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Considerable published research explores drivers of parent choice for in-person schools, but few studies have addressed reasons for attending full-time cyber schools, and how student characteristics affect those reasons; hence, this study's unique contribution. Here we use a large national dataset (n= 95,259) to test whether students with disabilities differ in stated reasons for attending a multistate cyber charter school network. Using linear probability models, we find that parents of children with disabilities are relatively more likely than others to cite academic, bullying, and health concerns as driving their choice of schools. Interestingly, parents of children with disabilities offered more reasons for leaving their prior schools than reasons that attracted them to the online school. Also, students with disabilities whose parents cited academic reasons for enrollment in the cyber school were less likely to persist in the school the next year. Implications are discussed, including the relevance of accessibility challenges for online students with disabilities attempting to access online tools and instructional materials. Future research suggestions focus on the importance of collaboration for all stakeholders of online students with disabilities.

Existing research on facilitators in K-12 schools has focused on supplemental online programs where on-site personnel work with online students in a local brick-and-mortar school. While some insightful research exists focused on online facilitators at full-time cyber schools, additional research is needed to examine facilitators using synchronous support. The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how the role of a facilitator in a full-time cyber school could help to address students' cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted qualitative interviews with two administrators and four advocates during Spring 2020, using the Academic Communities of Engagement Framework as a lens to understand the advocates' role. Findings confirmed the need for a facilitator role to support online student engagement. This type of research will provide insights to full-time cyber schools and will be insightful to those seeking to engage students during emergency remote learning.

Virtual schooling in America is a complex notion, one riddled with simultaneous claims of provenance coupled with poor achievement results when compared to other forms of schooling. Recruitment practices for virtual schools, specifically available television-length advertisements from a national list of fully online schools, comprised a data set around which this study revolved. We examined how virtual school television-length advertisements represented or misrepresented their approach to schooling by utilizing a cultural studies technique of performing preferred, negotiated, and oppositional readings. Qualitative analysis--including an independent interrater process--led to findings that often directly contradicted the messages present in the television-length advertisements, as well as currently available research on the performance and practices of virtual schools. Thus, virtual schools should consider the manner in which race, student performance, and teacher quality are portrayed in the teaching, learning, and collaboration of their television-length advertisement recruitment efforts.

Despite a large increase in enrollments of students in online courses at the K-12 level, there is very little research on the use of differentiation in fully online (called "virtual") schools. This study asked virtual teachers from two different types of schools to discuss their differentiation practices, and compared differentiation practices of teachers across these schools. Nineteen focus groups consisting of 92 teachers were conducted. Data were analyzed using Tomlinson's differentiation framework. Results showed that the large majority of teacher comments about differentiation definitions, assessments, curriculum, grouping and strategies fell in the novice category, and that newer virtual school teachers may struggle in developing skills in differentiation in an online environment.

Cyber charter schools may increase access to a range of educational offerings, but they substantially underperform traditional public schools on measured academic performance, as demonstrated in a range of studies with distinct samples and methods. Artificial testing conditions offer a possible explanation. In contrast to face-to-face students, for cyber charter students standardized testing occurs in unfamiliar locations, often hours from the location of instruction (home), possibly leading to fatigue and lesser performance. Geocoding home locations and testing sites for 2015-18 mathematics, ELA, and science test scores from 5,493 cyber school students in a northern state, we test whether drive times affect performance, controlling for student characteristics. Save for marginal statistical impacts on mathematics tests, we find no evidence that drive times affect cyber student measured academic performance. Implications are discussed.

Little research addresses the schooling experiences of non-binary students; no prior work explores their experiences in cyber schools. Using unique data from a US multi-state cyber charter school, we compare the factors parents of non-binary students and parents of other students stated as reasons for leaving their prior schools to attend a cyber charter school in fall 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic). Despite a small sample size, we found statistically significant differences, with parents of non-binary students two to three times more likely to indicate mental health, safety, and bullying related concerns as motivating their choice of cyber schooling. There were no significant differences regarding physical health, and few involving academic concerns. We also note implications, and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss some concerns and recommendations of Saultz and Fusarelli (2017), offering nuanced and detailed views of online schooling from a different perspective. This includes addressing challenges regarding online learning such as fluctuating enrollments, financial concerns, quality assurance, and accountability. In addition, we propose recommendations related to funding, better quality data, and oversight and monitoring. We conclude with a short discussion of the need for differentiated research for specific online learning contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this case study was to examine challenges faced by virtual school leaders in the United States. Through semistructured interviews, the researchers explored challenges faced by eighteen leaders of fully online or blended online programs. Analysis revealed six main challenges: funding, staff, accountability, time, parents, and professional development. The researchers found virtual school leaders face many of the same categorical challenges as leaders in brick-and-mortar schools. The nuances of the challenges, however, are distinct. The researchers concluded that the field of educational leadership must respond to the needs of these leaders through preservice training, in-service professional development, policy reform, and additional research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Opportunities for K-12 students to choose virtual and blended learning experiences continue to grow. All 50 states including Washington, D.C., now offer some virtual experience in K-12 education. Of these, 40 states have state virtual schools or state-led online learning initiatives. In addition, federal and state support for this type of learning continues to expand. Field experiences are beginning to be available for virtual school teachers; however, little information is available on field experiences for pre-service administrators in virtual K-12 settings. This study provides a status report on the state of school administrator preparation for K-12 online and blended learning programs in the United States. This research was conducted by surveying initial certification Educational Leadership programs regarding the extent that pre-service administrators are exposed to K-12 online learning environments. Results indicate that very few Educational Leadership programs provide any administrator preparation for leading a K-12 virtual school or teachers of online courses. Important ramifications exist for Educational Leadership programs preparing educators to lead fully online and blended learning programs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]