past three school years, the demand for full-time virtual and hybrid learning options has grown strongly. For example, recent data from across a sample of 10 states (Arkansas, Iowa, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) reveal that “enrollment in remote schools rose on average to 170% of pre-pandemic levels in 2020-21, then nudged up to 176% in 2021-22 even as in-person schools reopened and mask mandates fell.”

There is a significant opportunity for educational entrepreneurs — edupreneurs — to come on the scene to design and develop not only additional online and hybrid K-12 schools but new, increasingly innovative delivery models to meet the growing market demand. Keri D. Ingraham

This might surprise parents who abhorred the school closures that forced remote learning on their children. However, there are three key differences between what the districts provided on the fly during the pandemic and what is now growing in popularity among K-12 students.

Intentional Design & Staffing

First, public schools were ill-prepared to instantly convert from in-person to remote instruction. Consequently, the quality and quantity were poor. This starkly contrasts non-traditional education providers who intentionally design remote learning content and delivery for virtual and hybrid learners. Furthermore, their teachers are selected and trained specifically for the virtual learning environment, which aids their comfort level and professional motivation with remote delivery.

Motivated by Distinct Advantages

Second, there is a substantial difference in terms of the motivations of the students and families. Traditional public-school families were suddenly thrust into remote learning, and the vast majority experienced a prolonged nightmare. In large part, the power-hungry teachers’ unions colluding with left-wing political leaders caused the closures to drag on well beyond what was needed to ensure the well-being of students. This is in sharp contrast to families who research and intentionally seek online learning — in part or whole — for a variety of reasons.

Families who select virtual or hybrid learning are attracted, and in many cases retained, by the distinct advantages the non-traditional providers offer. For example, the ability to select the time of day, the pace of learning, as well as the flexibility to complete the learning anywhere are strong draws. Also, students can return to lessons on-demand as needed rather than the one-shot chance provided in a face-to-face classroom. Social reasons such as avoiding bullying, the flexibility to travel, and the unique ability for remediation or early graduation are also benefits. Additionally, online learning can be a solution for students devoting significant time to pursuing hobbies, including arts and rigorous athletic training, or for students battling health challenges — all of which can make in-person learning at a set time and place not feasible.

Determining Student Fit & Onboarding

The third difference is non-traditional education providers deliver a more thorough and thoughtful admissions process to determine if students are good candidates for their learning model. Rather than assuming a seamless and effortless transition for students from traditional schooling to their model, they consider many factors, such as parental supervision and involvement, student reading skills (starting in mid-elementary grades), and student organization and motivation. 

Importantly, these education providers consider (and explain to parents) how primary and secondary online and hybrid schooling differs in design from college-level online learning. Age-appropriate and developmental levels inform the content, learning experiences, instructional practices, and types of assessments employed at the various K-12 grades. This is different from online higher education, which often relies heavily on independent reading, lengthy lectures, discussion board posts, and paper writing (in many cases as the only form of assessment). In short, the K-12 online and hybrid experience necessitates more teacher support and less-autonomous student learning than adult learning.

Once enrolled, parents and students are onboarded. The process is designed to equip parents and get students started on the right foot. It provides everything from platform (typically referred to as the learning management system) navigation skills, time management tips, organizational techniques, self-advocacy skills development, academic integrity training, and guidance on how to interact respectfully and meaningfully with peers and teachers online. Time is also devoted to helping student gain comfort and confidence with the learning format, including lessons, discussions, and assessments.

A Significant Win When Done Well

As with adult employee remote work, online and hybrid schooling is not for every K-12 student. But when it is the preferred delivery choice by the educator and family, the environment is well-designed, the individual is determined to be a strong fit, and there is effective onboarding to prepare for the online experience, it can be a significant win for everyone involved. The benefits can include enhanced time efficiency, engagement, and motivation.

Continued Enrollment & Edupreneurs Growth

The new online era is here to stay for both work and school. For K-12 schooling, the move away from the traditional five-days-a-week norm will grow in demand as school choice legislation continues to expand around the country. More families will be freed from the K-12 public monopoly, where teachers’ unions’ bosses can hold children as hostages — locked out from learning — to meet inappropriate demands.

Now is the time to advance educational freedom for families. It is also the time for educational entrepreneurs — edupreneurs — to come on the scene to design and develop not only additional online and hybrid K-12 schools but new, increasingly innovative delivery models to meet the growing market demand.

