Leading Virtual School, Connections Academy, Launches Blog

Connections Academy, a leading national operator of K-12 virtual public schools, announced today the launch of a new blog geared toward families interested in K-12 virtual education and school from home. The blog is called Virtual Learning Connections and will offer insightful commentary about virtual school and learning from home, helpful tips for parents, celebrity guest bloggers, and more. Connections Academy presently operates fifteen public virtual schools in fourteen states as well as a national private virtual school.

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Connections Education, Leading Virtual Education Provider, Wins Multiple 2011 International Distance Learning Awards

The company’s Connections Academy virtual public school division was honored with one of the USDLA’s top awards:  the “21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning” in the preK-12 category, for the quality and overall excellence of its virtual education model.  Raymond M. Lambert, seven-year Superintendent of Ohio Connections Academy, was recognized for his significant contributions to the distance learning field, taking home honors for Outstanding Leadership by an Individual in the Field of Distance Learning” in the Online Technology/PreK–12 category.  Finally, Connections Academy’s Earth Science course won a “Best Practices Award for Distance Learning Programming” in the PreK-12 category.

“As a premier organization for the entire distance learning profession, we are honoring Connections Education as a leader in the industry,” said Dr. John G. Flores, Executive Director of USDLA. “Connections Education, with its high quality Connections Academy virtual school model, stand-out educators and innovative curriculum has raised the bar of excellence for distance learning.  We are truly honored by Connections Education’s contributions to the distance learning industry.”

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E-Education Inc. Seeks the Mainstream

The for-profit e-learning company K12 Inc. grew 40 percent last year, generating $385 million in revenue by providing virtual courses to 70,000 students across the country. Connections Academy, another such provider, generated about $120 million in revenue serving up online courses to some 20,000 students. And last month, the education technology company PLATO Learning announced that it is now offering online Advanced Placement courses, marking the first time the company will do so as part of its courseware for school districts.

Experts say for-profit providers of online courses—long seen as an option for home-schoolers and a potential rival to public schools—are breaking into the public education mainstream as more schools mix face-to-face classes and online courses to expand their curricular offerings. With demand for that “blended” approach expected to grow, other players in the online-coursetaking marketplace, such as Apex Learning, Aventa Learning, Compass Learning, and Kaplan Virtual Education, are also seeking business in public schools.

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Video: Ohio Connections Academy

Ohio Connections Academy

Video: Ohio Connections Academy

Ohio Connections Academy

Ohio Connections Academy