(ARA) – Roughly 2 million American families with children move every year – and their children switch schools – according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Most families move over the summer, so their kids can start new schools in the fall. But other families make the school switch mid-year – the result of parent job changes or family economic challenges.

With more school options available than ever, a growing number of families who aren’t moving their homes are nonetheless changing their children’s schools mid-year. Parents who do so are often seeking to give their child a “fresh start” for a variety of reasons: a student who’s bored, or one who’s not getting the individualized attention he needs. Student health or social issues can also be factors.

Educators say many families switching their kids’ schools mid-year are turning to virtual schools like Connections Academy, for a variety of reasons.

First, more families than ever have embraced virtual education in general: Some 2 million American K-12 students now get some or all of their education virtually, according to research firm Ambient Insight. Second, the format of virtual schools eases a student’s adjustment period – and physical transitions for both student and family. Finally, family finances sometimes come into play. Virtual public schools – like all public schools – are tuition free and virtual private schools like National Connections Academy cost a fraction of traditional “bricks and mortar” private schools. Yet they deliver the academic rigor and highly personalized educations that are hallmarks of independent schools. So families with children enrolled in traditional private schools who are struggling to meet hefty tuition obligations often find they can save significant money and still get an independent school-caliber education.

At most virtual schools, learning takes place at home, with a parent or ‘Learning Coach’ on site, with instruction directed by certified teachers, with whom student and parents communicate frequently by phone and email. Here are five tips for parents to ensure a seamless transition for their child to a virtual school in 2011.

* Insist on quality: Not all virtual schools are created equal – Many states have virtual public schools; check www.ConnectionsAcademy.com to see if there’s one in your state. Like all public schools, these schools are tuition-free to families. In states where virtual public schools are not available there are many fee-based virtual private school options. High-quality virtual schools employ professional and certified teachers. Make sure the school offers an accredited program with a wide range of courses, and a proven curriculum developed by professional educators. Talk to parents with students currently enrolled in the school.

* Plan ahead – Think about the best time to make the school switch. For high school (and some middle school) students, it’s ideal to finish out the quarter or semester, and then start the new period in the new school. The student gets a fresh start in his new courses, and will have completed coursework from his semester in his previous school. Of course, sometimes life throws you a curve ball – unexpected job changes or other sudden family matters seldom come with advance warning. In that case, parents should reach out to the virtual school’s guidance and enrollment officials as early as they can, and work with them to make the school switch as smooth as possible.

* Get your paperwork in order – It can take a while to complete the enrollment process at a virtual school. Parents should start sooner rather than later gathering the necessary paperwork they’ll need to enroll their child in the new virtual school – transcripts, birth certificates, immunization records and the like. Check, of course, with enrollment officials at the new school to get a list of required documents, and what, if any, admission deadlines might apply.

* Transfer credits – Many schools don’t mail home fall semester or second quarter report cards until well into the spring semester, making it tricky for some parents to show proof of course completion, and to get all the student’s course credits transferred to the new school. Parents facing this situation should check with their new school’s enrollment counselors to find out what other alternative paperwork they can use, and then request it from the previous school.

* Maintain an open dialogue – The parents’ role in ensuring a smooth mid-year transition doesn’t end when their child is enrolled in his new virtual public school, has all his books and academic supplies, and has started classes. “The key to a smooth transition – to any school, not just a virtual public school – is for parents to maintain an open dialogue and communications with the school,” says Tisha Rinker, senior manager of school counseling for Connections Academy.