Online schools are largely untested
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2011
THE RECORD
A proposed virtual charter school based in Teaneck has led to a roiling debate about academic rigor and oversight of a new breed of schools where laptops replace most in-person interactions with teachers and classmates.
Education researchers say these full-time cyber schools are so new there is scant independent evidence on their outcomes for students. The founder of the proposed Garden State Virtual Charter School says he aims to provide a high-quality option for children statewide whose lives don't fit the traditional school setting, but skeptics argue much is lost when students attend all their classes sitting at home.
Even so, virtual public schools are growing fast. Evergreen Education Group, a consultant, estimate