Online Schools: Rhode Island

In 1776 Rhode Island was the first of the 13 original colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. At just 1,045 square miles, it is the smallest state in the nation in terms of area but has the second highest population density, with over 1 million residents. While fishing and manufacturing once supported the Rhode Island economy, today the largest industries are healthcare and tourism.

Near the end of 2011 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Rhode Island’s unemployment rate was significantly higher than most other states in the country at 10.8%. Education advocates look to improve this number by better preparing students for future careers through legislation and school/teacher accountability. One unique way Rhode Island education advocates are improving education opportunities for Rhode Island students is with the Rhode Island Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit. This initiative gives a 90% tax credit for corporate scholarship donations up to $100,000 annually. This money is, in turn, used as tuition assistance for economically disadvantaged students.

Despite the fact that the two states bordering Rhode Island (Connecticut and Massachusetts) both have state-led virtual school options for K-12 students, Rhode Island has not followed suit. The only online schools in Rhode Island that cater to primary and secondary students are the Virtual Learning Academy of the Jefferson County Educational Service Center in Ohio, the Virtual High School Global Consortium, and Pearson’s NovaNet. In 2011 there were approximately 175 course enrollments from Rhode Island students in the Virtual Learning Academy. These courses are paid for by school districts. The additional two schools accounted for 323 course enrollments. While currently there are not many online schools available to prospective Rhode Island students, education advocates hope to change this in 2012. In fact, 8 different states around the country will be presenting their cases to legislators for starting state run online schools, Rhode Island being one of them that wants to offer their students vastly more opportunity in this arena.

Rhode Island online school options are much more available for post-secondary education students. The Community College of Rhode Island offers online classes in over 25 subjects, however many of these courses require students to meet on-campus for an occasional meeting or test. The University of Rhode Island, the largest university in the state with an enrollment of over 16,000 students, also offers online classes in 30 courses including communication studies, philosophy, women’s studies, and more. Given the current trends around the country, Rhode Island will most likely be adding additional virtual learning opportunities for its residents over the next decade.

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