Sternberg, R. (2006). DISTRICTS Delivering Online. School Administrator, 63 (7), 10-17. Retrieved from ProQuest Database April 26, 2007.

Summary:
This article discussed several different K-12 school districts that have implemented some kind of distance learning program, either as an alternative or an addition to 'bricks and mortar' schools. Districts' interest in distance education came from a variety of sources or issues: students spread out across an isolated geographic area, high drop out rates, high school physical education requirements that take up a period a day, the need for more college-prep classes, a loss of students to charter schools, credit retrieval--the list goes on. Regardless of the reasons they started, there seemed to be some similar lessons to be learned from their experiences. First, funding must be worked out, and is not always what it seems. State funding differs, and some districts use distance programs to increase state revenues by boosting enrollment. Also, many districts found that buying into pre-packaged programs was helpful, but costly. Setting up clear expectation about what will be paid for with what monies helped some districts work through this issue. Another issue surrounds what kinds of students to target for these programs. One district started out targeting at-risk students, but found that many of those students performed just as poorly online, so they expanded their program to draw in students who wanted accelerated classes as well. Another district has experienced success catering mainly to students who were at-risk for dropping out. Many cited versatility for students as the biggest draw of online classes--it allows middle school students to take high school classes without the social awkwardness of actually sitting in a high school class, students who relocate to other countries to continue at their American school, sick students to keep up with classes from home, and overburdened students to free up a class period to take something else during the day.
One idea that seemed consistent, though, was that online schools cannot be modeled after their non-virtual counterparts. They are an entirely different entity, and need to be structured in a way that specifically addresses the needs of the program. Figuring out how to provide every student a computer and Internet access is a priority, and using a separate staff from the 'regular' schools seems to make a big difference. Overall, this article gave the impression that online schools open up a lot of possibilities for K-12 education that many are not yet taking advantage of.

Response
This article grabbed my attention because I know very little about how distance learning programs in high school are set up--and I still know very little about it. I kept waiting for the author to get into specifics about how these programs worked rather than just saying that they worked. I kept wondering how classes are structured, how well students in an online school do on state tests versus students in traditional schools, or what assignments and assessment look like. Those questions didn't get answered by this article. However, I did get a better picture of the reasons why schools might choose to offer online classes--a lot of which made sense to me. Allowing students to take classes at their level, whether that's middle school kids in high school classes or high schoolers taking college courses, makes perfect sense...and if students can do this without the issues of having to go to another school or sit in a classroom full of much-older students, that's even better. And even though I found the funding discussing a little confusing, I get the point that funding is available for these ventures, whether it's through a grant or a partnership with a company who provides materials.
What's funny is that even though I see all the good that the author says online schools can do for students, a big part of me is hugely resistant to the idea. Call me old fashioned, but I still have a hard time accepting that a student can receive just as good of an educational experience online as in a physical classroom. Maybe I'll feel more open-minded once I see some of the tools that are available to support these classes? We'll see...