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The limitless classroom — uncovering the benefits of virtual education

We live in a world where powerful digital tools help us to connect, collaborate and be more productive, so it’s not surprising that virtual schools are thriving. Virtual learning in Wisconsin is a well-established option, ideally suited to meet the changing needs of students in a positive and impactful way. At a time when the technological landscape is evolving quickly, virtual education is the wave of the future.

Benefits and versatility

Ambitious students looking for new ways to pursue their passions and academic goals are embracing virtual education. Virtual schools offer students a proven and effective educational model ideally suited to meet their needs.

Virtual schooling offers otherwise missed opportunities to rural students that connect them with a much wider and more diverse group of peers and educators. And online learning is a great way for any student who has missed time or is behind schedule to explore alternative paths to graduation.

For parents, virtual schooling allows a stronger connection to their child’s learning and performance. The safety and predictability of virtual school can be a haven for victims of bullying, as well as for students grappling with a wide range of disabilities, health or learning challenges or social-emotional difficulties.

Customized instruction

Students and families across the state and the nation are discovering that the best virtual school environments offer a diverse and challenging curriculum which outshines many of their brick-and-mortar alternatives. Even better, they provide high-level instruction in a manner that is customizable to every student’s unique needs.

This personalized instruction operates outside the confines of traditional classrooms yet meets all the same requirements as any Wisconsin public school. Full-time students all spend the required number of instructional minutes for the year engaged in schoolwork. They also take the same Wisconsin State Forward exam that’s required across the state.

With the personalized instruction made possible in virtual schools, teachers support students to learn at their own pace. Personalized learning plans make it possible for students who are below or above their expected grade level to learn at the pace that meets their needs and abilities. In an online environment, students who take a different class than the rest of their grade don’t experience the stigma they might have experienced in-person.

Many virtual schools offer both full- and part-time enrollment. Part-time enrollment provides students who wish to stay connected at their resident school with sports teams and other extra-curricular options. This allows students to enjoy the benefits of their current school, while experiencing the flexibility, specialized curriculum and electives of a virtual school.

Proven performance, expanded options

As the demand for alternative school options grows, tuition-free, virtual public schools like Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA) and Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (DCAWI) offer well-established options for families to consider. With over 20 years of experience in online education, partnering with K12, WIVA and DCAWI lead the virtual learning revolution, demonstrating daily the transformative power of virtual learning.

A recent study shows that graduates from K12-powered online schools have statistically significant advantages in career readiness when compared to graduates of traditional schools. Self-directed students in such environments have access to future-focused learning with opportunities to explore careers and gain workplace experience in a number of fields. In virtual schools, students take advantage of unique career learning pathways focused on everything from business and agriculture to healthcare, IT and criminal justice. These experiences are enhanced by industry partnerships and professional certifications, giving every students an edge in their future.

Today, with more options for parents and families than ever before, online learning can meet the need of any student in our state. For the growing numbers of students and families who are accessing these groundbreaking opportunities, these are exciting times.

To learn more, visit www.k12.com/wisconsin-online-schools .

Members of the editorial and news staff of USA TODAY Network were not involved in the creation of this content.

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Florida Virtual School Launches 12 New Online Courses for Middle and High School Students

From career and technical education and world languages, to advanced placement and art, these new courses will help students prepare for their future.

Caption: Florida Virtual School (FLVS) provides unique, interactive, and engaging online courses for Kindergarten through 12th grade students. 

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 26, 2024) — Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is launching 12 new online courses to ensure students have the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in college and the workforce. 

From Foundations of Machine Learning, the final course in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) program of study , to world language courses like Chinese 4 Honors, and more, the goal of each new course is to give students more choice in what and how they like to learn so they can discover their passions and interests. Families can enroll in these courses for the 2024-25 school year.  

According to Grandview Research , the artificial intelligence industry is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.3% from 2023 to 2030, becoming a $1.8 billion business by 2030. Florida is also on the path of becoming a top 10 global economy by 2030, with over 1.62 million new jobs across all sectors of industry, underscoring the importance of equipping the next generation of students with the skills and expertise needed to compete in a global market.

“By offering a robust catalog of core and career-driven courses, Florida Virtual School is ensuring our students are prepared to lead and shape their future,” said Senior Manager of Curriculum Development, Amy Heflin. “These new courses will allow our students a competitive edge for their future, whether they are college or career-focused.”

The new FLVS courses are a mix of core and electives, including Career and Technical Education (CTE), world languages, Advanced Placement (AP), and core courses to give students the time and space they need to explore what interests them and what they want to do after high school. The courses are tuition-free for Florida students and include:

New Career and Technical Education (CTE) Courses: 

Business Management and Law - This is the second course in the Entrepreneurship program of study, available to FLVS Flex students in grades 9-12. In this course, students will explore key business management concepts, including human relations, sales, marketing, and finance. At the end of the course, students can earn three industry certifications. Additionally, this course meets the practical arts requirement for graduation. 

