Florida Offers Online Schools for Fulltime K-8 Students

By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/16/2008

Starting next fall, thousands of Florida students will be able to roll out of bed and attend school in their very own homes as a result of a new law that requires every school district in the state to set up an online school for fulltime kids in grades K-8.

The law also requites school districts to provide fulltime or part-time virtual instruction to students in grades 9-12, says the Florida Department of Education (DOE).

Passed by the Florida legislature last spring, the law is designed to give parents more choice in how their elementary- and middle-school children are educated full time. “These virtual schools offer additional flexibility and personalization for students who learn best outside of the traditional classroom” says the Florida DOE. “It allows parents to be directly involved in their child’s education while receiving support from certified teachers,” says the DOE. “Further, it is held accountable for student and school performance.”

The the free public education program provides a curriculum that meets or exceeds state standards, technology tools, and a variety of instructional materials.

The program will offer students a range of classes, including math, science, history, reading, writing, art, music and even physical ed—and the courses will follow the guidelines of the the North American Council for Online Learning and the Southern Regional Education Board.

But not every child is eligible—only those who have spent the prior year attending a public school in the state or was enrolled in a school district virtual instruction program.

Florida will pay for the online instruction, providing districts about $6,000 per student, about the same amount for a student who shows up for class. But savings are expected in bus transportation, school construction, and other areas.

It’s still unclear how many students will actually take advantage of the new online elementary and middle school law.

But if Florida Virtual School's online courses for high-school students are any indication, it could take off. That program went from students completing 6,765 half-credit courses in 2001 to 137,450 courses last school year, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

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