Florida Virtual School Launches FlexPoint Education Cloud - a New Brand Offering Services to Kindergarten-12th Grade School Districts Outside of Florida

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 a Traditional In-Person Setting

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To continue its mission to put students first and transform education worldwide, Florida Virtual School (FLVS) announced today the launch of FlexPoint Education Cloud, a new brand providing school districts outside of Florida with tools and resources to seamlessly implement Kindergarten through 12^th grade online learning programs. For more than 20 years, FLVS has provided schools and districts in Florida and around the world with digital curriculum and educator training, and the launch of FlexPoint will provide resources to even more learners, teachers, schools, districts, and beyond as culture norms around the world continue to shift.

Last school year, FLVS saw a significant increase in its in-state enrollment, with a 57% increase in course requests for FLVS Flex and a 98% increase in the number of students for FLVS Full Time. In 2020, the organization also provided free educational resources for schools, teachers, parents, and students transitioning to online education for the first time. 

In addition to the help and resources FLVS provided to Florida students in the 2020-21 school year, more than 160 new schools and districts outside of Florida also 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 12^th grade students.

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, a recent survey conducted by FLVS reveals that 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.

The results also highlight that online learning is here to stay, with parents revealing that learning online is not only important for their children 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.

“It’s clear that families all over the world are discovering the benefits of learning online,” said Dr. Louis Algaze, President and Chief Executive Officer of FLVS. “Launching FlexPoint will allow us to continue putting students first by individualizing their learning experience, while also equipping more educators around the world with the tools they need to drive high student performance outcomes. And, as always, 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, benefiting students in Florida first and foremost, as well as worldwide.”

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.

In the state of Florida, FLVS will continue to offer award-winning digital curriculum and staff training to schools and districts, as well as tuition-free part time and full-time online learning options to Florida students. Students outside of Florida can enroll in FlexPoint Virtual School, an FLVS tuition-based Kindergarten-12^th grade online school.

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

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. To read the complete survey results and analysis, click here.