Computers have long had a place in many school classrooms, but what about learning online completely? The number of full-time online K through 12 students is growing.
Katerina Christhilf is training to become a ballerina. She dances four days a week, up to eight hours on Fridays, when most seventh graders would be at school. That's why Katerina goes to school online.
"Sometimes I'll study in the morning and I'll do a few classes and then I'll go to ballet for maybe, like, three or four hours and I'll come back home and do some more," she said.
An estimated quarter of a million students in Kindergarten through 12th grade were enrolled in full-time online schools last year, a 25 percent increase over the previous year. K12 Inc., a for-profit company, runs many of the programs, contracting with school districts that receive state aid for online education.
"Five years ago we were about one-fifth the size we are now. I would expect, you know, we've grown five-fold over that period that we'll probably do so again over the next , you know, five to 10 years. This is a movement that is just beginning," found of K12 Inc. Ron Packard said.
In 2010, the U.S Education Department said more study was needed to determine how effective online education is for K through 12 students. The National Education Association, a teacher's union, supports using online content in traditional schools, but questions whether learning online full-time is the best approach.
"There's so much more to learning than content acquisition. There's socialization. There's discussion in classroom. You've gotta be able to look at their face and know whether they need a push or maybe a hug," President of the National Education Association Dennis Van Roekel said.
State testing data shows Virginia Virtual Academy students, Katerina's program, did not perform as well as kids at brick and mortar schools. K12, Inc. says many of the academy's students were behind a grade level when they joined.
Supporters and critics of online schools say how well they work often depends on the child. For Katerina, a highly motivated student, it's the right choice.
