As the popularity of online higher education continues to grow, a younger group of students has noticed the convenience of online learning. Online courses are a realistic option for young students with medical or behavior issues who cannot succeed in a traditional high school.
One such student, Chelsea Ballenger, 18, from Tacoma, Washington, might not have earned her high school diploma without the option of online school. Ballenger was not able to achieve success at a traditional high school, or even an alternative school. She enrolled in her local community college's Fresh Start program, a scholarship program designed to help students earn their high school diploma in a different setting and begin working toward college credits. But Ballenger, who "wanted to have a different relationship with school," found the right fit through another option- online learning.
Tacoma Virtual Learning, an online education program for high school students, launched this fall by Tacoma Public Schools. The program is popular among students who struggle in a traditional high school setting and those who have problems with time management due to family or job-related issues. Ballenger works full-time at a department store and said that "studying online, on her own time, allows her to focus better than in a traditional high school classroom." About 100 students have already enrolled in Tacoma Virtual Learning.
Nearly 500 students withdrew from Tacoma high schools last year to pursue an online learning program through another district because Tacoma did not offer one. Michael Farmer, online learning coordinator, said that this number is comparable to an entire "middle school's worth of full-time equivalent students." And, "when students leave their home district to attend school in another district, their state funding- an estimated $6,600 per student- goes with them," which can create a severe problem for school districts.
Tacoma Virtual Learning was created about 15 years after the first online education program launched in the state of Washington. All online courses are free to students who are enrolled full-time status in a public school. While convenience is often the main factor that attracts students to online learning, a variety of options among programs is key as well. Students can transfer from one district to another to find a program they like, and can choose to enroll full-time online, or to take only part of their required courses online while completing the rest in a ground school.
One such student, Chelsea Ballenger, 18, from Tacoma, Washington, might not have earned her high school diploma without the option of online school. Ballenger was not able to achieve success at a traditional high school, or even an alternative school. She enrolled in her local community college's Fresh Start program, a scholarship program designed to help students earn their high school diploma in a different setting and begin working toward college credits. But Ballenger, who "wanted to have a different relationship with school," found the right fit through another option- online learning.
Tacoma Virtual Learning, an online education program for high school students, launched this fall by Tacoma Public Schools. The program is popular among students who struggle in a traditional high school setting and those who have problems with time management due to family or job-related issues. Ballenger works full-time at a department store and said that "studying online, on her own time, allows her to focus better than in a traditional high school classroom." About 100 students have already enrolled in Tacoma Virtual Learning.
Nearly 500 students withdrew from Tacoma high schools last year to pursue an online learning program through another district because Tacoma did not offer one. Michael Farmer, online learning coordinator, said that this number is comparable to an entire "middle school's worth of full-time equivalent students." And, "when students leave their home district to attend school in another district, their state funding- an estimated $6,600 per student- goes with them," which can create a severe problem for school districts.
Tacoma Virtual Learning was created about 15 years after the first online education program launched in the state of Washington. All online courses are free to students who are enrolled full-time status in a public school. While convenience is often the main factor that attracts students to online learning, a variety of options among programs is key as well. Students can transfer from one district to another to find a program they like, and can choose to enroll full-time online, or to take only part of their required courses online while completing the rest in a ground school.
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