South Dakota Virtual School

The South Dakota Virtual School (SDVS) is a statewide clearinghouse of distance courses for students located in the US state of South Dakota. Courses are offered by a a consortium of providers that have been approved by the South Dakota Department of Education. Courses are offered in a variety of formats, but are mainly online and/or via the Digital Dakota Network (statewide interactive video communications system). The goal of the Virtual School is to provide choice, flexibility, quality and equity for students across the state.

Any middle or high school student in South Dakota is eligible to take courses via the South Dakota Virtual School, but students must register through their home school district.

Launched in March 2007, SDVS providers are generally paid directly by school districts (between $250 and $325 per ½ credit course), which have the right to refuse students' requests for an online course. Providers set course fees.

SDVS had 340 semester course offerings as of May 2010, with new courses constantly in the approval process; in addition, it had 2,900 semester course enrollments in 2009-10, a 25% increase over the prior year. In the 2009-10 school year, 125 out of 192 districts (65%) had students enrolled in a SDVS course.

The South Dakota Virtual School web site is at http://www.sdvs.k12.sd.us/

More Details

Click here for a list of approved SDVS providers.

References

• "A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning", iNACOL, October 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf
• "Keeping Pace With Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice", Evergreen Education Group, 2010, http://kpk12.com/reports/
• South Dakota Virtual School web site, http://www.sdvs.k12.sd.us/

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