Publication Cover
Journal of School Choice
International Research and Reform
Volume 17, 2023 - Issue 4
64
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Are Virtual School Graduates College and Career Ready? Evidence from a Comparative Survey

References

  • Adelman, C. (1999). Answers in the tool box: Academic intensity, attendance patterns, and bachelor’s degree attainment. U.S. Department of Education.
  • Ahn, J., & McEachin, A. (2017). Student enrollment patterns and achievement in Ohio’s online charter schools. Educational Researcher, 46(1), 44–57. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X17692999
  • Anderson, B. (2020). The most in-demand hard and soft skills of 2020. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/linkedin-most-in-demand-hard-and-soft-skills.
  • Ash, K. (2009). Socialization in virtual education. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/technology/socialization-in-virtual-education/2009/06.
  • Bae, S. (2018). Redesigning systems of school accountability: A multiple measures approach to accountability and support. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 26(8), 8. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.2920
  • Barnes, W., & Slate, J. (2013). College-readiness is not one-size-fits-all. Current Issues in Education, 16(1), 1–13.
  • Barnes, W., Slate, J., & Rojas LeBouef. (2010). College-readiness and academic preparedness: The same concepts? Current Issues in Education, 13(4), 1–28.
  • Bear, G., Gaskins, C., Blank, J., & Chen, F. F. (2011). Delaware school climate survey-student: Its factor structure, concurrent validity, and reliability. Journal of School Psychology, 49(2), 157–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2011.01.001
  • Beck, D., Egalite, A., & Maranto, R. (2014). Why they choose and how it goes: Comparing special education and general education cyber student perceptions. Computers & Education, 76(1), 70–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.03.011
  • Beck, D., & Maranto, R. (2014). Empowering teachers? An exploratory study of personnel practices in virtual charter schools in the United States. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning, 18(2), 59–82.
  • Beck, D., Waston, A., & Maranto, R. (2019). Do testing conditions explain cyber charter schools’ failing grades? American Journal of Distance Education, 33(1), 46–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2019.1554989
  • Berliner, D. (2006). Our impoverished view of educational research. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 949–995. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146810610800606
  • Betz, N. (1994). Self-concept theory in career development and counseling. The Career Development Quarterly, 43(1), 32–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.1994.tb00844.x
  • Beuermann, D., & Jackson, K. (2019). The short and long-run effects of attending the schools that parents prefer. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 29420.
  • Black, E., Ferdig, R., & DiPietro, M. (2008). An overview of evaluative instrumentation for virtual high schools. American Journal of Distance Education, 22(1), 24–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923640701713422
  • Black, D., & Smith, J. (2008). Estimating the returns to college quality with multiple proxies for quality. Journal of Labor Economics, 24(3), 701–728. https://doi.org/10.1086/505067
  • Bryan, J., Farmer-Hinton, R., Rawls, A., & Woods, C. (2018). Social capital and college-going culture in high schools: The effects of college expectations and college talk on students’ postsecondary success. Professional School Counseling, 21(1), 1096-2409–21.1. https://doi.org/10.5330/1096-2409-21.1.95
  • Center for Research on Education Outcomes [CREDO]. (2015). Online charter school study. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University.
  • Chingos, M. (2013). Questioning the quality of virtual schools. Education Next, 13(2).
  • Conley, D. T. (2007). Redefining college readiness. Educational Policy Improvement Center.
  • Cordes, S. (2023). Cyber versus brick and mortar: Achievement, attainment, and postsecondary outcomes in Pennsylvania charter high schools. Education Finance & Policy, Online First, 1–43. https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00399
  • Curtin, R., Presser, S., & Singer, E. (2000). The effects of response rate changes on the index of consumer sentiment. Public Opinion Quarterly, 64(4), 413–428. https://doi.org/10.1086/318638
  • Darling-Hammond, L. (2007). Race, inequality, and educational accountability: The irony of ‘No Child Left Behind’. Race, Ethnicity & Education, 10(3), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613320701503207
  • Ericson, P., & Gardner, J. (1992). Two longitudinal studies of communication apprehension and its effects on college students’ success. Communication Quarterly, 40(2), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463379209369828
  • Fenning, B., & May, L. (2013). “Where there is a will, there is an A”: Examining the roles of self-efficacy and self-concept in college students’ current educational attainment and career planning. Social Psychology of Education, 16(4), 635–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-013-9228-4
  • Ferguson, R. (2012). Can student surveys measure teaching quality? Phi Delta Kappan, 94(3), 24–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171209400306
  • Fitzpatrick, B., Berends, M., Ferrare, J., & Waddington, R. J. (2020). Virtual illusion: Comparing student achievement and teacher classroom characteristics in online and brick-and-mortar charter schools. Educational Researcher, 49(3), 161–175. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X20909814
  • Gaertner, M., & McClarty, K. (2015). Performance, perseverance, and the full picture of college readiness. Educational Measurement: Issues & Practice, 34(2), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/emip.12066
  • Gecas, V. (1982). The self-concept. Annual Review of Sociology, 8(1), 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.so.08.080182.000245
  • Geiser, S., & Santelices, M. V. (2007). Validity of high-school grades in predicting student success beyond the freshman year: High school record vs. standardized tests as indicators of four-year college outcomes. University of California, Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED502858.pdf.
