More Colorado students attending school online

The number of students going to school online to receive a diploma has increased 12.5 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to a Colorado Department of Education report.

Statewide on-line enrollment in 2008-2009 increased 1,452 students over the previous year for a total of 13,093, the report says. Most of the students are in high school programs.This total does not include students taking supplemental on-line courses.

Nineteen of the programs are multi-district, meaningthe take their studnets from anywhere inthe state. Sevenothers are single district programs.

The non-completion rate is high. For example Colorado Distance and Electronic Learning Academy, 56 percent; Insight School of Colorado, 47 percent, Hope Online Learning Academy, 24 percent; Vilas Online, 25 percent.   Reasons for some of this, the report says, is because students think the on-line courses will be easier than at brick and mortar schools and when they find out that they are not, they leave. Also the on-line schools attract a high percent of students who were already at risk because of problems encountered in their own schools.

While some  students are performing well, in general, the on-line programs are below average  in Colorado Assessment Program tests (CSAP) .

The report notes "a few notable programs are moving the dot of student achievement up into high growth quadrants" of the new Colorado Growth Model which measures student growth over time. They name Branson Schools Online as one in particular that is improving. 

The on-line program budgets range from $72,440 to a high of $30 million. Some of these on-line programs are multi-district, and thus pull students from other entities,, thus decreasing funding that those districts might otherwise get from students in seats. On the other hand, some districts use the on-line programs to gain money for their districts. 

Highlights:

-The number of courses offered at the high school level ranged from five at Academy School District 20's program to 244 at Colorado Connections Academy. Edison School District 54JT has 169, and Widefield, 15.

-Academy On-line High School had 70 students in 2008-2009 end of year count,  Edison, 102. The on-line school with the most is Colorado Virtual Academy with 5,006.The new program in Widefield District 3 has 20. 

-Diversity figures show that whites comprise 61 percent of the students; Hispanic, 28 percent; black, 6 percent; Asian, 4 percent; Native American, one percent.

-In adequate yearly progress, only  Crowley county Online Academy made progress in math. 

To read the report visit cde.state.co.us/onlinelearning.