Why they choose and how it goes: Comparing special education and general education cyber student perceptions

While critics offer concerns that cyber charter schools under-enroll special education students, such schools may offer advantages for these students, and some cyber schools have identified this market niche. Little is known about such schools. We surveyed parents (n = 232; 48.7% response rate) and students (n = 269; 53.7% response rate) at a cyber charter school that we will call SunTech, where special education students account for 26% of the student body. Findings indicate that special education students and their parents were more likely than general education peers to mention behavioral issues as influencing their decision to choose SunTech. Compared to general education counterparts, special education students and parents reported somewhat higher levels of satisfaction in the school and somewhat lower levels of satisfaction in their prior schools. Implications are discussed.