The Nature of Online Charter Schools: Evolution and Emerging Concerns.

Abstract

Online charter schools are unique among K -12 online learning options for students. They are full -time, public schools that combine online learning with tradition al and home schooling practices. They are often charte red by a state agency, supported in full or in part wit h state funds and most often managed by a private educational management company. Some extol the virtues of these schools as being able to reach uniqu e student populations at a fraction of the cost borne by traditional publ ic school education. Others are c oncerned over the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of these scho ols and the problems encountered by young learners who are separated from their teachers due to the online nature of learning in this environment. The goal of this literature review is to: (a) provide a definition of online charte r schools; (b) describe their evolution and current status; (c) describe their operations; and, (d) to reveal emerging concerns, includi ng governance, funding and effectiveness. Finally, the authors conclu de that there are three significant gaps found in the literature conc erning online charter schools and provide recommendations for fur ther research.