Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School Students Continue to Excel, Achieve in the Virtual Classroom

MIDLAND, Pa., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since charter and cyber charter schools first appeared on the educational grid in Pennsylvania nearly 11 years ago, misconceptions of student success and achievement have been concerns of both supporters and opponents.

Today, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, the largest and most successful cyber charter school in the state, is proud to announce that its students continue to excel in their virtual education and, in many instances, outperform their traditional-school counterparts.

In June, PA Cyber graduated 1,500 students, its largest graduating class thus far. Of those 1,500 students, more than 60 percent are attending a two- or four-year college. Many students graduated early, including 15-year old Yara Skaf of Economy. Others graduated with college credits on their transcript and academic scholarships in tow, including Alexa Dectis and Wayne Trotman. Dectis, of Orefield, earned 59 college credits at Lehigh Carbon Community College and will attend George Washington University on a $30,000 academic scholarship; Trotman, of Elkins, will attend American University to major in pre-law on a $25,000 scholarship and with 11 college credits already earned from Arcadia University.  

A recent study by Stanford University found that Pennsylvania's charter schools show "mixed results" in math and reading, with "all cyber charter students lagging their counterparts in public schools when it comes to learning."

"While we cannot speak to the progress of all cyber charter school students, we can say with confidence that our students continue to excel in all levels of academics," said Executive Director Andrew Oberg.

During the 2010-2011 school year, PA Cyber students:

• Earned Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the second year in a row
• Had 500 students enrolled in its gifted programs
• Inducted 56 students into the National Honor Society
• Had a team of 13 middle school students win the Philadelphia Reading Olympics
• Wrote an Engineering Course for middle school students

PA Cyber students continue to out-perform their traditional school counterparts in SAT and ACT testing as well, scoring higher than both the state and the national averages on both tests for the 2009-2010 school year. (Cumulative test results for the 2010-2011 school year will not be released until August 2011).

The most recent data available shows that PA Cyber students outscored both the national and state averages in nearly every category, as well as in overall scores. PA Cyber students scored an average 1515 overall on the SAT compared to the national average of 1509 and the state average of 1473; they scored an average 22.4 on the ACT as compared to the 21 national average and 21.9 state average.

In July, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education renewed PA Cyber's charter for another five years. "Charter renewal is great news for the thousands of Pennsylvania families who depend on our school," CEO Dr. Nick Trombetta said at the time. "Unlike school districts, we charter schools must demonstrate our effectiveness every five years or we cease to operate."

On the heels of the ceremonies for the largest graduating class in PA Cyber's 11 year history, school officials are encouraged by the continued achievements of its student body. "After experiencing another amazing graduation, it is hard to believe that anyone doubts the drive that our students have and the work that they do to achieve that success," said Oberg.

"Fifty percent of our students come from the lowest-performing school districts in the state and test one grade level behind their peers upon enrollment," noted Dr. Trombetta. "We have found if we can keep these students for a year or two, and if they make the effort, we can bring them up to grade level and get them to graduate.

"While many students come to PA Cyber because traditional schools did not meet their needs, their dedication and commitment to their education is inspiring. And that is what makes PA Cyber what it is today. We give every child the ability to learn at their own pace and give every student the opportunity to succeed beyond measure."

Founded in 2000, PA Cyber was the first statewide, public cyber school offering grades K-12. Today, it is the largest cyber charter school in the state with an enrollment of more than 10,000 students. PA Cyber's main office is located in Midland (Beaver County) and has offices in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

Contact: Toni Cicone Craig
Communications Specialist| National Network of Digital Schools
[email protected] | 724-544-3744

SOURCE National Network of Digital Schools