Growing K-12 Online Learning

Here are some statistics to think about:

• K-12 online learning is a new field consisting of an estimated $300 million market, which is growing at an estimated annual pace of 30% annually.
• 87% of all youth between the ages of 12 and 17 use the Internet 

(21 million people).


• 45 of the 50 states, plus Washington D.C., have a state virtual school or online initiative, full-time online schools, or both.
• As of January 2007, there were 173 virtual charter schools serving 92,235 students in 18 states.
• 57% of public secondary schools in the U.S. provide access to students for online learning.
• 86% percent of teens, 88% of online teens, and 80% of all parents believe that the Internet helps teenagers to do better in school.


• 14.2 million computers were available for classroom use in the nation’s schools as of the 2005-2006 school year. That works out to one computer for every four students learning.

     Prompted by Susan Booth's Independent School article "At the Tipping Point: K-12 Online Learning," I visited the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL)'s Fast Facts About Online Learning to retrieve the above stats.  How far will we go with technology in our classrooms?