Baldwin County Virtual School, Daphne AL

Original Research by School Decision on Baldwin County Virtual School

Baldwin County Virtual School is a full-time online public school serving students in grades seven through twelve. It is part of the Baldwin County district and is classified as a regular school, not a charter or magnet. The school’s address is in Daphne, a residential suburb of Mobile on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Daphne is one of three cities collectively called the Eastern Shore, and it has experienced rapid population growth in recent years, with business parks and bayfront amenities shaping its suburban character.

The school’s enrollment draws a student body that is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Black, Hispanic, and Asian. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs or English-learner status was not available in the reporting used here.

State testing results for the most recent year show a split picture by subject. In English language arts, a large majority of tested students in grades seven and eight scored at the proficient level. Science results for grade eight also showed a majority of students reaching proficiency. In math, however, proficiency rates were considerably lower, indicating a clear area of challenge for the school. Only a small fraction of seventh-grade students and a smaller fraction of eighth-grade students scored proficient. When compared to other school districts in Baldwin County, the virtual school’s combined proficiency index across tested subjects and grades lands in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to ask the school directly how math instruction is structured for remote learners and what supports are available for students who need additional help.

Because the school serves grades seven through twelve, it has a graduation rate that would typically be reported, but that figure was not present in the data. The same was true for chronic absenteeism data, which can be a particular concern in a virtual setting. It is worth noting that a virtual school often operates outside the typical brick-and-mortar attendance metrics, and the absence of that data in this profile may reflect that distinction. A family considering this option should inquire about graduation rates and how the school tracks attendance and engagement for its remote students.

The school itself is the educational arm of a larger district. No recent parent-relevant changes in the Baldwin County district were found in publicly available reports, meaning the district’s approach to virtual learning appears to be stable rather than in a period of transition.

For a family deciding whether this virtual school fits, the profile suggests it is a viable option for students who need or prefer a remote learning environment and who can manage independent work. The strength in English language arts and science is reassuring, while the math results are a specific gap worth investigating. The school’s suburban setting and the fast-growing Daphne area mean the housing market in that part of Baldwin County is relatively expensive compared to the state average, though the virtual nature of the school means a family does not need to live close to the campus building itself to attend. That flexibility may be a key consideration, particularly for families who live elsewhere in the district or who commute.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

86.0%Cohort of 330 students · Class of 2021

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

373 schools plotted. 7 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 36% · ▼ 19 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 37% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 788%

School 88% · District 66% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 880%

School 80% · District 63% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Science

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 56% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

This schoolBaldwin County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.