What Can Virtual Learning Do For Your School?

Virtual learning, which enables schools to deliver education via the Internet, is becoming an effective strategy in helping schools to fulfill their core missions while addressing current challenges. Some institutions are employing virtual learning to deliver single courses - such as AP history, seventh grade Spanish, or Algebra 1 - enabling students to accelerate, supplement, or remediate their performance. In other cases, states and districts are launching comprehensive virtual schools where students can pursue some or all of their studies online.

Schools' virtual learning programs address educational needs and provide several important benefits, including:

Extending educational access and ensuring equity for all students cost-effectively;
Assisting educators in enhancing students' academic performance; and
Introducing technologies that support, rather than distract, educators.

Educators, however, are not launching these virtual learning programs on their own. Rather, as they assess their states' and schools' competencies and resources - and acknowledge the constraints - they are outsourcing some or all components of the virtual learning initiative. Educators are partnering with a small, but growing cadre of businesses and organizations that help schools manage the academic, technological, and administrative elements underlying a virtual learning program in five areas - needs assessment, technology infrastructure, curriculum, instruction, and program management.

What Can Virtual Learning Do For Your School? is designed to assist educational leaders and K-12 business executives in understanding the rapidly emerging K-12 virtual learning landscape. The study includes virtual learning case examples from six states and districts and detailed profiles of six leading virtual providers.