Perceived Advantages and Disadvantages of an Online Charter School

Abstract

This study examines data from focus group discussions with parents, students, and teachers at an online charter school. Standardized achievement test scores of children at the online charter school are compared with those in a similar school and across the state. Overall, the constituents involved in the online charter school were satisfied with the school's educational service. Students at the charter school performed lower than the state average of all schools (including public schools), but they performed better when compared to a similar school as defined by the state board of education. The online charter school experienced improvement in the report card rating from a designation of “Academic Watch” to “Continuous Improvement.” Evidence from constituent satisfaction and increasing student achievement suggests that the online charter school in this study is becoming competitive with traditional public schools.