Virtual Education in Kansas: 1998-2014

Abstract

K-12 virtual education is a growing trend in American education. Virtual education is defined as K-12 online learning experiences led by district-affiliated teachers as part of a structured public school learning program that occur across a distance between the teacher and student in either synchronous or asynchronous modes. Since the first virtual program began in Kansas in 1998, program offerings have spread at a swift rate and now eighty-five districts, approximately thirty percent of all Kansas districts, currently operate virtual programs. As districts in Kansas continue to adopt or consider adopting virtual education as an alternative or supplement to traditional instruction, there is a need to understand the influencing factors surrounding adoption of this educational innovation as well as the pros and cons of this model. This case study exploration of virtual education in Kansas collected data from four sources. First, demographic data for districts utilizing virtual education were compiled from National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) to examine district-level characteristics, such as urbanicity, socioeconomic status, and region in the state. Second, Kansas superintendents were surveyed to explore their perceptions about the educational quality of virtual education and the adoption or non-adoption in their districts. Third, virtual education program directors across the state were also surveyed to examine their perceptions of this model, and fourth, six follow-up interviews were carried out with program directors to understand their beliefs about the strengths and weaknesses of K-12 virtual education in Kansas. This study found that perceptions about the quality and merit of virtual education vary drastically by superintendents across the state of Kansas. Districts chose to adopt virtual education to access the perceived benefits of the model and other districts refrain from adopting virtual education in order to avoid the noted limitations of this model. Isomorphic mimicry is an underlying motivating factor influencing some districts to adopt virtual education in order to be like other districts and join the proverbial bandwagon of this growing trend. The major finding of this study is that virtual education is not a one-size-fits-all educational alternative for the majority of students; program directors clearly articulated that this is not the way in which most students will be successful. Thus, this study contributes to the overall understanding of K-12 virtual education nationwide and specifically articulates, through the voices of district leaders and program directors, the perceived challenges, limitations, and benefits of this model for students and districts in Kansas.