Now Petersburg offer engineering, architecture, art history, and veterinary science, among other classes. Sue Hardin, the school’s English and Spanish teacher, says that she facilitates advanced placement classes for student in some Northeastern schools, as well as that Oklahoma, Washington State, Switzerland, Venezuela and even China.

For the rest of the article, go to With virtual platform, Alaska high school reverses decline

“One benefit of attending an online school like those in Washington Online School Network is its flexibility. Our students can do their work any time and any place that works for them,” said Jeffrey A. Elliott, Advanced Academics president. “While bad weather closes brick-and-mortar schools and learning labs, our students can continue their studies uninterrupted.”

For the rest of the article, go to Virtual Schools Remain in Session During Winter Storm

Read on and you learn that unlike those gosh darn teachers, technology is there, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to accelerate your child’s learning. Even better, in the virtual world of learning, you only pay for results. Just think of it. If kids never finish a course in a virtual school, it would not cost taxpayers a dime! Florida Virtual Schools, in partnership with Pearson Education, expects to make $20,000,000 in the next five years—so they can afford to offer clients a “virtual success guarantee” that “80 percent of your students will achieve a passing grade — or your money back for those students that do not!”

For the rest of the article, go to Playing school with scantrons

For the rest of the article, go to Virtual Schools Booming, while States Mull Warnings about Lack of Oversite

Teachers have access to more than 250,000 of the best resources online, all aligned to grade-specific Common Core and state standards. Every bit of content in the Curriculum Matrix is ready to use with state standards, Common Core, currently adopted textbooks or any set of objectives used by a district. With one click, teachers can see the relationship between Common Core standards and their own textbooks, current state standards or district curriculum. For teachers using standards-based curriculum, the Curriculum Matrix not only allows teachers to share lessons, it also facilitates their efforts to designate specific standards related to existing lessons.

For the rest of the article, go to EdGate’s Curriculum Matrix® Creates A Seamless Transition to Common Core Standards and Digital Learning

The number of students in kindergarten through 12th grade enrolled in virtual schools nationwide has grown to 225,000 from 50,000 a decade ago—and 30% year over year since 2001, says Susan Patrick, chief executive of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a nonprofit advocacy group. Some parents choose virtual schooling to accommodate a heavy schedule of extracurricular classes or interests; others feel their children’s needs are better served outside a traditional classroom. Here are two families’ experiences.

For the rest of the article, go to Two Families, Two Takes on Virtual Schooling

Among the options that would net some of the biggest savings in the Spanaway-based school district:

• Closing one or two junior high/middle schools for a savings of $1 million.
• Eliminating teacher stipends for evening activities for a savings of $2 million.
• Reducing all employee pay by 1 percent, for a savings of $1 million.

Other savings possibilities:

• Eliminate the Bethel Online Academy. Estimated savings: $600,000. Seigel said a reduction in state reimbursement for online students has resulted in lower funding for the program and that students could be served elsewhere.
• Change to a new model for custodian services. Estimated savings: $500,000. Details are still being worked on.
• Eliminate positions for six assistant principals – three at middle schools and three at elementary schools – for a total estimated savings of $720,000.

About Red Comet: Red Comet is an online transfer credit program, designed to assist students facing difficulties in attaining credits to graduate from high school. The courses offered meet state standards and requirements. Thanks to this innovative online high school program, students are able to graduate from their own high school.

For the rest of the article. go to Red Comet Accredited Online High School Learning Program Free for Home Schooled Students in WA State

The story focused on Herndon-based K12 Inc., the nation’s largest operator of virtual schools. Its schools (which educate about 95,000 students in 29 states and the District) tend to have lower state test scores and graduation rates than brick and mortar schools.

Company officials say the low numbers don’t accurately reflect the success of their approach. Many of their students struggled in traditional schools, K12 executives say, and were drawn to virtual schooling as a last resort.

For the rest of the article, go to Questions about virtual schools’ effectiveness

• Kent Gateway – Students in grades 9-10 work with the same core group of teachers in both grades focusing on increasing academic and social skills.

• Kent Performance Learning Center – This program for credit deficient students in grades 11–12 blends digital and project-based learning with community mentors and partnerships.Kent Success – Operating later in the day, this program offers credit deficient students an onsite, self-paced and computer-based education with the support of highly qualified staff.

• Kent Virtual High School – A self-paced, rigorous set of courses that are approved by OSPI and the NCAA. Students have the ability to learn at any time from any location.

For the rest of the article, go to Kent schools named Washington State Innovative Schools