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As a small school, our students that enroll in virtual classrooms are those that need credits due to absences or failing grades. We do not have the resources on staff to teach classes again to these students and their schedule rarely work for a traditional class. So a large majority of our virtual students are not strong academically in the first place. Recently, we have used virtual classrooms to strengthen our array of available classes so that students with a particular interest can get classes in that area which we were unable to offer before.

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My opinion is that the rise in online learning is attributed to accessibility and flexibility. People can complete their course on the time schedule and are able to access the material at any time of day that is convenient for them. As we also learned in the videos, cost of providing the education is less demanding on the school as well. Less materials are needed and this is appealing for school districts that are facing less and less funding. I believe online learning can be a great thing, however self discipline is a huge factor in determining whether or not a student will be successful. The lack of meeting with and instructor face to face on a daily basis creates less accountability for the student. For a student to be successful, they need to be self driven to succeed and I'm not sure that is the case for some youngsters today. I think the online learning environment is a lot more conducive for college level courses and students.

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As others have said, the flexibility of online learning is definitely a huge draw, and I think that in some people's minds flexibility means more time to do other things. That is not necessarily the case, as students must still spend the time doing the work on the material for their classes.
I would guess that some people that move to online learning may see these stats and think "well, we will be disciplined and diligent and be part of the 28% that does well." But the reality is that many people do not have the knowledge about online learning and self-monitering their learning to make sure that they are successful.

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It's interesting to see these trends.  I must say, it surprises me!  This summer is the first where I've taken online classes.  All my undergraduate classes were face-to-face and in person.  It took some getting used to; however, I like that I can work on my work on my own time.
In my experience with a few students, in high school, that have done online schooling, it's often because they're too lazy to get themselves to school in the first place.  If this is the case often (I have no idea if it is), it would make sense that they're not at as a high a rate as regular high schools.  One has to be able to motivate her/himself, and procrastination will not get people very far.  If one is not self-motivated and procrastinates well (for lack of a better term), things will probably go south quickly!
Also, when one is doing school online and not actually having physical discussions with others, it's difficult to get the type of learning that happens in a classroom. The off the cuff unscripted things are often the most interesting educational pieces students receive!

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I think that one major reason that virtual schools are increasing in popularity is because of the difficulties that students go through in a typical brick -and -mortar school. Parents feel their child is being treated unfairly at school either by teachers/coaches/ administration/ other students and they pull them thinking this a great alternative. It might be a negative statement but our students are spoiled and  what they tell their parents are gospel and they end up getting what they want.  I had a parent tell me this year that she thought it was okay for her son to give the teacher "shit" because she didn't like her.  They are pulling him this year to go to a private school but he won't like it there either so I see him doing virtual schooling but I don't think he will succeed because he will not be held accountable and the work will not get done.  Sad thing is that he is a bright kid but he gets away with everything with no consequences.

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I think the popularity stems from the ease and flexibility that virtual schools provide. There are many reasons one would want to attend a virtual school. Think of an elite athlete who trains all year and competes in competitions all over the country. They would not be able to keep up in a traditional school so they need an alternative. My niece decided to complete a year of online school after her sister died and it was to much for her. She didn't want to physically go to school to see her sisters friends. Another option is some students do not do well in the system, they do not like the classrooms, they can't handle the other students. Will they benefit from an online school? Very possible. I like the idea of an online K-12 option however, I think there need to be some checks and balances and parents need to take an active role in the process.

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I think the flexibility online learning creates makes it seem like a good fit for some families. This type of learning may allow students to be involved in sports at a higher level. It may even help child actors. It really isn't for all learners. Students would also be missing out on the group work or interactions with other students. Students need to be committed to do the independent work needed to learn the information. Some may be ready for this and others are not. This type of online independent work should prepare them for college, but some just aren't ready. The teachers online need to be just as good or even better than classroom teachers. Often times, the teacher is required to put in just as much or more time than a classroom teacher. I think the full time virtual school may not be the answer. I think taking a class or two would work out better for students. I think students might do better in more of Blended Learning atmosphere.

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Online schools have taken off for, I believe, a couple of reasons. One, having options and flexibility are things that students increasingly want.  The options that online learning in these areas has made this a big market that I think a lot of people are trying to tap into.  There is opportunity here and many people are trying to take advantage.

I think that plays into the second graphic, showing those that are academically acceptable and not. It takes a lot of work from both the instructor/institution and the student to be successful in an online setting.  If the instructor/institution isn't making an online course/school that is conductive to learning and presents content well, it will be detrimental to the academic performance.  Online learning also take as lot of work from the student.  Self-discipline and time management need to be high, and I've seen students without these traits struggle no matter how smart they are.

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I think the reason that online schools have increased in popularity over the years is because the demands of peoples time continues to increase because of this people require more flexibility in their schedule. This is where online schools shine. Additionally, online schools are competitively priced compared to local private schools who may be the only one around for 50 miles where online schools can operate almost anywhere. I don't think that academic performance is the only thing that people look at when they need the flexibility that online schools offer. Things like easy of use, cost, and programs can out weigh academic performance for some.