  • Goodwin, B., & Hein, H. (2016). Research says/the x-factor in college success. Educational Leadership, 73(6), 77–78.
  • Goyder, J. (1987). The silent minority: Non-respondents on sample surveys. Polity Press.
  • Greene, J., & Paul, J. (2022). Using parental satisfaction to evaluate virtual charter schools. Educational Freedom Institute Working Paper No. 05-2022. Retrieved from https://efinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/EFI-WP_Satisfaction_GreenePaul2.pdf.
  • Hamlin, D., Adigun, O., & Adams, C. (2023). Do virtual schools deliver in rural areas? A longitudinal analysis of academic outcomes. Computers & Education, 199, 104789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104789
  • Hannah, M. (2020). Cyber charter enrollments are surging. School districts are picking up the tab. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved from https://www.inquirer.com/education/pennsylvania-cyber-charter-schools-enrollment-coronavirus-20201019.html
  • Hawken, L., Duran, R., & Kelly, L. (1991). The relationship of interpersonal communication variables to academic success and persistence in college. Communication Quarterly, 39(4), 297–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463379109369807
  • Heckman, J., & Kautz, T. (2012). Hard evidence on soft skills. Labour Economics, 19(4), 451–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2012.05.014
  • Hitt, C., McShane, M., & Wolf, P. (2018). Do impacts on test scores even matter? Lessons from long-run outcomes in school choice research. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved from https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Do-Impacts-on-Test-Scores-Even-Matter.pdf.
  • Hooley, T., & Dodd, V. (2015). The economic benefits of career guidance. University of Derby. Retrieved from https://derby.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10545/559030/Careers%20England%20Research%20Paper%20-The%20Economic%20Benefits%20of%20Career%20Guidance%20-%20July%202015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
  • Horn, M. (2021). A new accountability model for alternative K-12 schools. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved from https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/a-new-accountability-model-for-alternative-k-12-schools/.
  • Hout, M. (2012). Social and economic returns to college education in the United States. Annual Review of Sociology, 38(1), 379–400. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.012809.102503
  • Hughes, K., & Karp, M. (2004). School-based career development: A synthesis of the literature. Institute on Education and the Economy, Teachers College.
  • Indeed Editorial Team. (2020). Top 11 skills employers look for in job candidates. Indeed. Retrieved from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/skills-employers-look-for.
  • Kamenetz, A. (2020). Virtual charter schools are booming, despite a checkered reputation. National Public Radio. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2020/11/30/928209482/virtual-charter-schools-are-booming-despite-a-checkered-reputation.
  • Kingsbury, I., Beck, D., & Bradley-Dorsey, M. (2022). What kind of students attend cyber schools? Pandemic enrollment as evidence of negative selection. Frontiers in Education, 7, 901319. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.901319
  • Koretz, D., Yu, C., Mbekeani, P., Langi, M., Dhaliwal, T., & Braslow, D. (2016). Predicting freshmen grade point average from college admissions test scores and state high school test scores. AERA Open, 2(4), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858416670601
  • Kurlaender, M., Reardon, S., & Jackson, J. (2008). Middle school predictors of high school achievement in three California school districts. California Dropout Research Project.
  • Litke, D. (1998). Virtual schooling at the middle grades: A case study. Journal of Distance Education, 13(2), 33–50.
  • Los Angeles Unified School District. (n.d.). College & career readiness survey. Retrieved from https://achieve.lausd.net/Page/15712#:~:text=The%20College%20%26%20Career%20Readiness%20Survey,to%2C%20and%20enrolling%20in%20college.
  • Lueken, M., Ritter, G., & Beck, D. (2015). Value-added in a virtual learning environment: An evaluation of a virtual charter school. Journal of Online Learning Research, 1(3), 305–335.
