New Survey Finds That More Than 75% of Parents Believe Online Learning Allows Their Children to Gain Critical Skills That They Would Not Acquire in an In-Person Setting

The Importance of Offering Online Education Options Continues to Rise, as Survey Reveals that Parents Believe Online Learning Positively Impacts Their Children’s Ability to Focus, Understand Courses, and Motivation to Finish Homework

ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 6, 2021) – Today, FlexPoint Education Cloud, a Kindergarten through 12th grade online education provider for schools and districts and a trademark of Florida Virtual School (FLVS), released the results of a new survey revealing that even after a challenging year where many families had to adapt to a new way of learning, parents believe that online learning benefits their children’s educational experiences by helping them develop key skills for school and future success.

Last year emphasized that every student learns differently, and as students’ educational journey becomes more individualized, having online learning options is vital for the success of future generations. In fact, according to the survey, more than 75% of parents believe that online learning helps their children gain new skills that they would not acquire in a traditional in-person setting, from communication and time management skills to online behavior etiquette. Most parents also note that online learning positively impacts their children’s education experience, resulting in increased ability to focus, motivation to finish homework, and the confidence to be authentically themselves.

The results also highlight that online learning is here to stay, with parents revealing that learning online is not only important for their child to develop valuable soft skills, but it is also an essential piece of equipping them for success - with 80% of parents agreeing that online learning helps their children better prepare for the future.

“We are thrilled with the survey results because they show that online students are developing growth mindsets that will set them up for success in college and the workforce, which is our ultimate goal as educators,” said Dr. Louis Algaze, President and Chief Executive Officer of FLVS. “Due to the one-on-one teacher support, as well as our engaging and effective digital courses, students’ comprehension deepens, allowing them to find new passions.” 

Additional survey findings include:

Parents believe online learning helps their children build skills that are necessary for school and future success.

• 82% of parents believe their children have better video conferencing skills and online behavior etiquette.
• 73% of parents believe their children have better communication skills.
• 70% of parents believe their children have better time management skills.

Parents of online students strongly believe that online learning benefits their children’s educational experiences.

• 94% of parents believe online learning has a positive impact on their children’s ability to understand courses.
• 83% of parents believe online learning has a positive impact on their children’s ability to focus.
• 76% of parents believe online learning has a positive impact on their children’s motivation to finish homework, study, and complete projects.
• 65% of parents believe online learning helps their children develop better study habits.

Parents believe online learning allows their children to be themselves as they navigate challenges and strive for success.

• 80% of parents believe the online learning environment allows their children to be authentically themselves.
• 70% of parents feel online learning helps their children develop creative solutions to everyday challenges - whether in or outside of school.
• 60% of parents believe that online learning increases their children’s motivation to accomplish their goals.

FlexPoint is the new brand for Florida Virtual School services outside of Florida, and has worked with schools and students around the nation and worldwide in 65 countries and three U.S. territories. Its services include more than 180 engaging and effective digital courses that can be customized to various state standards and seamlessly implemented across a variety of online platforms, extensive staff training and professional development, and unparalleled customer service support to ensure that educators are getting what they need, when they need it.

Last school year, more than 160 new schools and districts outside of Florida partnered with FLVS as educators looked for ways to quickly implement online programs. Examples of school districts that partnered with FLVS include Alaska Department of Education & Early Development and Michigan’s Grand Ledge Public Schools, which maintained an average weekly participation rate of 94% from its approximately 5,000 Kindergarten through 12th grade students.

FlexPoint is a trademark of Florida Virtual School. FLVS offers award-winning digital curriculum and staff training to schools and districts, and is a fully accredited Florida statewide public school district providing Kindergarten through 12th grade students with tuition-free part time and full-time online learning options. Students outside of Florida can enroll in Global School, an FLVS tuition-based Kindergarten-12th grade online school.

For more information about FlexPoint Education Cloud and for the full survey results, please visit www.FlexPointEducation.com.

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Survey methodology
The survey was conducted by Florida Virtual School in August 2021 and was deployed to parents of children of all grade levels, including FLVS Full Time and FLVS Flex student populations. The 18-question  survey was composed of three school history questions and 15 questions on parents’ perspective on how online learning impacted their children and the skills they acquired. Question types included Likert ratings and single-and multi-select multiple choice. Of those invited, 3,248 parents/guardians completed all questions on the survey. Statistical analyses of responses revealed important insights about how parents perceive the importance of online education in their children’s future. Read the complete survey results and analysis.

About FlexPoint Education Cloud
FlexPoint Education Cloud is an internationally recognized, full-service Kindergarten through 12th grade online education leader and has worked with schools and districts across the nation and worldwide in 65 countries and three U.S. territories. Our team develops and delivers comprehensive and effective digital courses that can be seamlessly implemented across various online platforms. We also equip educators with customized training and unparalleled support – so teachers feel empowered, students feel connected, and everyone sees results. As a trademark of Florida Virtual School, we fully embraced the digital world more than 20 years ago as a public school district, and know that individualized learning, paired with innovation, can unlock endless possibilities. Plus, our north star is straightforward: student success is our bottom line. Revenue generated from our work with districts outside of Florida is reinvested into the creation of the highest-quality courses, development of new educational technologies, and implementation of operational excellence and awareness programs. Together, let’s lift learning above the status quo. To learn more, visit www.FlexPointEducation.com.