Research: Online Algebra I benefits students without other access to the course
Students who took an online Algebra I course in eighth-grade performed better in high-school algebra and more likely were to take rigorous math classes later in high school than students who had access only to general eighth-grade math, a new study shows. Researchers studied the use of the virtual course in small rural schools in Maine and Vermont, in cases where students were ready for advanced math but did not have access to a formal face-to-face course.
Analysis raises questions about the business of online schools
More than half of students are performing below grade level in either reading or math at Agora Cyber Charter School, one of a series of virtual public schools supported by the publicly traded company, K12. A newspaper analysis highlights several questions about the benefits and shortcomings of these, as well as other full-time online schools that are run by for-profit companies supported by taxpayer dollars. The New York Times
Chicago considers partnering with K12 on Agora Cyber Charter SchoolAgora Cyber Charter School: Officials with Chicago Public Schools are considering a partnership with the publicly traded K12 company to expand its portfolio of online education for students. The company is the country’s largest for-profit education-management group, but some of its schools have drawn recent attention for poor performance on standardized tests. However, Chicago’s Virtual Charter High School, which was the city’s first school opened by K12 in 2006, was among the few schools in the district last year to meet federal academic benchmarks under No Child Left Behind.
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