This research examines online course-taking in high schools, which is increasingly used by students falling behind in progress toward graduation. The study looks inside educational settings to observe how online courses are used and assess whether students gain academically through their use. Drawing on 7 million records of online instructional sessions linked to student records, we find mostly negative associations between online course-taking and math and reading scores, with some gains in credits earned and grade point averages by upperclassmen. Those least prepared academically and with weaker course-taking behaviors fared more poorly and were likely set back by online course-taking. Limited resources constrained the implementation of district-recommended practices and instructional supports, such as live teacher interactions and individualized content assistance.

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The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unanticipated, near-universal shift from in-person to virtual instruction in the spring of 2020. During the 2020–21 school year, schools began to reopen, and families were faced with decisions regarding the instructional mode for their children. We leverage administrative, survey, and virtual-learning data to examine the determinants of family learning-mode choice and associations between virtual education, student engagement, and academic achievement. Family preference for virtual (versus face-to-face) instruction was highly associated with subsequent school-level infection rates and appeared relatively uniform within schools. We find that students assigned to a higher proportion of instructional days in virtual mode experienced higher rates of attendance but negative achievement growth compared to students who were assigned a higher proportion of instructional days in face-to-face mode. Insights from this study can be used to better understand family preferences as well as to target and refine virtual learning in a post-COVID-19 society.

Recent increases in high school graduation rates have been linked anecdotally to online course-taking for credit recovery. Online course-taking that supports high school completion could open opportunities for postsecondary education pursuits. Alternatively, poorer quality online instruction could diminish student learning and discourage persistence toward graduation and further education. Using quasi-experimental methods in an 8-year longitudinal study of high school online course-taking, we find positive associations between online course-taking, credits earned and high school graduation, and for those with limited online course-taking, small increases in college enrollment. However, we find significantly lower 4-year college enrollments and lower quality college enrollments for all online course-takers, leaving open the question of whether online course-taking will lead to long-term postsecondary education and labor market success.

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