by Ray Parker
The Arizona Republic
May 24, 2009
STATEWIDE - An increasing number of Arizona's 62,000 high-school graduates have chosen a route suited to the MP3 generation: online classes.
At Primavera Online High School, one of Arizona's largest public high schools, about 9,000 students take classes in English literature, Spanish and calculus. They join clubs, enter science fairs, and talk one-on-one with their teachers.
No one complains about the mystery meat at the school cafeteria, and no one ever gets asked to, or snubbed at, a school dance.
More than a decade after being created by state lawmakers, the 14 Internet-based schools in Arizona have become a quiet force in the state's education system. These full-time, tuition-free, virtual schools allow students to learn at any time and from any computer.
More than 26,000 students took online courses in 2008, and enrollment numbers are growing. An estimated 1,475 students in Arizona are graduating from virtual schools this year.
"We've experienced the growth because I believe kids want more flexibility in their high-school careers, and many because of the economic times, want to work . . . and our classes are available 24 hours a day," said Primavera Online Principal Dane Van Deinse.
Kayla Gibson, 18, who will graduate this week from Primavera Online, said it was easy for her to complete schoolwork online "even though it does take a lot of self-motivation to complete the work."
Some virtual-school students are enrolled in traditional middle and high schools but use the online courses as supplements. Others are home-school students who use virtual classes as a small or large part of their curriculum since online classes encompass grades K-12.
The Legislature in 1998 passed the Technology Assisted Project-Based Instruction (TAPBI) program to "improve pupil achievement and extend academic options beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom."
Two school districts, Deer Valley Unified and Mesa Public Schools, and two charter schools, Sequoia Choice and Arizona Virtual Academy, have participated since the beginning, while 10 new providers have been added for a total of 14 virtual schools.
Online schools received a total of $57.4 million from the state in 2008; their funding is based on student enrollment.
TAPBI student enrollment increases each year: there were 10,800 students in 2005, 15,200 in 2006, and 24,100 in 2007.
Virtual schools set up shop in office buildings where administrators, technical workers and customer-service staff work. When signing up for a class, the student gets an introductory phone call from the teacher. Students follow detailed lesson plans and communicate with the teacher by phone or by e-mail at least once a week.
Geoffrey Wall, 17, of Tempe, will graduate this week from Arizona Connections Academy. He will enter Arizona State University in the fall as an art major.
"What I liked was the freedom because I had the ability to use my time the way I wanted to use it," he said.
As a former ice skater, Wall spent a lot of time practicing in the rink. He said the virtual school helped him fulfill his Arizona education requirements and taught him a lot about working independently.
"If I was picking up on something really quickly, I could just keep going," Wall said.
Taking classes outside of classrooms requires some adjustments. Art students send drawings to teachers by mail or create them on computers. Some students enter "discussions" in virtual classes that are similar to chat rooms. Science students conduct experiments in their kitchens.
The schools have tried to create extracurricular activities by forming online clubs and other programs, such as science fairs with projects posted on school Web sites.
The system works for Shawntae Swartz, 15, of Tempe. Swartz takes online classes through Primavera while enrolled in the 3-D animation program at East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa.
"In anything there's going to be ups and downs, but I can get credits faster and at my own pace," she said.
Arizona virtual schools
These public-school districts or state-approved providers offer online education in Arizona as of 2008.
