Every principal looks forward to the first day of school when students return with fresh minds eager to learn. But as students prepare to hit the books in the next couple of weeks, some of them won’t have to take the bus or wander the halls looking for their classroom.

Virtual schooling with Oregon Connections Academy allows students to receive a top-notch public education online from the comfort of home. Virtual education is an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional bricks and mortar classroom, and by 2015, 17 million pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in the U.S. will get at least some of their education virtually, according to new research from Ambient Insight. Even with this growing number of students learning online, many parents still don’t fully understand e-learning.

Virtual public schooling is not homeschooling, and as a matter of fact, the two are quite different. Virtual public schools deliver public education to a student’s home at no cost and combine state-certified teachers with a rigorous curriculum correlated to state standards. At Oregon Connections Academy, students learn at home under the guidance of an Oregon certified teacher. A Learning Coach, who is typically a parent, assists the student in day-to-day activities. The teacher works directly with both the student and Learning Coach to develop an individual learning plan, provide instruction and evaluate assignments.

For the rest of the article, go to Virtual schooling: Separating fact from fiction