The Facts
* Texas regulations restrict virtual learning and technological innovation in the education system.
* Texas trails behind other states in technological innovation, especially Florida and South Carolina.
* Analysis performed by the U.S. Department of Education found that online students perform more highly than traditionally educated students overall.
* Virtual education is rapidly growing across the nation and action is needed to prevent Texas from being further eclipsed.
Recommendations
* Remove restrictions to virtual learning and allow greater innovation.
* Fund education and schools by course rather than by average daily attendance (ADA).
* Accelerate implementation of interactive online administration of state assessments.
* Encourage the use of blended learning as a teaching tool in Texas classrooms.
* Allow every public school to run their own virtual education shop, rather than running through the red tape of the virtual school network process.
* Allow greater freedom for private providers of virtual education.
* Allow more flexibility for private and homeschooled students to be involved in publicly provided virtual education in Texas.