Forum Post: Pearson's U.S. Online Public Schools Fall to Bottom of Class
Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 11, 2012, 11:57 a.m. EST by GirlFriday
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Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Online public schools, where students as young as kindergarteners log on from home to take classes, don't make the grade, according to a study released today.
Less than a third of the "virtual" schools managed by for- profit companies made adequate progress toward meeting state standards last year, compared with about half of all public schools, according to the report from the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The findings demonstrate that online public schools, which educate more than 200,000 students nationwide, don't have the results to justify their growth, said Gary Miron, lead author of the study and a professor at Western Michigan University. K12 Inc., part-owned by billionaire Michael Milken, and Pearson Plc's Connections Academy are the biggest operators of Internet- based charter schools -- privately run public schools.
Thanks for posting this. I had seen a clip recently of how wonderful these on-line schools are for elementary age kids and just couldn't freaking believe it! Awesome work, GirlFriday.
Although I disagree with the online movement towards education and agree that nothing can replace a good teacher in the flesh, I have to question these studies on two accounts. Number 1: Schools tend to send the students that are most behind and struggling the most to these "alternate" forms of education. Therefore a true study should see what type of students tend to participate in online programs. Are they already disadvantaged for other reasons? If so, then this throws off the study. Number 2: This is actually a general complaint about using exams and standardized testing to measure how effective schools are at educating students. Some schools (online or not) can train students to test really well without actually teaching them the skills to be critical independent learners. Therefore using state standardized exams as a measure for determining how educated the students are is a sham.
My experience is that a lot of the students who participate in alternate forms of education are either the ones struggling, or the ones who are doing very well but are bored to death. The students in both extremes are the hardest to satisfy.
Yes, I agree to this. However, the ones that are bored to death are not likely to want to sit and stair at a computer and learn that way. Or at least I don't think so. Their are other alternatives that are more fulfilling.
Actually, online learning is attractive to smart students because it permits them to move at their own pace instead of having to wait around in a class that is too slow for them. This mean classes can be shorter thus by leaving them with more time for extracurricular activities like learning music or reading books.
The biggest problem with online learning is the lack of social contact. A lot of people think schooling is important in so far as it teaches knowledge and critical thinking, but schooling is also important because it offers the student the chance to socialize with many other people in his age group. It's like a mini society. Students learn how to deal with various types of personalities, and many students make friends for life. This is also the case in university. I acquired a lot of knowledge during my bachelors and masters degrees, but university was also very important because I made many friends that I cherish to this day, and connections that have helped my career in numerous ways. This would have been impossible had I taken my university courses online.
I am in complete agreement that state standardized tests are a sham. It is also a sham that is perpetuated by the same group. Pearson has the textbooks, standardized tests and seeks to benefit. There has been a trend to push for all students to participate in online rather than just alternative students as a cost saving measure.
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2012/01/pearson-gate-claims-more-corrupt.html
I am a firm believer that the standardized tests are pushing for non-critical thinking in all schools.
They're trying to treat teachers like store checkers - replace them with a self-check and you don't have to pay their salary. It was doomed to fail from the start. There is no substitute for human insight and human effort and certainly no substitute for a good teacher.
I agree.
Leave it to the (R)epelicans, to back something worse than the Detroit Public schools.
Yep lets just through more money and technology at the problem. Cause that will work......... Money does not solve everything
Take action. See samples of how below.
183,361 signatures so far for Bernie Sanders petition as of 10:15am central time 01/15/2012
http://sanders.enews.senate.gov/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=clickthru&gpiv=2100081904.557411.411&gen=1&mailing_linkid=34578
The petition to save abandoned houses has 15 signatures. We picked one up at around 9:50pm 01/13/2012. Were just rolling right along.
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Here is a place where you can directly address change. Take part, it does not hurt and may very well heal/help. Forward the cause of reform and rebirth.
http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/Ag8nw/zL2Q/B18Bb
Sierra Club has some good things to take part in as well. Set-up and ready for you to take part in. http://sierraclub.org/
Here is a place where you can directly address change. Take part, it does not hurt and may very well heal/help. Forward the cause of reform and rebirth.
http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/Ag8nw/zL2Q/B18Bb