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News & Information
PCCS Releases Cyber School White Paper
October 1, 2005
Getting To Know Pennsylvania's Cyber Charter Schools
Recently Published White Paper Unveils the "Mystery" behind Public Education's Latest Innovation
School choice in Pennsylvania is on the move!
Over the past two weeks, approximately 50,000 Pennsylvania students rang in the new school year in a Pennsylvania charter school. And at least 10,000 of those students have surfed into one of Pennsylvania's twelve public cyber charter schools through an Internet connection.
What are Charter Schools Anyway?
Charter schools are public schools of choice that enable communities to raise academic standards, empower educators to teach beyond the confines of public school restrictions, and increase accountability. Charter schools are typically housed within a building where students report for classes.
The "charter" that establishes these schools is a performance contract that details the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. Most schools are granted charters by a sponsoring entity such as a board of directors or the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the granting entity may renew the school's contract. Charter schools are accountable to produce positive academic results and adherence of fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them, and the public that funds them.
Charter schools do not charge tuition. They must be non-sectarian, and they cannot be selective in their admissions. Most charter schools are not limited to accepting students from their school district and all students are eligible to apply.
What are Cyber Charter Schools?
Cyber charter schools are charter schools that use technology to provide and deliver a significant portion of curriculum via the Internet or other electronic means. Rather than reporting to a typical "brick and mortar" facility, students work from an offsite location such as home. In addition to daily instruction delivered through technology, students are provided with textbooks and manuals. Cyber schools are required to equip each student with a computer and Internet connection-at the schools' expense. Like brick and mortar charter schools, each cyber charter school student is funded by his or her school district.
Several cyber charter schools have added a brick and mortar component, creating a "Brick and Cyber School." These schools combine traditional "brick and mortar" charter schools with cyber charter school technology. Students typically report to the brick and mortar location at least one day each week while participating via the cyber school component during the remainder of the week. There are three such schools in Pennsylvania and approximately 35 throughout the United States.
PDE is responsible for the granting and oversight of all cyber charters.
What are the benefits of Cyber Charter Schools?
Cyber charter schools offer a number of benefits to students, families, and educators. A recent White Paper published by the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools (PCCS) provides a detailed account of these benefits, which include:
- Teachers can be recruited statewide, creating a greater pool of talent than if recruitment were otherwise restricted by geography.
- Cyber charter schools can partner with local, state, and national organizations to provide specialized courses.
- More courses are available as cyber charter schools can partner with educational institutions such as community colleges.
- Many courses are more rigorous than standard school courses, providing additional enrichment opportunities that can include taking advanced placement courses or courses for college/university credit.
- Parents are more involved in their children's education.
Are Cyber Charter Schools here to Stay?
Pennsylvania's first cyber charter school was established in 1998. Less than a decade later, Pennsylvania boasts twelve cyber charter schools and a number of others are in the process of applying for or receiving charters. Enrollment in Pennsylvania's cyber charter schools continues to grow at a rapid pace. The demand for school choice continues to increase, creating the need for more brick and mortar and cyber charter schools.
"Cyber charter schools have broken down all school choice boundaries, enabling every Pennsylvania student to obtain a quality education beyond what is available in a traditional public school environment," said Timothy Daniels, Ed.d, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools. "This innovative edge of education will continue to grow and reshape the learning environment across the Commonwealth and throughout the nation."
The mission of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools is to provide information and guidance to persons wishing to start a charter public school; to act in an advisory capacity to the Pennsylvania State Department of Education in matters concerning charter public schools; to act as a monitor to charter public school legislation; and, to focus and promote efforts to strengthen charter public school legislation. For more information, log on to www.pachartercoaltion.com or call 484-356-0191.
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