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HISTORY AND MISSION OF FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL
Florida Virtual School (FLVS) has experienced remarkable success since it began in 1997 with only 77 students. The most recent student enrollment data projected FLVS to enroll 100,000 full and part-time students for the 20072008 school year. This remarkable growth serves as a model for other states wishing to duplicate one of the nation's largest virtual high schools (Johnson, 2007).
In 1997, two Florida counties, Orange and Alachua, were awarded the "Break the Mold" grant that approved funds for innovative teaching and online learning. This progressive initiative helped pave the way for Florida to become the first statewide Internet-based public high school. Florida Virtual Schools pulls its student population from a variety of sources, with 75% from public school, 20% home school, and 5% private school (Executive Summary, 2008). Today, FLVS not only serves all 67 Florida districts but also students, schools, and districts around the nation. Some examples of nationwide districts involved include Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission, Appleton Area School District and Kiel School District, Wisconsin; West Virginia Department of Education, and the Alabama Department of Education (FLVS Facts, 2008).
Rorida Virtual School is built upon the notion of providing personalized instruction for students. Emphasis is placed on offering courses that are interesting for the student and can be completed at an individual pace. This is evident through the mission statement of FLVS that has a "commitment is to deliver a high quality, technology-based education that provides the skills and knowledge students need for success in the 21st century" (What We Provide for Students, 2008). To accomplish the mission, FLVS is structured around the idea that every student is unique and that learning must be flexible, engaging, and dynamic. This dynamic instruction will occur in an integrated learning environment with parents, students, community members, and schools all sharing responsibility for learning. This responsibility can only occur when students are given choice in their learning along with knowing how to present and use what they learn. When students can present and use what they learn it demonstrates the success and challenges that must be examined to improve the implementation of future instruction and curriculum design (What We Provide Students, 2008).
FACULTY
Florida Virtual School employs 530...