Georgia virtual schooling soaring: Survey reveals why families are choosing to send kids to school online

Why are families choosing to send their kids to school completely online?  Each year, leading virtual school provider Connections Academy conducts a third-party survey of parents with students enrolled in the virtual schools it supports.  More than 18,000 respondents took part in the survey. Among the findings, the survey reveals reasons for enrolling in online school.  Topping the list:  families want school options, flexibility, and safety.

Each year, Connections Academy conducts a Parent Satisfaction Survey to find out how parents or guardians of students in the schools it supports grade the virtual school program in several key areas. The 2013-2014 survey was administered by an independent market research company which created the questionnaire, collected the data, and tabulated the results.

 

Satisfaction with Georgia Connections Academy (GACA):

87.9% of parents gave the overall GACA online school program an “A” or “B” grade
According to the 45th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, GACA’s scores stand well above public school ratings, in which 71% of parents gave the public school their oldest child attends an “A” or “B” grade
90.4% of parents would recommend GACA to parents whose children are not enrolled in the program
81.1% of parents are more satisfied with the GACA program than their child’s/children’s previous school
91.5% of parents say their child/children are satisfied with GACA’s program
89.2% of parents agree that their child/children are making good progress at GACA
84.5% of parents agree that their child/children are enjoying the program
 

Satisfaction with GACA teachers:

94.8% of parents are satisfied with the helpfulness of their GACA teachers
89.0% of parents agree that the teachers improve the learning experience
86.5% of parents rate the response time of GACA teachers as excellent or good
 

Satisfaction with GACA curriculum:

90.8% of parents agree that they are satisfied with the variety of learning activities provided by the program
91.1% of parents agree that the program is flexible
95.1% of parents agree that the curriculum is high quality
92.1% of parents agree that the use of technology is improving the learning experience
 

Parents had this to say when asked what they like best about GACA (responses from survey):

“I love how the teachers and the administrators are so encouraging and responsive.  The Academy offers a wealth of information and we had such a smooth transition from our local public high school into Georgia Connections Academy.  My daughter has become so much more responsible and mature since she made the commitment to Connections Academy and online learning.” –Robin Podolin

“I like the strong support and availability of the teachers, the educational resources available to assist in my child's learning and the ability to have a more tailored learning environment to challenge my child without distractions.”       –Henry Adams

“The support of faculty and staff is amazing, combined with the flexibility of learning has created the perfect educational environment for our child.” –Lulu White