Bricks and Mortar vs. Computers and Modems: The Impacts of Enrollment in K-12 Virtual Schools

This quasi-experimental study by Carycruz Bueno looks at the effect of attending a full-time virtual school on students’ test scores in Georgia. The author compares students who attend virtual school with similar peers while controlling for individual characteristics that could be more likely to lead students to enroll in virtual schools (self-selection bias). Bueno finds that attending a virtual school is associated with lower test scores, as well as a lower likelihood of high school graduation. Negative effects are found both for students who attend a virtual school for one year and return to a brick-and-mortar school and for students who continue to attend a virtual school for multiple years.