  • Maranto, R., Beck, D., Clark, T., Tran, B., & Liu, F. (2021). Choosing cyber during COVID. Phi Delta Kappan, 103(1), 30–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217211043622
  • Maruyama, G. (2012). Assessing college readiness: Should we be satisfied with ACT or other threshold scores? Educational Researcher, 41(7), 252–261. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12455095
  • McCroskey, J., Booth-Butterfield, S., & Payne, S. (1989). The impact of communication apprehension on college student retention and success. Communication Quarterly, 37(2), 100–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463378909385531
  • McKillip, M., Godfrey, K., & Rawls, A. (2013). Rules of engagement: Building a college-going culture in an urban school. Urban Education, 48(4), 529–556. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085912457163
  • Molnar, A. (Ed.), Miron, G., Barbour, M. K., Huerta, L., Shafer, S. R., Rice, J. K., Glover, A., Browning, N., Hagle, S., & Boninger, F. (2021). Virtual schools in the U.S. 2021. National Education Policy Center. Retrieved from http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/virtual-schools-annual-2021
  • Nasir, R., & Lin, L. S. (2013). The relationship between self-concept and career awareness amongst students. Asian Social Science, 9(1), 193–197. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v9n1p193
  • Nichols-Barrer, I., Place, K., Dillon, E., & Gill, B. (2016). Testing college readiness: Massachusetts compares the validity of two standardized tests. Education Next, 16(3), 70–76.
  • Paul, J., & Greene, J. (2022). Investigating the relationship between negative selection into online schooling and achievement growth. Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/edrepub/133
  • Paul, J., & Wolf, P. (2020). Moving on up? A virtual school, student mobility, and achievement. (EdWorkingPaper: 20-309). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/1h20-nk64
  • Prosser, C. (2011). Virtual schools: Parent choice for K-8 alternatives [ dissertation]. Retrieved from https://www.bakeru.edu/images/pdf/SOE/EdD_Theses/Prosser_Charlsie.pdf
  • Psacharopoulos, G., & Patrinos, H. (2018). Returns to investment in education: A decennial review of the global literature. World Bank Group. Policy research working paper no. 8402.
  • Ravitch, D. (2010). The death and life of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education. Basic Books.
  • Roderick, M., & Nagaoka, J. (2005). Retention under Chicago’s high-stakes testing program: Helpful, harmful, or harmless? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 27(4), 309–340. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737027004309
  • Rubin, R., & Graham, E. (1988). Communication correlates of college success: An exploratory investigation. Communication Education, 37(1), 14–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634528809378700
  • Sax, L., Gilmartin, S., Lee, J., & Hagedorn, L. S. (2008). Using web surveys to reach community college students: An analysis of response rates and response bias. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 32(9), 712–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668920802000423
  • Scafidi, B. (2023). Spring 2022 survey of stride K12 families. EdChoice. Retrieved from https://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Survey-of-Stride-K12-Families-WORKING-PAPERS-Scafidi-.pdf
  • Schneider, J. (2017). Beyond test scores: A better way to measure school quality. Harvard University Press.
  • Schneider, J., Noonan, J., White, R., Gagnon, D., & Carey, A. (2021). Adding “student voice” to the mix: Perception surveys and state accountability systems. AERA Open, 7(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858421990729
  • Shavelson, R., Hubner, J., & Stanton, G. (1976). Self-concept: Validation of construct interpretations. Review of Educational Research, 46(3), 407–441. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543046003407
  • Singer, E., van Hoewyk, J., & Maher, M. P. (2000). Experiments with incentives in telephone surveys. Public Opinion Quarterly, 64(2), 171–188. https://doi.org/10.1086/317761
  • Smith, W. (2008). Does gender influence online survey participation? A record-linkage analysis of university faculty online survey response behavior. Published through Education Resources Information Center.
  • Splitzberg, B. (1983). Communication competence as knowledge, skill, and impression. Communication Education, 32(3), 323–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634528309378550
  • Swann, W., Chang-Schneider, C., & McClarty, K. (2007). Do people’s self-views matter? American Psychologist, 62(2), 84–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.2.84
  • Taskinen, P., Schütte, K., & Prenzel, M. (2013). Adolescents’ motivation to select an academic science-related career: The role of school factors, individual interest, and science self-concept. Educational Research & Evaluation, 19(8), 717–733. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2013.853620
  • Tonks, D. L., Kimmons, R., & Mason, S. L. (2021). Motivations among special education students and their parents for switching to an online school: Survey responses and emergent themes. Online Learning, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i2.2141

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.