Data Analytics and Database Design - In this second course in the Data Science program of study, FLVS Flex students in grades 9-12 will learn best practices for data visualization and dashboard design and any relevant considerations. 

Foundations of Machine Learning - This is the fourth and final course in the Artificial Intelligence Foundations program of study, available to FLVS Flex students in grades 9-12. It builds an understanding of the mathematical foundation needed to create algorithms for use in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

New World Languages Courses:

Latin 4 Honors - Latin 4 Honors builds upon students’ Latin knowledge of grammar and vocabulary skills to achieve fluency and language proficiency in reading authentic Latin works, while preparing them to take AP and college-level Latin. This course will be coming soon and is available for FLVS Flex students in grades 9-12.

Chinese 4 Honors - In this course, FLVS Flex students in grades 9-12 will experience the language’s rich traditions by exploring modern and ancient China.

American Sign Language (ASL) 3 Honors -  Available for FLVS Flex students in grades 9-12, this course will sharpen the skills students acquire in ASL 1 and 2. 

New Advanced Placement (AP) Courses: 

AP Precalculus - This research-based exploration of functions is designed to better prepare FLVS Flex students in grades 10-12 for college-level calculus and provide a basis for other mathematics and science courses. 

AP World History: Modern - In this course, FLVS Flex students in grades 9-12 will refine their analytical skills, specifically with respect to historical comparisons, causation, continuity, and change over time. Students will hone these skills while studying world history from 1200 to the present. 

New Art and Music Courses:

Two-Dimensional Studio Art 1 - In this course, FLVS Flex and FLVS Full Time students in grades 9-12 will experiment with media and techniques to create a variety of artworks as they develop skills in drawing, painting, and more. This course provides elective credit and fulfills a performing/fine arts requirement for high school graduation.

MJ Exploring Two-Dimensional Art - In this course, FLVS Flex students in grades 6-8 will develop skills in drawing, painting, and more, while learning how to use the elements of art and design principles to create and reflect on their own art.

New Core Courses:

Algebra 1-B - In this course, FLVS Full Time and FLVS Flex students in grades 9-10 will focus on the Algebra 1 benchmarks related to exponential and quadratic functions, data, and statistics. The lessons are designed to help students develop fundamental algebraic skills for problem-solving in the real world.

Personal Finance and Money Management - Now available for FLVS Flex and FLVS Full Time students in grades 9-12, this half-credit course satisfies Florida’s personal financial literacy graduation requirement. Students will learn the skills and knowledge needed to become wise consumers, savers, investors, users of credit, and planners. 

For families that would like to incorporate one or more individual online courses into their education plan for the upcoming school year, FLVS Flex is open for enrollment year-round. For  families that would like to take all online courses through FLVS Full Time exclusively, Florida Virtual Full Time Public Schools is currently open for enrollment through July 12 at 5 p.m. EST.

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June 4, 2024

Enrollment for Florida Virtual Full Time Public Schools Now Open for 2024-25

Enrollment for Florida Virtual Full Time Public Schools is now open for the 2024-25 school year. The full-time option provides students in grades Kindergarten through 12 with a supportive learning experience that combines the flexibility of online learning with the structure of a traditional 180-day school calendar. Open enrollment is open until July 12.

May 23, 2024

More than 1,110 Students Graduated From Florida Virtual High School

1,163 students received their high school diploma from Florida Virtual High School (FVHS) yesterday, May 22, surrounded by thousands of their peers, family members, and friends. More than half of this year’s graduating class have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher, exceeding the national average of 3.0.

May 13, 2024

Florida Virtual School Recognizes Top Five Class of 2024 Graduates

Florida Virtual School is proud to recognize five students graduating at the top of the 2024 class. There are a projected 1,168 students from across the state in this year’s Florida Virtual High School graduating class, with the top five students hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and surrounding areas.

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Florida ranked one of worst funded states in K-12 education

Competing against private school students in science fairs made clear the disparity.

From a young age, I have always been curious about the world I live in. This curiosity ledto me participate in my school’s annual science fair throughout the entirety of myelementary school education. However, this changed after a brutal defeat at thesixth-grade regional science fair.

