According to info from Educause, test scores of fifth, eight, and eleventh grade students in cyber schools were below state averages.
The last sentance tells you why - exactly who are the students attendig these schools, and what were their test scores before they started attending cyber schools? Results of 4th grade poficiency tests don' really reveal much about a specific school if the students didn't attend that school for any earlier grades. When they start following individual student results, then maybe I'll pay attention to the test results. The fact that the parents are willing to keep sendign their kids says something about them is working. I recall a hush-hush policy at one school that had important testing in the 4th grade - 3rd graders who were struggling were kept behind (so they wouldn't drag the scores down the next year) while struggling 4th graders were invariably promoted; their problems could be "better addressed" by the 5th grade teachers (and they wouldn't drag the test scores down a second year).
I clicked the link and read the longer article. Unfortunately, much of the data that would make this information useful is missing. Logitudinal data from California indicate that charter schools in general (most of these cyber schools are charters) tend to struggle academically during their first few years and then end up doing better academically than the other public schools. There are several reason for this, including the fact that new charter schools often have 100% transfer students, many of whom have left their former schools because they were not meeting students' academic needs. In this case, the scores for the first couple of years primarily reflect students' education at the previous school, not the new one. The article does not state how long these virtual schools have been in business, what is the student population, or whether these are "district dependent" or independent charter programs (it does make a difference). The quote from the union leader is disingenuous at best. I am a member of the teachers' union and am well aware that it tends to be very much against the concept of charter schools. Anytime you hear someone say "I'm in favor of this concept" but are against all attempts to implement the concept, be reminded of the old saying that "actions speak louder than words". I have yet to see any significant union support for charter schools, virtual or otherwise. Tony Pina Faculty, Cal State U. San Bernardino
