NewsFlorida Virtual School: A growing enterprise
The largest and oldest state-funded online school in the nation
falls outside many traditional measures of educational success.
Student achievement
While traditional schools report graduation and drop out rates, FLVS does not and instead cites course completion rates as a measure of strength. The Times attemped to compare how FLVS did versus students in traditional schools and examined the results of the Advanced Placement exam. FLVS is now moving towards end-of-course exams like all of Florida's public school districts.
FCAT score data
In light of a 2007 Florida TaxWatch report that said FLVS students "outperformed" their traditional counterparts, the Times attemped to compare how FLVS students did on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. However, FLVS could only provide partial data and the Florida Department of Education did not respond with any data to a similar request.
End-of-course exams
FLVS is hopeful that the state's recent move to end-of-course exams will eventually provide better data. Indeed, according to the school, its students did better than the state average on the first Algebra I test administered by the state last year.