What happened? Several of my classmates and I placed in our school’s science fair andwere invited to compete in the larger regional competition. Excitedly, we made changesto our projects and prepared for the judge's interviews until the day of the science faircame. It would be an understatement to say we were blown out of the water.After I set up my board, I began scoping out the competition and my jaw dropped. Mostof the contestants came from private schools and it was obvious that hundreds of dollarswere spent decking out their projects. A couple students had even conducted theirresearch in labs. Perhaps, what terrified me most, was the names of their projects. All ofwhich were chock full of jargon that I was not just unfamiliar with but couldn’t evenpronounce.I couldn't understand how these students put together their projects. My sixth-gradescience teacher taught me about the solar system, not the processes ofimmunoelectrophoresis or thrombocytapheresis.Somehow, I managed to walk away with a second-place ribbon but what I saw crushedme. At that moment, I realized that the public education system would never give me thesame tools that private school students have.The unfortunate fact of the matter is that many of us public school students lost ambitionbecause of this disparity. This isn’t to say that the advantages private school students haveare wrong but rather they demonstrate the incompetence of Florida’s K-12 system inproviding resources and funding to students and schools.Don’t be mistaken, this isn’t the fault of teachers, parents, or school administration teams.It's the fault of legislators. A March 2024 report from the Network for Public Education(NPE) revealed that Florida ranks dead last in its ability to adequately provide funding toschools.Eventually, I was inspired to try competing in the science fair during my sophomore yearof high school. My inspiration was spurred on by college-level classes I took throughFlorida Virtual School (FLVS) as a ninth grader. Interestingly, FLVS is funded by theFlorida Department of Education and allows students to take online versions of classesnot offered at their schools. Thus, it also helps to eliminate the disparity in courseselection between private and public schools.When I was given the resources other students had. I succeeded. My research ended upbeing recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the AmericanAssociation of University Women (AAUW).Though services like FLVS are a step in the right direction, public school classrooms stillsuffer from the aforementioned lack of funding. For instance, data sets released byMiami-Dade County indicate that public schools in the area have a significantly higherstudent-teacher ratio compared to private schools. Personally, several of the Cambridgeclasses I’ve taken in Lee County lacked textbooks and other resources needed for successon end-of-year exams.Government officials do not care to continuously support students. We are told they carethrough programs like FLVS but this is hard to believe when just the other day RonDeSantis vetoed 30 million dollars' worth of funding that would have benefitedaccessible tutoring. Thus, we are told we are only important when officials need to save face.

Julianna Bendeck, 17, is a rising senior at Bonita Springs High School and a dual-enrolled student at Florida Gulf Coast University. She enjoys organizing volunteer events as the president and student founder of her school's Interact Club. This past year, Julianna also served as the chairwoman of the District Student Advisory Committee and is involved in activities ranging from Teen Court to Marching Band to FGCU's Eagle News. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Autauga County Schools launching K-12 virtual school

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) - The Autauga County school system is expanding its virtual program into a K-12 virtual school for students who seek an alternative educational setting.

The district has offered an online format for secondary students for several years, but this will be a virtual public school that services all grade levels.

The district says the online learning will be tuition-free and available to students from anywhere in the state.

“We’ve seen the interest in our virtual program growing for several years now,” Superintendent Lyman Woodfin said in a news release. “While we believe there is tremendous value in the traditional, on-campus learning model, we also recognize the online shift in education that seems to work better for particular student populations. Families are seeking flexible and personalized educational models, and we are proud to support these families by providing innovative approaches to help students discover their passions while mastering the curriculum and skills necessary for success beyond high school.”

The school will run through a partnership with the online learning resource Edgenuity, which teaches kindergarten through 12th grade in core, elective, credit recovery, technical and career subjects. All teachers will initially be employed by Edgenuity. Autauga County hopes to hire additional district employees in future school years.

The district named Gloria Jerkins, a 20-year educational veteran in Autauga County, as the virtual school’s principal. She will be one of only two employees of the new school until it’s fully established. The district says it will also hire a special education teacher.

Once enrollment reaches 250 students, it will receive state funding for all school positions the following fiscal year.

“I’m excited,” Jerkins said. “It’s new, but I’m excited for it. I’m a teacher at heart, so I can’t wait to see where this takes the students of Autauga County.”

The virtual school will maintain the same curriculum standards as physical campuses that are outlined by the Alabama State Department of Education. Students will work in the self-paced program meeting course benchmarks. Students will only need to come to campus - the current Prattville Kindergarten School - for standardized testing.

To learn more about the school or apply for enrollment, visit acboe.net/autaugavirtualacademy .

Students who have already applied for virtual status for the 2024-2025 school year are not required to apply again.

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