Many parents choose to enroll their children in cyber school, either permanently or temporarily, because of serious health concerns. For example, if your child has a disability that limits his mobility or a serious food allergy, a cyber school may provide the safety and security that your child needs. Moreover, cyber schools can allow children who are recovering from lengthy illnesses or injuries to attend virtual classes while recuperating at home. If you're considering withdrawing your child from a public school midyear because of a health concern, be sure to check with your state’s board of education first, as states have different requirements as to what they’ll need from you to facilitate the process.
Virtual schooling can also provide an option for children who live in communities fraught with violence or illegal activities, or for children who have been the victim of serious bullying within the confines of a brick-and-mortar school. While cyber schooling may not completely erase the risk, as bullying certainly can sneak its way into the virtual world, parents may feel more secure knowing their children are learning from the safety of their own homes.
One of the biggest differences between cyber and public schools is pacing. In a public school, students typically must follow the pacing of the class. Some may work ahead and others may fall behind, but most students are required to stay on course with the teacher’s curriculum schedule. Cyber schools, on the other hand, typically offer one of two options. One is synchronous learning, where students attend classes in “real time” through a virtual classroom. The other option is asynchronous, or self-paced learning, where students can learn at their own speed. This allows students to work ahead or to revisit a lesson if they’re struggling to grasp a concept.
In a traditional public school setting, students adhere to a consistent schedule of arrival and dismissal times, class periods and lunch. Students who attend asynchronous virtual learning, however, can choose what time of day they want to work, when they want to eat lunch and when they feel they’ve completed enough work for the day. As such, virtual learning can be a good choice for families who frequently travel, because children can learn without having to withdraw and re-enroll in different schools.
Socialization accounts for the biggest difference between cyber schooling and attending a traditional public school. Since children who attend cyber schools work independently, they will not benefit from cooperative learning and other forms of group work. They will not have ready access to academic or social clubs or team sports, unless they pursue these activities outside of school. In response to growing enrollment, some cyber schools, such as the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, have begun to sponsor coordinated activities such as field trips, clubs and even proms for their students, although parents may worry that these periodic group activities cannot replace the benefits of socialization that a public school offers on a daily basis.
While cyber schooling can be convenient and quite flexible, it also requires a high degree of self-motivation and self-discipline, as students who procrastinate can easily fall behind on their lessons. In a typical classroom, a teacher oversees the daily effort students are putting into their assignments and provides corrective guidance if necessary. Since cyber school students only see their teachers "virtually," there is much less accountability and much more room for procrastination.
A major concern regarding regarding cyber schooling vs. traditional public schooling is quality. While cyber schools are growing in number, parents may worry about the efficacy and quality of cyber school teachers, curriculum and rigor. Because cyber schools are state-funded, they are required to meet the same academic standards as public schools; however, according to a study by Stanford University, the lack of accountability and oversight among some cyber schools varies widely from state to state, within each state and from school to school. For instance, cyber school students in some states, including Louisiana, Massachusetts and Michigan, showed higher educational gains than their public school counterparts, while in states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania and Texas showed fewer gains. Parents considering cyber school for their children should investigate the academics and credentials of each program and ask for references.