Remote/Virtual Learning

Education news, analysis, opinion, and lessons learned about schooling happening outside of schools including all-virtual schools and students learning from home during periods of school closures.
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Literacy Success: How Districts Are Closing Reading Gaps Fast
67% of 4th graders read below grade level. Learn how high-dosage virtual tutoring is closing the reading gap in schools across the country.
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Illustration of artificial intelligence bot in a computer screen teaching math.
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Artificial Intelligence Q&A What Happens When an AI Assistant Helps the Tutor, Instead of the Student
A randomized controlled trial from Stanford University examines the efficacy of an AI-powered tutoring assistant.
Lauraine Langreo, October 31, 2024
4 min read
A passerby checks the water depth of a flooded road, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Morganton, N.C. Torrential rain from Hurricane Helene left many area streets flooded. In addition, traffic lights are inoperable due to no power, with downed power lines and trees.
A passerby checks the water depth of a flooded road, Sept. 28, 2024, in Morganton, N.C. Torrential rain from Hurricane Helene left area streets flooded, and strong winds downed power lines and trees. Schools have become hubs to support their communities as recovery begins.
Kathy Kmonicek/AP
School & District Management Educators Rush to Get Food and Shelter to Their Students After Hurricane Helene
Districts slammed by an unprecedented natural disaster have become shelter zones for their communities.
Olina Banerji & Brooke Schultz, September 30, 2024
7 min read
Fourth-grader Sammiayah Thompson, left, and her brother third-grader Nehemiah Thompson work outside in their yard on laptops provided by their school system for distant learning, in Hartford, Conn., on June 5, 2020.
Fourth-grader Sammiayah Thompson, left, and her brother third-grader Nehemiah Thompson work outside in their yard on laptops provided by their school system for distance learning, in Hartford, Conn., on June 5, 2020. Some districts kept virtual programs as an option after schools reopened, but many of those are now considering cuts to them as budgets tighten.
Jessica Hill/AP
School & District Management Districts’ Virtual Programs Are on the Chopping Block as ESSER Ends
Although usually small in enrollment, virtual programs have been an important option for some students.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 25, 2024
6 min read
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This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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Problem-Solving Olympiad Puts Power Skills to the Test
The inaugural NXTLVL Problem-Solving Olympiad brought students together online for a day of spirited competition, pushing them to their true potential. Middle school problem-solvers from four continents, including three of the top ten virtual schools ranked by World Schools, navigated complex challenges in teams. These challenges tested timeless Power Skills like creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, and resilience.
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This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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Are You Ready For It? Top 5 Ways Virtual Academics Can Address District Challenges
Join our webinar for virtual school leaders & district chiefs. Learn creative solutions & how virtual programs expand access for ALL students.
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Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, during an interview in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, pictured in February, argued April 2 before the state supreme court against the nation's first religious charter school.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Law & Courts Oklahoma Supreme Court Weighs 'Test Case' Over the Nation's First Religious Charter School
The state attorney general says the Catholic-based school is not permitted under state law, while supporters cite U.S. Supreme Court cases.
Mark Walsh, April 2, 2024
5 min read
Kiara Unger-Fields, 4, of Johnstown, Pa., hangs on as she rides an inflatable tube pulled by her pup Neo, a Rottweiler, at Roxbury Park in Johnstown, Pa., on Jan. 11, 2024. Unger-Fields was accompanied at the park by her father Roshon Fields.
Kiara Unger-Fields, 4, of Johnstown, Pa., hangs on as she rides an inflatable tube pulled by her pup Neo, a Rottweiler, at Roxbury Park in Johnstown, Pa., on Jan. 11, 2024. Despite initial thoughts that remote learning would spell the end of snow days, many schools reverted to them in 2024 during cold, snowy weather.
Thomas Slusser/The Tribune-Democrat via AP
School & District Management In: Cocoa. Out: Chromebooks. E-Learning Didn't Kill Old-Fashioned Snow Days, Educators Say
Remember when virtual learning was going to put paid to snow days? These educators don't, either.
Evie Blad, January 19, 2024
5 min read
Chicago charter school teacher Angela McByrd works on her laptop to teach remotely from her home in Chicago, Sept. 24, 2020.
Chicago charter school teacher Angela McByrd works on her laptop to teach remotely from her home in Chicago, Sept. 24, 2020. In Montana, a district hopes to save a virtual instruction program by converting it into a charter school.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
School Choice & Charters How a District Hopes to Save an ESSER-Funded Program
As a one-time infusion of federal funding expires, districts are searching for creative ways to keep programs they funded with it running.
Mark Lieberman, January 10, 2024
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
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Standards & Accountability Opinion What’s Wrong With Online Credit Recovery? This Teacher Will Tell You
The “whatever it takes” approach to increasing graduation rates ends up deflating the value of a diploma.
Rick Hess, November 20, 2023
5 min read
Conceptual illustration of student standing in front of computer for online tutoring.
Irina Strelnikova/iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says A Virtual Tutoring Program Boosted Early Literacy Skills. New Research Shows How
A first-of-a-kind study in the early grades finds that an intensive remote tutoring can improve reading skills.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 31, 2023
3 min read
Illustration of pointing hands and sad computer.
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Ed-Tech Policy Opinion Stop Blaming Ed Tech for Our Current Education Inequality
Technology didn't create student disengagement nor is it responsible for lengthy school closures, writes an industry leader.
Sari Factor, October 19, 2023
4 min read
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How to Leverage Virtual Learning: Preparing Students for the Future
Hear from an expert panel how best to leverage virtual learning in your district to achieve your goals.
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High school student working on computer at home.
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School Climate & Safety Is Virtual Learning a New Form of Exclusionary Discipline?
Some districts are assigning students to virtual learning as a punishment for misbehavior.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 11, 2023
5 min read