FlexPoint Education Cloud, a Kindergarten through 12th grade online education provider for schools and districts, released the results of a new survey revealing that parents believe that online learning benefits their children’s educational experiences by helping them develop key skills for school and future success.

According to the survey released on Wednesday, more than 75 percent of parents believe that online learning helps their children gain new skills that they would not acquire in a traditional in-person setting — from communication and time management skills to online behavior etiquette. Parents surveyed also noted that online learning positively impacts their children’s education experience, resulting in increased ability to focus, motivation to finish homework, and the confidence to be authentically themselves.

The results also highlighted the staying power of online learning, with parents saying that learning online is not only important for their child to develop valuable soft skills, but it is also an essential piece of equipping them for success – with 80 percent of parents agreeing that online learning helps their children better prepare for the future.

“We are thrilled with the survey results because they show that online students are developing growth mindsets that will set them up for success in college and the workforce, which is our ultimate goal as educators,” said Dr. Louis Algaze, President and Chief Executive Officer of FLVS. “Due to the one-on-one teacher support, as well as our engaging and effective digital courses, students’ comprehension deepens, allowing them to find new passions.”

FlexPoint, a trademark of Florida Virtual School (FLVS), 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.

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.

Last school year, more than 160 new schools and districts outside of Florida 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 percent from its approximately 5,000 Kindergarten through 12th grade students.

The 18-question survey consisted 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.