back to map

Data & Information

Florida

Florida has a long history of online learning options, with the Florida Virtual School (the country’s largest public online course provider, and among the oldest), statewide full-time online schools, district online programs and extensive policy activity. More students take online courses in Florida than in any other state.

Full-time schools

As legislated by Florida Statute 1002.45, beginning in 2009-10, all 67 Florida school districts offered a full time virtual education option for their students through the District VIPs. School districts had a number of options to offer virtual instruction. They were able to contract with FLVS, establish a franchise of FLVS, contract with online learning providers approved by the Department of Education (DOE), enter into an agreement with another school district for the services, enter into a multi-district agreement, contract with community colleges, enter into an agreement with a virtual charter school, or operate their own programs. Most districts operate more than one virtual program under the VIP umbrella, and the number of options may increase in 2011-12 due to the new requirement for many districts to offer at least three options at all levels. About 4,000 full-time students enrolled in district VIP options in 2010-11, including 1,580 who enrolled as full time students in district franchises (one of the district options for providing VIP). To accommodate the requirement that all but the small districts offer multiple providers, some districts are entering into agreements with other districts to allow their students to enroll in their VIPs. While many districts are expected to start their own programs, outside providers are likely to remain an option.

In addition, FLVS offers a full-time program for students in grades 6-12 through K12 Inc., and FLVS partners with Connections Academy to provide full-time services for students in grades K-8; it served 1,084 students in 2010-11.

State virtual school

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) had 259,928 course enrollments in 2010-11, a 22% increase from 213,926 enrollments in 2009-10. In 2000, legislation established FLVS as an independent education entity. Legislation enacted in 2002 and 2003 granted parental rights for public school choice, listed FLVS as an option, and defined full-time equivalent (FTE) students for FLVS based on “course completion and performance” rather than on seat time. In the 2010-11 school year, FLVS will receive roughly $110 million in funding. The school employed 1,028 full-time and 103 part-time teachers in 2010-11.

Virtual Program / School	Grade Levels Served	Student Eligibility	Type of Program
State Level
Florida Virtual School (FLVS) Classic	Grades 6-12Grades 4-5	All students**Eligibility per s. 1002.455*FLVS Eligibility	Part Time / Full TimePart Time (Grades 6-8 courses)
Florida Virtual School Full Time	Grades K-12	K-1 and 6-12 – All students**2-5 eligibility per s. 1002.455*
District Level
District Virtual Instruction Program	Grades K-12	Eligibility per s. 1002.455*	Full Time Limited Part-time
District Franchise of FLVS	Grades 6-12Grades 4-5Grades K-12	All students **Eligibility per s. 1002.455*K-1 and 6-12 All students **2-5 eligibility per s.1002.455*	Part Time / Full TimePart Time (Grades 6-8 courses)Full Time
District Virtual Course Offerings	Grades Pre-K-12	Eligibility per s. 1002.455*	Part Time
Virtual Charter School	Grades K-12	Eligibility per s. 1002.455*	Full Time

District programs

Thirty-nine school districts operate franchises of FLVS serving grades 6-12 (as of fall 2010); they reported 17,394 enrollments in 2009-10 (these are in addition to the FLVS enrollments reported above). Although districts may use their franchises to meet VIP requirements, the franchises also serve home education, private school, and other public school students. The number of district franchises has more than doubled each of the last two years—eight to 17 from 2008-09 to 2009-10 and to 39 in 2010-11. In addition to the school district VIP program, districts may also offer individual online courses through their district VIP for grade 9-12 students enrolled in dropout prevention and Department of Juvenile Justice programs, core courses to meet class size requirements, and community college courses (latter two added by HB5101 in 2010).

The number of district franchises serving grades 6-12 has increased dramatically over the last three years—eight to 17 from 2008-09 to 2009-10, to 39 in 2010-11 and to 56 in 2011-12. The franchises reported 28,368 half-credit completions in 2010-11 (these are in addition to the FLVS enrollments reported above); about 10,000 of these were supplemental course enrollments. Although districts may use their franchises to meet Virtual Instructional Program (VIP) requirements, the franchises also serve home education, private school, and other public school students.

