[December 10, 2010] Online learning gaining traction in South Sound Tweet Dec 10, 2010 (The News Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Tacoma student Chelsea Ballenger tried both traditional and alternative high schools. She enrolled in Tacoma Community College's Fresh Start high school completion program. But the 18-year-old didn't feel at home academically until she enrolled in Tacoma Virtual Learning, a new online program offered for the first time this fall by Tacoma Public Schools. "I wanted to have a different relationship with school," Ballenger said. Studying online, on her own time, allows her to focus better than in a traditional high school classroom, she said. "You are in your own world, doing research you want to do," she added. "It's a different level of responsibility. You feel better about yourself." Ballenger, who works nearly full time at a department store and attends classes online, is one of about 100 students enrolled in the new Tacoma program. Tacoma contracts for services with Spokane Virtual Learning, a program operated by Spokane Public Schools with Spokane teachers. Last year, with no Tacoma program in place, an estimated 500 Tacoma students withdrew from the school district to enroll in online learning opportunities elsewhere. "We lost a middle school's worth of full-time equivalent (students)," said Michael Farmer, Tacoma's online learning coordinator. And that exodus is costly. When students leave their home district to attend school in another district, their state funding -- an estimated $6,600 per student -- goes with them. Officials hope Tacoma Virtual Learning will draw some of those missing students back home. 15 YEARS BEHIND Tacoma enters the online game nearly 15 years after Federal Way Public Schools launched the first such program in the state -- and one of the first in the nation. When Federal Way kicked off its program with about 20 students in 1996, many in education eyed computer-based learning skeptically. But the district's Internet Academy now serves about 750 full- and part-time students statewide. Its teachers are Federal Way school employees. Lakewood's Clover Park School District contracts with Federal Way for its online learning program. There is a variety of virtual learning models. Students can sign up for a single class or a full schedule, according to their district's policy. Classes are free as long as students are enrolled in a public school and stay within the number of classes designated as full-time for their school district. Families can pay for extra classes. Students can choose a program operated by their home district, or they can ask the district to let them transfer into a program they like better. There are about 40 online school programs in Washington. Large programs like the one in Federal Way serve students from districts statewide. Others are run by school districts primarily for their own students. Still others are commercial companies, operating under the umbrella of public school districts. SUMNER PROGRAM Sumner School District launched an online school this year, contracting with a company called Aventa Learning. A big attraction, said Sumner online learning administrator Amy Orm, was Aventa's foreign language offerings. "We have kids taking Mandarin Chinese and German," she said. Insight School of Washington, another commercial vendor, has operated under the auspices of the Quillayute Valley School District in Forks since 2006. It serves an estimated 500 students in Pierce County alone. While many online programs are aimed at middle and high school students, others such as Federal Way and Washington Virtual Academy (WAVA), offer online learning for students beginning in kindergarten. WAVA's program for students through grade eight is operated through the Steilacoom School District, while the Monroe School District enrolls WAVA high school students. The program uses curriculum supplied by a Virginia-based company, K12. Steilacoom's WAVA currently enrolls more than 1,600 students. It attracts many former homeschool families seeking a structured curriculum for their child. That's what drew Craig Anderton, an Olalla parent, to WAVA. His two oldest children are WAVA alums who are now in a traditional high school -- their choice -- while his two youngest are studying through WAVA. Once the Anderton family discovered WAVA, they liked what they saw. Not only were there interactive lessons online, but the program also supplies traditional texts and materials such as science kits to students. "The most important thing to us is that we can slow down or speed up" depending on each child's needs, said Anderton, a member of advocacy group Washington Families for Online Learning. MAINSTREAM? Online learning began as an experiment, but is gradually moving into at least the fringes of mainstream education. State officials estimate that between 1 percent and 2 percent of Washington's 1 million students took at least one online course during the 2009-10 school year. "One thing our office is trying to do is provide objective information to parents and students, so they can make a good decision about which option they want to use," says Karl Nelson, director of the state's Digital Learning Department. Nelson said the most frequent complaint he hears from families concerns enrollment problems that arise when students want to leave their home districts. State officials also want to see higher achievement rates in online schools. On average, only about half the students who enroll in online classes pass them. Online learning advocates emphasize that it's about more than kids staring at computer screens. Students communicate directly with teachers and other students, either through e-mail or via online live seminars and chats. It's virtually impossible to "hide" in the back of an online classroom. And students who don't understand a concept can review it online. Both teachers and students say that at its best, online learning is a lot like having a private tutor. CAN BE GOOD OPTION Online schools can be a good option for students who struggle with medical or behavior issues or who otherwise need to catch up on credits for graduation. They appeal to students heavily involved in the arts or sports -- activities that can mean frequent road trips. Federal Way officials like to point out that Olympic speed skating champion Apolo Anton Ohno graduated from Federal Way's Internet Academy. But even its biggest supporters acknowledge that online school isn't for everyone. Students who are self-disciplined and well-organized tend to do well. But those who lack parental support or motivation can flounder, said Ron Mayberry, who runs the Internet Academy. He doesn't like to predict in advance who will benefit. "I've seen so many kids -- you think it will work great for them -- and it's a complete disaster," he said. "Others are so empowered by the personal side of online learning. It feels to those students like it's one-on-one." Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635 debbie.cafazzo@ thenewstribune.com To see more of The News Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.TheNewsTribune.com. 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