The Challengers

Rationale for Distance Learning

The students have varying schedules and we do not have enough students for each period to hire a teacher to teach this class for all 6- 8 periods depending on which district is chosen. This means that the best way for us to offer the class would be through a DE asynchronous setting. This is the same problem that districts face for many classes elective and non-elective alike.
Virtual schools have seen an increase in enrollment in the last few years.  There are currently 24 states that offer a virtual school option to K-12 students.  In the 2005-2006 school year it was estimated that over 700,000 students were enrolled in these virtual schools.  Florida is reported as having the largest concentration of students in their Florida Virtual School (FLVS) program with 33,000 students enrolled in the 2005-2006 school year.  In 1997, FLVS was just a grant-run project initiative.  By 2008, the Florida Department of Education required that all Florida School districts provide a virtual instruction option for all K-12 students.  (Florida Department of Education, 2009)

States that have implemented online course offerings to their K-12 students cite reasons such as to ease classroom congestion.  Another reason that states utilize online courses is to provide advanced curriculum, such as AP, to students who would not otherwise receive it due to lack of staff.  Due to low enrollment in some schools, such as rural districts, they school cannot provide many course offerings because they are unable to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers.  Another reason that online courses are conducive for K-12 students is to ease the transition of students who are either homebound or transferred in from other schools and are missing certain credits.  (Georgia Virtual School, 2009)

Florida Department of Education. (2009b).  Virtual Education Home Page.  Retrieved October
15, 2009 from http://www.fldoe.org/schools/virtual-schools/

Georgia Virtual Schools. (2009) Georgia Virtual Schools Home Page. Retrieved October 15,
2009 from http://www.gavirtualschools.org