Supporters hope 'virtual school' meets student needs

KELLY WIESE
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Eighth-grader Keith Fisher started hanging out with the wrong crowd and ran into problems at school.
So his parents pulled him out of the Sarcoxie School District several months ago and began home-schooling him. But Keith sometimes has questions about his school work and struggles to find the answers. He also longs to be part of a school community - to join student organizations and play sports.
Keith's situation is exactly the kind of thing lawmakers hope to improve in proposing creation of a statewide "virtual school." Bills to do so have cleared House and Senate committees and await votes by the full chambers.
Virtual schools have been established in 23 states nationwide, according to the North American Council for Online Learning - and Missouri can consider those experiences as it builds its own system.
A virtual school builds on the distance learning concept, where a teacher in one building may direct a class, and students in other districts around the state tune in by videoconference, said council president Susan Patrick.
A virtual school is largely Internet-based, with a curriculum that students complete on their own schedules and at their own pace, but still with regular interaction with a teacher, she said. And holding some classes by video can complement the work.
The legislation would require the state Board of Education to create a virtual school by July 2007. It spells out how funding would work, requires teachers to be certified and ensures the school meets other standards, such as having an approved curriculum and making yearly improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
The state would provide funding for up to 500 full-time students (more if many only take a class or two) the first year, to allow time to work out the bugs, said a sponsor, Rep. Brian Baker, R-Belton. More could be added in the future.
Supporters believe a range of students could benefit from a virtual school: someone in a rural district that can't afford a physics or Latin teacher; gifted ones who aren't challenged in a regular classroom; those who failed a class and need extra help; or home-schooled students.
Students could take one course or their entire load through the virtual school. The state would approve several providers - potentially private companies, colleges or virtual school operators from other states - to offer curriculum, and parents and students could choose those that best fit their needs.
Schools around Missouri already use some forms of distance learning. This year, for example, a "Checks and Balances" government class organized by the Missouri Bar and the Missouri School Boards Association includes seminars students from several districts can join by videoconference and question government officials, including a Supreme Court judge and state legislators.
But a recent class with state representatives on the panel in Jefferson City ran into technical difficulties. The building's high-speed data line went down, and classes from around the state were dropped after a few minutes.
The lesson illustrated the challenges of relying on technology to teach, but program coordinators and teachers involved said it's worth the hassle.
Curtis Cunningham teaches government to Versailles High School students and participates in the "Checks and Balances" class. He said his students were disappointed the system crashed. But Cunningham said he has no qualms about embracing the technology.
"I really like the opportunity, if it keeps working," he said. "There's no way I could take a bus of kids up there every other week and sit down and talk to these people. Something I can give to these kids in rural Missouri via the telephone line, I think it's great."
The bottom line, Patrick and others say, is a virtual school can be a good fit for children raised in an era so reliant on computers and technology. They may not just learn better, but also be more prepared for jobs in coming years.
"When they're at home, they're aware of the Information Age," Patrick said. "And when they walk into their schools and they're being taught the same way three generations ago were, with single-source textbooks and a teacher lecturing, looking at the world they're getting into, there's an increasing disconnect."
For students such as Keith, a virtual school can't arrive soon enough.
"I was getting into a lot of trouble at school, hanging with the wrong people and not turning in assignments," the 14-year-old said. "I am doing better in school without the peer pressure. You do only get one education. My mom wants me to have the best."