Utilizing Online Education in Florida to Meet Mandated Class Size Limitations

Abstract

With the passage of a state constitutional amendment in 2002, Florida school districts faced the challenge of meeting class size mandates in core subjects, such as mathematics, English, and science by the 2010-2011 school year, or face financial penalties. Underpinning the amendment's goals was the argument that smaller classes are more effective because teachers have more time for one-to-one interaction with students which in turn leads to greater academic success. Although the state has appropriated more than 20 billion since 2002 to assist school districts in compliance, opponents have argued that the amendment is not funded adequately. As a result, some school districts have recently sought alternatives like online or virtual education to reduce class size in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Instead of admonishing school districts for what would appear to be an evasion of the spirit of the class size amendment, the state permits and even promotes online education as a means to attain mandated class sizes and create greater public school choice. The purpose of this analysis is to look at the history, role, and use of online education in Florida in general and specifically with regard to its use in meeting the class size constitutional mandate. (Contains 56 endnotes.)