SEO Ed Digest
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Vol. 3, Issue 5
May 2006
Bringing urban P-16 education resources to policymakers, parents, advocates, and district and school staff in the District of Columbia
Research on DC Schools
National Lessons Learned
New Ideas
The State Education Office does not endorse the views expressed in the resources and reports contained in the SEO Ed Digest.
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This issue of the SEO Ed Digest covers recent and background research on the topic of virtual schools. Virtual schools, which range from specialized classes that students in traditional schools take online to charter schools where students take all their classes online from their home, are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. This topic is especially relevant to the District of Columbia, as charter schools here are beginning to explore the idea of virtual schooling.
Articles
January 5, 2006
Nov. 14, 2005
May 5, 2005
August 13, 2004
April 7, 2004
May 4, 2004
Reports
Updated March 9, 2006
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
June 2005
May 2005
March 2005
2005
2004
May 9, 2002
March 2002
January 2002
2002
December 2001
October 2001
2001
Resources
Articles
Reports
The purpose of this paper is to examine the online education programs and virtual schools currently available to K-12 students. In the paper, the author defines, differentiates, and gives examples of online education programs and virtual schools and discusses the following: virtual schools in Wisconsin; the implications that virtual schools and online education programs will have on education and schooling in the long-run; technical requirements that virtual schools and online education programs require; and the advantages, disadvantages, benefits and challenges of virtual schools and online education programs.
Programs of research informed by early lessons learned are needed to inform the future development of online learning. This synthesis summarizes the latest in a series of research efforts sponsored by North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL) to answer questions about online learning and promote the growth of effective programs and practices. This synthesis is based on final research reports submitted to NCREL. Section 1 of this document provides an overview of the field of online learning to establish the context within which the eight research studies were defined and conducted. Section 2 also presents brief summaries of each of the eight studies, with an analysis on common themes, challenges, and issues in online learning. Section 3 presents specific implications for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners based on the eight studies.
In 2004, four education organizations joined together to publish Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Snapshot of State-Level Policy and Practice. That report identified the growth of online education programs and discussed how online education practices are being developed in the absence of clear state-level guidance. This report is the second-phase of the research and expands the report by adding research in three primary areas: extending the original study of 11 states to all 50 states; following the continuing trends and developments in the original 11 states; and exploring ways in which laws and policies may proactively shape online education. This report also explores policies and practices governing online education with a particular focus on policies aiming to provide students with high-quality online learning experiences. The report looks specifically at two areas: state-level policies governing online education, and statewide online programs, meaning programs created by legislation or by a state-level agency and/or funded by a state department of education or another state-level agency to provide online learning opportunities across the state.
Written by the former State Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Michigan, this report identifies and analyzes various online instructional solutions that can be used to address chronic teaching and learning challenges prevalent in urban K-12 education settings. It is a summation of the recommendations developed after meeting with hundreds of stakeholders that included superintendents, technical experts, teachers, business leaders, students, administrators, teachers and myriad others interested in optimizing learning opportunities for Michigan’s students.
In fall 2004 the Educational Technology Cooperative collected, for the first time, detailed information about the status of state virtual schools in SREB states. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia). This report was distributed in November 2004. In March 2005 the Cooperative convened SREB states to address key virtual learning policy, instructional and management issues and topics. This report on State Virtual Schools is an updated version of the earlier report and reflects the growing use of the World Wide Web by states. The report provides the following information on state virtual schools: initial implementation, current status, management, funding, tuition, course offerings, student information, courses, intellectual property, teachers, staff, instruction, accountability, and how schools are measuring success.
This book provides an overview of virtual schooling and e-learning, detailed case studies and issue chapters. It sets out to answer the following questions: Where do I begin if I want to launch virtual learning options for my school district?, What kind of personnel is needed?, What providers and resources are available?, How do I hire and train teachers? and What are the costs involved in virtual schools? This volume features contributions by virtual school practitioners and experts in the field who describe their programs, explain how they made them a success, and share proven techniques they learned along the way.
To date, no nationally representative study has examined technology-based distance education availability, course offerings, and enrollments in the nation’s elementary and secondary schools. To address this gap, the Office of Education Technology at the US Department of Education requested a survey to collect and analyze nationally representative data on technology-based distance education in public elementary and secondary school districts. This report presents the national estimates that the survey found. Findings are made in the following categories: distance education courses for public school students; technologies used for delivering distance education courses; entities delivering distance education courses; reasons for having distance education courses; and future expansion of distance education courses.
