Researchers To Study Student Achievement at Virtual Schools

Researchers from University of Michigan, Stanford and University of California, Davis have have been awarded a $1.6 million grant to conduct a three-year study of virtual schooling.

The researchers will examine data for both the Florida Virtual School — an online public school serving K-12 students in Florida — and Miami Dade County Public Schools from the 2003-04 through the 2013-14 school years, as well as data from surveys of teachers and students. The researchers will use the data to identify "how virtual schooling options affect students' course progression, academic achievement and teacher effectiveness," according to information from the University of Michigan.

"There are enormous gaps in the research literature on online schools," said Brian Jacob, professor of economics and education at the University of Michigan, in a prepared statement. "Policymakers have little evidence of whether online courses boost achievement, which types of students flourish and the conditions that promote positive student outcomes."

The results of the study are intended to help policymakers and educators understand how virtual schooling affects student achievement, which students are most likely to benefit from this method of education and how virtual schooling can be improved.

The grant was provided by the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  •  classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.