S.C. students go online for courses

Stall High School senior Katie Fairbanks planned to graduate early, but she didn't have enough room in her schedule to cram in a required senior-level English class.

A friend told her about online classes offered through the state Department of Education, and she decided to look into the program. She registered for the class she needed, passed it last month and plans to finish high school this spring.

Fairbanks is one of an increasing number of South Carolina students who are trying out South Carolina's Virtual School Program. Participation has skyrocketed since its pilot year in 2006 from about 1,920 students to more than 13,000.

State officials attribute the program's growth to a number of factors, such as the novelty of taking a class but not having to sit in a classroom to do it, the difficulty in finding certified teachers in hard-to-fill subjects such as foreign language and math and the opportunity to take classes that high-poverty school districts can't afford to offer.

Some low-income and low-performing districts have been more enthusiastic about the program than others, and officials are looking at ways to bolster involvement in those areas. They predict growth will continue as awareness of the program increases and students have positive experiences with it.

"I'm confident that there are districts and schools that don't know we have this program," said Suzette Lee, instructional program manager for the state program. "I think it's a matter of time before everyone realizes we exist and understands the benefits we can provide."

Enrollment in virtual schools topped 200,000 students in the 16 member states of the Southern Regional Education Board, a nonprofit that works with education and government leaders to advance education. The group was the first to create national standards for online courses, and those are used by their member states, including South Carolina. Florida is the national leader in virtual program participation with more than 85,000 students enrolled.

Any student who is under 21, lives in South Carolina and is a member of a home-school association or attends a public or private school can participate in the free program. Students work at their own pace. They can log on to their online classroom at any time, complete assignments for their teachers to grade and communicate with their teachers through chat rooms, e-mails or phone calls.

The program doesn't award diplomas, but it does offer 60 courses, including credit recovery, initial credit and Advanced Placement. State leaders plan this fall to expand the number of Advanced Placement courses, and they are exploring the feasibility of offering International Baccalaureate classes.

Officials caution that not everyone is suited to be online learners because it requires commitment and self-motivation. Fairbanks was a good fit for the virtual program, and she said the English class she took wasn't difficult. She liked the class more than the ones she takes in her bricks-and-mortar school, and the absence of a teacher didn't cause her many problems, she said. She would be open to taking another class online.

"You did things on your own time," she said. "It was way better."

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@post andcourier.com.