For middle and high school students the state of Florida has taken the lead in virtual, online, education. Through Florida Virtual School (FLVS) the state offers the largest state funded online school in the United States.
FLVS is a public school accredited by the Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS) and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). Any public, private and home-schooled student can attend. Public school students from Florida make up the majority of its students; however, out-of-state and international students from 49 states and 57 countries have taken coursed through FLVS. Students from Florida do not have to pay, however, there is a per course fee for out-of-state and international students.
The FLVS system has a $166.3 million budget with approximately 1,500 employees and approximately 130,000 students. It tracks the traditional brick and mortar curriculum and offers more than 110 courses designed to meet the state of Florida graduation requirements.
Part time and home-schooled students who take courses through FLVS are not eligible to receive a diploma directly from FLVS, however, students who attend FLVS full time graduate with a diploma, and home-schooled students who fulfill all of their graduation requirements (course subjects) through FLVS are classified as graduates even though they do not receive a traditional diploma.
Teachers are certified in the state of Florida and are additionally certified in the subjects in which they teach. Teachers and students interact regularly via email, voice mail, telephone conversation, text, and instant messenger. Teachers are available for extended weekday hours and limited weekend hours, for student and parent/guardian contact. There is a requirement for teachers and parents or guardians to have a monthly status conference.
Some of the reasons students have migrated to online education are: (1) the ability to complete work at an accelerated pace enabling earlier graduation, (2) the ability to receive more individual instruction not necessarily available in a traditional classroom setting, (3) the opportunity for students who are promising actors or athletes in sports such as golf & tennis to dedicate time to their entertainment or athletic pursuits and still receive structured academic instruction, and (4) the ability to schedule time for school work at any time during the day or night.
Bob Muni, FLVS founding chairman of the board of trustees believes FLVS is positioned to offer students the best online learning experience. He has said, “It’s not just the content we have online, it’s how we have created the whole package. It’s not just the black dots on white paper, so to speak, it’s the whole thought process and philosophy behind what makes it work.”
Online learning is not for everyone and it has its critics. Cecilia Rouse, a professor at Princeton University has indicated, “As much as technology is improving or replacing school instruction, there are many classroom dynamics that are hard to duplicate.” Adults who grew up in brick and mortar classrooms with text books may worry about the social lessons students might be missing, but there is no denying technology is changing how we learn, communicate and live our lives.
On the college and university level, educational institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford and Georgetown, to name a few are now offering online courses. Institutions such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan University, Walden University and Liberty University offer a fully virtual curriculum leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees.
All but 2 state colleges and universities in Florida offer online courses. More than 170,000 university students in Florida take a blended approach, some online and some on campus courses. University of Florida offers 80 online programs, 70 of which are at the graduate level. University of Central Florida offers 60 online programs, 54 of which are at the graduate level. University of South Florida offers 72 online programs, 46 of which are at the graduate level.
In an attempt to coordinate the efforts of individual colleges and universities, the Florida legislature is currently considering a sweeping education bill to designate a lead institution, most likely University of Florida, to set best practices and drive the development of new online degree programs.
It is evident online learning is the wave of the future. It is estimated half of the nation’s high school classes will be delivered online before 2020. Online is the path educators need to take to remain relevant and competitive. For middle and high school curriculum and application, Florida Virtual School appears to be the standard bearer and model for the nation in online education.
To receive email alerts when new articles authored by Armand Colson are available, click on the “Subscribe Button”. Contact at armandcolson@gmail.com
Comments