• The District Virtual Instruction Program (VIP) and virtual charter schools are funded through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) based on successful completions. Districts receive FEFP funding for each student and may negotiate with virtual instruction providers for rate below the per-pupil funding. Completions are defined by 1011.61 as:

-        Grades K-5: grade promotion

-        Grades 6-8: course completion with passing grade

-        Grades 9-12: credits earned

Online learning policy history

FLVS is governed by Florida Statute 1002.37; students retain the right to choose FLVS courses to satisfy their educational goals. Under Florida Statute 1002.45, students may also choose to participate in a district virtual instruction program. Section 1002.33 authorizes virtual charter schools as of 2011. Section 1003.498 authorizes districts to offer individual online courses in addition to their current virtual schools and programs. Section 1002.455 delineates student eligibility for most virtual programs. The following policies and rules apply to district virtual instruction programs and virtual charter schools:

• Students must have been Florida public school students the previous year, military dependents who recently moved to Florida, siblings of students already in the virtual program or eligible to enter grades K-1.
• Students must be provided the necessary instructional materials and when appropriate the equipment and Internet access necessary to participate.
• Providers must be approved by the DOE based on a set of qualifications.
• A provider of digital or online curriculum used to supplement instruction of students not enrolled in this program does not have to meet the requirements of this law.

All online programs must abide by the following quality assurance guidelines:

• Instructional staff must be Florida-certified, and curriculum and course content must be aligned to state standards.
• Provider virtual instruction online programs and courses must meet iNACOL standards.
• All full time virtual programs must participate in the statewide assessment program and in the state’s education performance accountability system.
• Districts will receive a school grade or school improvement rating for district-operated programs.
• Each approved provider will receive a school grade or school improvement rating based on the aggregated assessment scores for all students served by the provider statewide. The provider’s contract must be terminated if the provider receives a school grade of “D” or “F” or a school improvement rating of “Declining” for two years during any four-year period.
• The performance of part-time students in grades 9-12 “shall be included in the school grade of the non-virtual school providing the student’s primary instruction.”
• Part-time providers will be evaluated by the DOE.
• SB2110 authorizes Florida’s auditor general to audit virtual education providers.
• SB2120 (2011) states that by the 2015-16 fiscal year, each district school shall use at least 50% of the annual allocation for purchase of digital or electronic instructional materials included on the state-adopted list.

Legislation passed in 2011 (CS/CS/HB7197) changed Florida’s online learning landscape, opening the door to a full suite of supplemental and full-time online options—often with multiple providers to choose from at both the district and state level—for all students in grades K-12. Modifications to existing legislation, as well as new online and blended program options, are as follows:

• Florida Virtual School Full Time (FLVS FT) now offers a full-time option directly to all K-12 students statewide. Previously, all districts had to provide students with a full-time option through the School District Virtual Instruction Program (VIP). Now students can choose a state-level option via FLVS. FLVS FT will offer high school diplomas beginning in 2012-13.
• FLVS and school district franchises of FLVS can offer supplemental middle school courses to 4^th and 5^th graders.
• School districts can offer individual online courses for students in grades pre-kindergarten to 12^th, in addition to what they offer in their brick-and-mortar schools, district virtual instruction programs (VIP) and district franchises of FLVS. Students from other districts can also enroll in these courses if their district does not offer them.
• Medium and large districts must now offer three different options at all grade levels as part of each district’s VIP program; small districts must offer at least one option.
• The district VIP part-time program was expanded to include a new grades 9-12 program that includes courses measured by state assessments (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and end-of-course) and Advanced Placement (AP)® exams. The Florida Department of Education (DOE) will develop an evaluation method for part-time providers that includes the percentage of students making learning gains, successfully passing end-of-course assessments, taking AP exams, and scoring three or higher on AP exams.
• The previous part-time VIP program for students enrolled in dropout prevention, core courses to meet class size, community college-offered K-12 courses, etc., has expanded beyond grades 9-12 to include K-8.
• Full-time online charter schools are now authorized. They must use DOE-approved providers for their educational programs, and they must document this when they apply to school districts to operate virtual charters. They may only serve students within the district.
• Beginning with students entering 9^th grade in 2011-12, all students must take an online course as a high school graduation requirement.
• By 2014-15, all state-mandated end-of-course assessments must be delivered online.
• District schools are authorized to offer both online and blended courses. Full-time online charter schools are authorized to offer blended courses.
• However, funding was also slashed across the state for both brick-and-mortar and virtual schools. Virtual options lost class size funding (as FLVS did two years ago), so the funding for all students is, for most districts, at or near the minimum of $4,800 per student for the 2011-12 school year.

last updated August 19, 2012

back to map

download 2012 state profile PDF district programs in Florida Select a StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Proudly Sponsored by: