Social anxiety is a mental illness and can lead to problematic behaviors in adolescents, which can have a detrimental effect on student academic success. The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between social anxiety and academic achievement emotions in virtual high school students. I used the control-value theory of…

Even with the increase in virtual learning, there remains a stigma that virtual schools are not successfully supporting students based on traditionally lower graduate rates and state assessment data. The problem is statewide educational decision-makers lacked an understanding of the prior academic performance, specifically credit attainment, among…

Cyber charter schools may increase access to a range of educational offerings, but they substantially underperform traditional public schools on measured academic performance, as demonstrated in a range of studies with distinct samples and methods. Artificial testing conditions offer a possible explanation. In contrast to face-to-face students,…

This PACER brief provides RFA's updated analysis of data on students experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania, highlighting prevalence, challenges with identification, disparities in educational opportunities, and impact on academic outcomes. Our main findings include that: (1) Roughly 2% of students in Pennsylvania were identified as…

This study was used to investigate the differences in asynchronous, bisynchronous, and hybrid learning environments in student achievement in online schools. Utilizing quantitative data analysis, the research examines student growth data, chronic absenteeism, graduation rates, and ACT scores across these modalities. The research holds significant…

Has in-person learning and virtual learning produced equivalent results when it comes to student achievement? How can a district be flexible with learning options but also strategic with how to best achieve student learning gains? This case-study examines how one district leveraged virtual learning and flexible learning options during COVID-19 and…

Given the rapid growth of K-12 online learning, research is needed in the effective identification of at-risk students so that administrators and teachers can develop appropriate supports and interventions. The purpose of this research was to determine if student success in an online course could be predicted for English Learners (EL) using…

Intrinsic motivation is a crucial factor for students' learning and academic achievement and the initial drive for capturing students' interest in learning and engagement in a particular subject. There is a relationship between motivation and learning in traditional schools (Brophy, 2010; Schunk et al., 2014); however, despite the fact that…

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, high school students across the United States were enrolling in online courses at increasing rates. As a result of pandemic related school closures, even more schools enrolled students in supplementary online courses as a method for delivering instruction during emergency remote learning. Despite enrollment…

In the ever-shifting world of school choice, what began as a homegrown charter-school network's small experiment in microschooling stands out as unique -- and as a uniquely promising model for replication. Gem Prep, a network of seven brick-and-mortar K-12 charter schools in Idaho, anchored by a longstanding and high-performing online school,…

Self-regulation has become increasingly crucial for learners' success in online learning environments. This study explored the relationship across performance (e.g., higher and lower) and satisfaction (e.g., satisfied and dissatisfied) levels to help identify which self-regulated learning (SRL) skills were most critical for 102 recent graduates of…

In South Carolina, much focus was applied to the End of Course Examinations Program, or EOCEP. The EOCEP was used to measure mastery of academic standards in gateway courses. School effectiveness and student proficiency were two areas measured by individual student outcomes. All public schools were subject to EOCEP testing in South Carolina.…

Every child deserves the right to attend a school that can best meet his or her individual learning needs. Where the child lives should not be a limiting factor, and no one school is the best fit for every child who just happens to live nearby. Education-choice policies have the potential to expand education options for students in rural areas.…

The number of students leaving traditional face-to-face public schools and moving to online school environments continues to grow. The National Center for Educational Statistics reported that almost 300,000 K12 students were served in a fully online environment for the 2019-2020 school year (US Department of Education, n.d.). This study…

Little research addresses the schooling experiences of non-binary students; no prior work explores their experiences in cyber schools. Using unique data from a multi-state cyber charter, we compare the factors parents of non-binary (n=48) students and parents of other students stated as reasons for leaving their prior schools to attend a cyber…