This speech, delivered by the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, US Department of Education, Nina S. Rees at the 2005 Virtual School Symposium of the North American Council for Online Learning in Denver, Colorado provides an overview of online education and discusses federal programs supporting online education, the changing educational landscape in technology, an overview of online education, why online education matters, and the future and barriers to overcome in online learning.
This report is based on input from thousands of students, educators, administrators, technology experts and education organizations. It discusses where the United States is today with technology in schools, today’s students, schools that are leading the way in technology, e-learning and virtual schools, and the impact of No Child Left Behind on technology in schools. The report concludes with seven major action steps and recommendations that should be taken in order to advance technology in America’s schools.
Education Week's annual 50-state report on education technology examines the benefits and shortcomings of electronic learning, as seen by state technology coordinators, virtual high school students, teachers, and higher education faculty. Charts and tables summarize state e-learning initiatives, student evaluation data, and patterns of technology access and use in the states. Topics include virtual teaching, professional development, Web-based course content, online testing, and the growth of cyber-schools.
This article discusses what states should consider when planning a state virtual school. The author argues that the steps that should be taken are the following: establish a state’s vision; identify which courses are needed; organize actions to meet the state’s needs; determine costs and funding methods; determine course quality; and evaluate the program.
The joining of the internet and the decades old charter movement is leading to a whole new 21st Century school house, and offering parents additional choices, especially for children physically or emotionally unable to attend traditional schools. This action paper discusses the definition of cyber charter schools and their benefits and disadvantages. It also discusses Pennsylvania’s history in trying to implement virtual schools.
Responding to the need for alternative education, virtual schools are multiplying rapidly across the nation. Many states have taken the lead with virtual school initiatives or are sponsoring virtual schools through various funding sources. This report discusses the leading edge on understanding the development and progress of virtual schools, a new and quickly emerging aspect of the K-12 education market. Profiles of 40 surveyed virtual schools are included, along with analysis and projections based on the survey data. Statistics are available on student enrollment, teachers, budgets, management and delivery platforms, content and course providers, and strategic partnerships.
One of the key issues arising from the spread of state-offered online courses, or “virtual schools” is who should pay. If states heavily subsidize online courses, schools are more likely to experiment with them to help meet their instructional needs. However, heavy subsidies also encourage inefficiencies and may distort the mix of instructional resources selected by administrators. Because of the tradeoff between use and efficiency, the researchers recommend a two phase funding model. During phase one, they recommend states heavily subsidize the cost of public online courses and in phase two implement a charge for courses.
This study examines and analyzes virtual school activities and trends as revealed, in part, by a 2001 online survey of 33 virtual schools conducted by WestEd, one of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories supported by the U. S. Department of Education. Data are provided on general characteristics, such as enrollment, funding, technology-based delivery systems, and curriculum. The report includes brief descriptions of statewide virtual schools in 14 states and profiles of various categories of virtual schools (state-level, college-based, consortium- and region-based, local education agency-based, charter, and private). The development and growth of virtual schools are influenced by several context factors, which are discussed briefly. Recommendations and a list of virtual schools, organized by category, conclude the report.
Since Pennsylvania's Charter School Law was enacted in 1997, charter school status has been granted to some Pennsylvania cyber schools, producing significant financial impact on the budgets of many districts, a number of legal challenges to the legality of cyber charter schools, and widespread concern about the adequacy of the existing accountability framework to deal with cyber charter schools. This report reviews the background to the issues raised by cyber charters, outlines the state of related legal and legislative activity, and offers guidelines for crafting effective policy. Included in the report are findings from a survey, conducted by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, of 421 of the state's 501 districts. The survey examines the impact of cyber schools on the districts.
Evidence to date convincingly demonstrates that, when used appropriately, electronically delivered education – “e-learning” can improve how students learn, can improve what students learn, and can deliver high-quality learning opportunities to all children. Having examined the emerging evidence and considered the doubts and cautions, in this paper, the National State Boards of Education Study on E-Learning conclude that e-learning will improve American education in valuable ways and should be implemented as soon as possible. This report discusses how to transform schools, the teachers, and the system to provide quality e-learning courses for students.
Resources
The NACOL Online Learning Clearinghouse is a comprehensive effort supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and WestEd to provide a listing of online learning laws and operating online learning programs in the United States. The Clearinghouse provides an independent, objective source of information to help people learn more about online learning programs in an area.
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