State virtual schools are programs that are administered and/or funded by a state to provide online learning opportunities within that state. Such programs have the capacity to offer supplemental online courses to students throughout the state. State virtual schools are often created by legislation or by a state-level agency, and receive state appropriation or grant funding. They also may charge course fees to help cover the costs of administering online programming and courses. The programs may be administered by a state education agency, but could also be 501(c)(3) nonprofits, charter schools, or organizations contracted to operate the state virtual school by the state education agency.
Published in Chapter:
Digital Learning in Rural K–12 Settings: A Survey of Challenges and Progress in the United States
Amy Valentine (Foundation for Blended and Online Learning, USA), Butch Gemin (Evergreen Education Group, USA), Lauren Vashaw (Evergreen Education Group, USA), John Watson (Evergreen Education Group, USA), Christopher Harrington (Institute for Teaching and Leading, USA), and Elizabeth LeBlanc (Institute for Teaching and Leading, USA)
Copyright: © 2019
|Pages: 34
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-8009-6.ch005
Abstract
Discussions of rural America often summon images of pastoral farmland, country roads, and close-knit communities; this vision offers a sharp contrast to contemporary perspectives of rural America, which highlight unemployment, entrenched poverty, economic decline, and geophysical isolation. However, both narratives share one characteristic: the belief that a high-quality education can open a world of opportunities for rural children. This chapter fills an existing gap in research by documenting successful practices of digital learning to support students, teachers, and families in rural education settings. A qualitative study identified the challenges faced by rural schools and then explored the digital learning strategies used to meet these challenges. Across the country, innovative practitioners are expanding Internet access, addressing teacher shortages, and increasing course offerings, which has in turn contributed to the academic achievement and future prosperity of today's rural students.