Are virtual schools failing students?

A new in-depth analysis of school performance measures for full-time virtual and blended schools indicates they might not be as successful as traditional public schools.

The data comes from the National Education Policy Center’s (NEPC) Sixth Annual Report on Virtual Education, Full-Time Virtual and Blended Schools: Enrollment, Student Characteristics, and Performance.

Virtual schools continued to under-perform academically, including in comparison to blended schools. Overall, 36.4 percent of full-time virtual schools and 43.1 percent of blended schools received acceptable performance ratings.…Read More

Hybrid learning’s promise for personalized education

Hybrid learning offers a much-needed solution to student populations, experts say

hybrid-learning-educationSome technology trends are just that: trends and fads. Others–like hybrid learning–have sticking power, because they enable students and teachers to personalize teaching and learning.

In recent years, hybrid learning–often used interchangeably with blended learning– programs across the nation have skyrocketed. Numerous reports, studies, and research efforts have documented hybrid learning’s rise and the benefits it has to offer for today’s students, who demonstrate a desire to take more control and ownership over their learning. In essence, hybrid learning gives today’s students a pathway to what they have demonstrated they want: a personalized learning experience.

According to the 2013 Keeping Pace with Online and Blended Learning report, 23 states have fully blended, or hybrid, schools. The report defines “fully blended” as a standalone school, and not a program, in which most of the curriculum is delivered in a blended form combining face-to-face and online instruction.…Read More