The South Carolina Virtual School Program: Opportunities for South Carolina’s Students

Middle and high school students in South Carolina now have additional educational opportunities beyond attending traditional “brick and mortar” schools. The development of the South Carolina Virtual School Program (SCVSP) has provided these opportunities for South Carolina’s students. This article will examine the development and purpose of the SCVSP. Student and teacher perceptions of the program are also discussed, as well as the future of the program.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) launched a pilot program for virtual schooling in May 2006. This pilot program allowed the SCDE to determine the level of need for a virtual school program in the state, and it also presented the opportunity to test the registration and course management systems that would be used for the program. Research on other state virtual school programs was conducted and information and feedback was gathered during this time in order to continue to develop, revise, and refine the policies and procedures for the program. By partnering with local school districts and other groups, the SCDE operated the pilot program through July 2007 (South Carolina State Department of Education, 2013a).