Microschooling Trends in ESA States

Microschool Trends in ESA States

September 2024

By Don and Ashley Soifer

This new report from the National Microschooling Center compares microschools studied in four states where microschools participate in ESA programs - AZ, FL, TN and WV - and compares them with microschools nationally. Overall, the prevailing trends for microschools in ESA states studied have strong parallels to those of microschools studied around the country, as well as several distinct variations.

Significant findings include:

• The median average size of microschools, 15 students served in ESA states and 16 in microschools nationally, presents an example of microschooling’s consistency.
• Microschools generally operate outside of state school performance frameworks, allowing them to measure their impact in varying ways that can align with their unique missions and models. Microschools in ESA states were significantly more likely to demonstrate impact using standardized norm- or criterion- referenced assessments, and using embedded assessments in digital learning tools, and significantly less likely through the use of observation-based methods, than microschools nationally, while observation-based reporting, tracking mastery, embedded assessments in learning tools, and portfolios of student work were the top four methods in each group.
• Specialized educational approaches are a main attractor for families choosing microschools. Project-based learning and social-emotional learning models were in the top three categories for both groups. Self-directed learning models were three times as prevalent nationally than in ESA state microschools (60% to 20%).

The report can be downloaded here.