PA Distance Learning Charter School

The PA Distance Learning Charter School (PA Distance, Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School, PDLCS) is a free, publicly funded and operated charter school located in the US state of Pennsylvania. It serves students at the K through 12 level. Courses are described as "live, interactive, online learning sessions"; courses are both synchronous and asynchronous. The school's original charter was granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2004.

Enrollment for 2009-2010 was 370 students. Of these, 23% were from low-income families. Its past peak enrollment was 440 students.

Any school-aged student residing in Pennsylvania who is eligible to attend kindergarten through 12th grade may apply to PA Distance for admission. Year-round access to a computer (which includes all required materials), printer/ fax/ scanner/ copier, and curriculum is provided to each student free of charge as long as the student is enrolled with PA Distance Learning Charter School.

The PA Distance Learning Charter School web site is at http://www.padistance.org

More Details

Teachers take attendance in their "virtual classroom" and gauge/judge student "attention". High school students must log a minimum of 990 total hours of learning time each academic year. Elementary students are required to complete 900 hours of learning time each academic year. A minimum of 25 logged hours per week is necessary to successfully complete PA Distance curriculum for grades 1-6 students and 27.5 logged hours for grades 7-12 students. PA Distance have found that many students complete 30 or more learning hours per week.

Every child may participate in band, chorus, theater, drama, the debate team, sports teams, as well as other offerings by the local school district.

A unique feature of the PA Distance program is that it allows parents/guardians to direct the education of their children. PA Distance accomplishes this by allocating certain funds to the Parent Supplemental Education Account (PSEA). The PSEA allows parents/guardians to request that the school spend funds towards specific educational areas, materials and events that PA Distance curriculum may not cover in depth, but which the parent/guardian and student deem important to the student’s development.

The school charter, as granted by the state of Pennsylvania, requires that PA Distance send all necessary computer equipment to each household with a student(s) enrolled, even if the family feels that it is unnecessary.

References

• "A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning", iNACOL, October 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf
• "Charter Annual Report: Pennsylvania Distance Learning CS", 14 Feburary 2011, http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/1046179/pennsylvania_distance_learning_cs-charter_annual_report-approved_2010_report_pdf
• "Keeping Pace With Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice", Evergreen Education Group, 2010, http://kpk12.com/reports/
• PA Distance Learning Charter School web site, http://www.padistance.org

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