User talk:Agmacq/Lead draft

K12 Inc. (nyse: LRN) is a for-profit education company that sells online schooling and curriculum to state and local governments. Its educational products and services are designed as alternatives to traditional "bricks and mortar" education for public school students from kindergarten to 12th grade. K12 is a publicly traded education management organization (EMO) that provides online education services to charter school students. It is paid for from taxes. K12 is the largest EMO in terms of enrollment.

Research from Western Michigan University and the National Education Policy Center shows that only a third of K12’s schools achieved adequate yearly progress, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Though some studies of online schools have found lower performance, a U.S. Department of Education study found that online learning can be more effective than traditional face-to-face learning, especially when the two teaching styles are combined. As of December 2011, K12's contracts and profits were increasing dramatically. Critics have stated that the company uses its revenue to lobby state governments in support of its contracts.