GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — No matter the offense, states must educate students in juvenile detention. It’s a complicated challenge, no doubt — and success stories are scarce.

In Florida, where more than 1,000 students are in long-term confinement, the state last year put those kids' schooling online. That's despite strong evidence that online learning failed many kids during the pandemic. The state juvenile justice system contracted with the Florida Virtual School, one of the nation's oldest and largest online learning systems.

State leaders were hoping Florida Virtual School would bring more rigorous, uniform standards across their juvenile justice classrooms. When students left detention, the theory went, they could have the option of continuing in the online school until graduation.

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