The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify decision-making factors from parents of Southeast Rural School District (SRSD) who chose to transfer their children to one of 14 cyber charter schools within Pennsylvania amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This research study utilized a phenomenological design, consisting of qualitative electronic…

This non-experimental correlational quantitative research study was conducted to examine the relationship between the percentage of voluntary live synchronous virtual lesson attendance (LVLA) and the reading comprehension skill growth of sixth through eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) students enrolled in a Pennsylvania full-time online…

For-profit, online, higher education institutions have lower student retention rates than institutions in other categories. Higher education leaders are concerned with low retention as it adversely impacts financial and student outcomes. Grounded in Morgan and Hunt's relationship marketing theory, the purpose of this qualitative, exploratory,…

Inclusion is widely recognized as one of the founding principles for the quality of educational institutions and it is strictly related to the ICF perspective. Actually, the conceptualization of educational needs is associated to the enhancement of everyone's strengths and potential, and to the influence the (physical and social) environment may…

Despite a large increase in enrollments of students in online courses at the K-12 level, there is very little research on the use of differentiation in fully online (called "virtual") schools. This study asked virtual teachers from two different types of schools to discuss their differentiation practices, and compared differentiation…

This project undertook an analysis of the evolving nature of online, hybrid, and multi-access learning within the British Columbia (BC) post-secondary education system. The project objectives included assessing potential changes in the scope and nature of online learning in BC, understanding stakeholder insights on learner preferences towards…

The Kansas Graduate and Dropout Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of how the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) calculates and reports the Adjusted Cohort Graduation and Annual Dropout Rates. Sections include: (1) Introduction; (2) Terminology; (3) Data Sources; (4) Graduation Calculations; (5) Dropout Calculation; and (6)…

Parents are increasingly choosing to enroll their students in online schools rather than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Despite the growth of online schooling, however, there is extremely limited research on such schooling and the role parents play in the educational outcomes of students enrolled in online schools. The current quantitative,…

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…

Pregnant and parenting teenagers in the United States face academic, social, and emotional hardships (Baney et al., 2022; Kinser & Masho, 2015; Masterson et al., 2021). Schools, programs, and policies can aid pregnant and parenting students by alleviating burdens or improving schooling outcomes (Brouwer et al., 2019; Modesto, 2018; Zief et…

Students' social and emotional development matters to their educational success. Ubiquitous digital use in schooling creates new contexts for development, raising the question of the nature of the relationships under these new conditions. Ratings of 9 to 13 year old students' (n = 296) social skills and self-regulation and their writing…

Pennsylvania has "the highest cyber charter school enrollment in the country" with student enrollment soaring in 2020-21 due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. School districts paid over $1 billion in tuition for students enrolled in Pennsylvania's 14 cyber charter schools in 2020-21, a $335 million increase over the prior…

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…