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My Teacher Is An App

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Allison Schnacky of Windermere, Florida, describes her former history teacher standing at the blackboard and making history "the most boring class ever." Now, watching videos of ancient Egypt and writing an essay at her kitchen table she loves the subject.

It's estimated that 250,000 students like Allison are enrolled in full-time virtual schools, up 40% in the last three years.

Some online schools are run by states and local districts and others by for-profit companies, who hire teachers, provide curriculum and monitor student progress. Teacher interaction varies –email, phone, and occasional videoconferences and field trips.

While some states found that cyber students score significantly lower on standardized tests, Rocketship Education, a chain of charter hybrid schools, blends online study with face-to-face instruction. Serving mostly poor, minority kids in California, Rocketship's scores have matched those of the wealthiest districts.

Read about growing variations of online education in "MY TEACHER IS AN APP" in The Wall Street Journal.

Reported By Dr. Marciene Mattleman, KYW Newsradio

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