Online instruction has helped several at-risk Illinois students finish their high school education and earn their diploma, when it's likely many of these students otherwise would have dropped out of the system, said Sarah Antrim-Cambium, the Illinois Virtual High School (IVHS) coordinator for participating schools in Cook County.

Antrim-Cambium was speaking at a Dec. 14 webcast sponsored by the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL). The purpose of the event was to highlight how virtual schooling can be used to reach students who are at risk of failing or of dropping out of the traditional school system.

But it's not just at-risk students who are being served in Illinois. Online instruction also is helping more than 3,000 traditional students in the state fulfill certain requirements and expand their access to specialized classes, Antrim-Cambium said.

Offering approved online courses, and putting the appropriate support system in place, gives students the opportunity to take advanced classes, meet graduation requirements, and enroll in classes their regular schools might not offer, she said.

IVHS introduced its first courses in January 2001 and had 100 enrollments. That number quickly jumped to nearly 3,300 for the 2004-2005 school year. Around 70 percent of Illinois high schools have signed up to participate in IVHS. The program is funded through a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education and through course tuition.

The school is a supplemental statewide program serving all Illinois students and works in partnership with the state's high schools. When a student enrolls in IVHS, that student's school issues credit for the course taken. Participation is voluntary for each district. Courses are a semester long, and no more than 25 students are enrolled in any given online class. IVHS staff build courses, grade work, and are available online through web conferencing.

When IVHS first opened enrollment, Antrim-Cambium said, some high schools saw the online service as a threat that might take away jobs and students. Now, though, that feeling is less common, she said, as more schools view IVHS as an enhancement or an advantage.

Some IVHS teachers teach in traditional classrooms and teach only one course, and others are retired from public education and teach in a more full-time capacity.

One IVHS program reached beyond the typical virtual high school class and attempted to help at-risk students complete their education. The Graduation Recovery and Aptitude Development (eGRAD) program's students faced a variety of challenges: Some were fifth-year seniors, others were being released from incarceration, some were pregnant or parenting, others worked full-time, and still others experienced displacement and transportation issues, Antrim-Cambium said.

Of eGRAD's first 10 students, nine stayed in the program and completed it.

"We have this tremendous potential in online education, and I'm sure our 35 eGRAD success stories are only the beginning," Antrim-Cambium said.