The Growth and Benefits of Cyber Education

The Heritage Foundation has a new background on online education, from a national perspective.  They write:

As many as 1 million children (roughly 2 percent of the K-12 student population) are participating in some form of online learning. Today, 27 states offer statewide virtual schools that allow students to take a class online, and 24 states and the District of Columbia offer students the opportunity to attend a virtual school full-time.

Their recommendations for state policymakers include:

• Enact or expand statewide virtual schools.
• Reform charter school laws to allow virtual charter schools.
• Enact or expand hybrid online learning programs.
• Explore opportunities to partner with other states, schools, and online learning providers.
• Allow funds to follow the student.

A bit over 20,000 Pennsylvania students are enrolled in cyber schools.  Here is our Primer on Pennsylvania Cyber Schools.