Click Here If 13 or Older: Achievement Outcomes and Grade-Level Differences in Texas Online Schools

• In Event: 75.061 - Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: 75.061-8 - Online Teaching and Learning SIG Roundtable Session 2

Abstract

Enrollment in K-12 fulltime online schools has increased in the United States, but there is limited empirical research to consider the effectiveness of these schools. This paper uses the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test data to examine online student performance relative to traditional students. The sample includes more than 2,400,000 students in grades 4th through 10th who tested in 2010 and 2011. The study examines the standardized score difference for every student between the two years. The findings show that students in online schools tended to have lower learning gains relative to traditional students, but 9th and 10th grade online students fared better than students in earlier grades.

Author

• Bryan Arthur Mann, Pennsylvania State University