Louisiana virtual schooling soaring: Survey reveals why families are choosing to send kids to fully online public schools for grades K-12

Why are families choosing to send their kids to school completely online?  Each year, leading virtual school provider Connections Academy conducts a third-party survey of parents with students enrolled in the virtual schools it supports.  More than 18,000 respondents took part in the survey. Among the findings, the survey reveals reasons for enrolling in online school.  Topping the list:  families want school options, flexibility, and safety.  Please consider a story on this topic at this time when parents are busy making plans for the 2014-15 school year.

2013-2014 Louisiana Connections Academy Parent Satisfaction Survey Results

Each year, Connections Academy conducts a Parent Satisfaction Survey to find out how parents or guardians of students in the schools it supports grade the virtual school program in several key areas. The 2013-2014 survey was administered by an independent market research company which created the questionnaire, collected the data, and tabulated the results.  

Satisfaction with Louisiana Connections Academy (LACA):
·       95.0% of parents gave the overall LACA online school program an “A” or “B” grade
    o   According to the 45th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, LACA’s scores stand well above public school ratings, in which 71% of parents gave the public school their oldest child attends an “A” or “B” grade
·       95.7% of parents would recommend LACA to parents whose children are not enrolled in the program
·       89.9% of parents are more satisfied with the LACA program than their child’s/children’s previous school
·       96.8% of parents say their child/children are satisfied with LACA’s program
·       93.9% of parents agree that their child/children are making good progress at LACA
·       92.8% of parents agree that their child/children are enjoying the program  

Satisfaction with LACA teachers:
·       98.6% of parents are satisfied with the helpfulness of their LACA teachers
·       93.7% of parents agree that the teachers improve the learning experience 
·       92.5% of parents rate the response time of LACA teachers as excellent or good  

Satisfaction with LACA curriculum:
·       94.6% of parents agree that they are satisfied with the variety of learning activities provided by the program
·       93.0% of parents agree that the program is flexible
·       98.0% of parents agree that the curriculum is high quality
·       96.2% of parents agree that the use of technology is improving the learning experience   Parents had this to say when asked what they like best about LACA (responses from survey): “Communication with teachers is excellent. I feel like they take pride in teaching my child and encouraging him to learn to his full potential. I am impressed with all of the staff. I love the challenges that the curriculum gives my child.” –Linda Hartley “The program challenges my daughter, allowing in-depth learning at her own pace.” –Jeanne Douglas “I like how the teachers are always there for your child. They are all wonderful, accredited teachers that really seem to care about your child’s education.” –Joanne Arnoult