Regional
(2010-02-03)
DENVER, CO
(KUNC) -
More and more Colorado K-12 students are leaving traditional brick and mortar schools in favor of online education. Colorado is one of 24 states to offer students the option of going to virtual schools full time - and last year enrollment numbers jumped to 11,641 students. That's according to an annual report released this week by the Colorado Department of Education. Pam Ice is director of the Department's Unit of Online Learning. She says last year's 12.5 percent increase in student enrollment is actually down from the previous school year.
"Last year was about 26 percent," she says. "But it's really becoming an option that parents look at when looking at opportunities for their children."
Things like flexible hours and a wide range of coursework are what continue to attract parents and students to virtual schools. Right now Ice says student achievement scores for online students still lag behind the state average. But she adds that many schools are showing year-over-year improvement in CSAP scores and longitudinal growth data.
© Copyright 2012, KUNC
