DRAFT

ONLINE LEARNING: OTHER STATES

Background:

According to the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL), there are many configurations of online learning among the 50 states and many states have a mix.Organization of online schools falls roughly into the following categories.

State-Led Programs

State-Led Initiatives

District-level Programs

Consortium or Network Programs

Charter Schools

Background on each type of organization is attached.

Policy Issues:

Governance:

  • Should a single district sponsor and oversee a statewide school?
  • Should schools operating statewide first gain state board approval prior to operation (like California and Pennsylvania)?
  • What oversight is required to ensure that studentsreceive a quality education and taxpayers receive a quality product in exchange for their support?
  • Are there ODE mechanisms and staff in place to monitor these schools for law compliance?

Funding:

  • Should an online school be funded at the same level as a bricks and mortar school?
  • Should districts be protected from the potential loss of students?
  • Is budget transparency necessary?
  • With private EMOs managing schools, is there enough transparency in budgets?
  • Does the funding formula work for online schools?

Equity:

  • Can online schools provide instruction to all students?
  • How will special education services be delivered to students in a virtual environment?
  • How do virtual schools meet the federal requirements under Title 1A (disadvantaged), Title 1C (migrant), and Title III (English Language Learners)?

Education Program and Student Success

  • Who should approve the curriculum?
  • Are safeguards in place to ensure that students are doing the work and taking the assessments?
  • Can the very young student profit from virtual teaching? Is there an age that is too young?

Teachers:

  • Should online teachers be required to be Oregon licensed?
  • Should online teachers be required to be certified specifically for online teaching?
  • At what point do parents become teachers and violate state law?
  • Should there be any limit to class size or guarantees of regular teacher contact with the student?

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State-Led Programs

State-led online programs are created by legislation or by a state-level agency, and/or administered by a state education agency, and/or directly funded by a state appropriation or grant for the purpose of providing online learning opportunities across the state. State-led programs are typically supplemental, offering courses for students who are otherwise enrolled in a traditional school setting. They serve mostly or entirely high school students (some have a small number of middle school students), and typically work with local schools who grant course credit and award diplomas. They may license or develop their courses, or a combination of both. They hire teachers either full-time, part-time, or a combination of both. The funding model for most state-led programs is fundamentally different than fundingfor single-district programs, multi-district programs, and charter schools. Almost all stateledprograms are funded by sources that are not tied to the number of students or numberof course completions. Instead, most are primarily funded by state appropriations, andsecondly by a combination of course fees paid by districts and/or other government orprivate grants.

Program / Organization Type / Grades / Geographic Region / Teachers / Funding / Governance
Colorado Online Learning
1227 course registrations / Supplemental / 6-12 / statewide / 32 part-time
0 full-time / State minimum or +
Course fees
Gov. grants / Multi-district schools overseen by CDE and authorizing district; authorizing must be certified by state as capable of running statewide school
Florida Virtual School
90,000 course registrations
52,000 students / Primarily supplemental / 6-12 / statewide / 175 part-time
320 full-time / Same as bricks and mortar; based on course completions / “independent”
Georgia Virtual School
4000-4999 course reg.
3000-3999 students / Supplemental / 9-12 curric.
6-12 enrolled / Statewide / 7 part-time
165 adjunct / Public FTE funds
Course fees / ?
Idaho Digital Learning Academy
2760 students
3682 course registrations / supplemental / 7-12 / statewide / 65 part-time
0 full-time
2 full-time curriculum spec. / State appropriation of $1.1 m
Course fees / Approved and overseen by a state board
Illinois Virtual High School
2753 course registrations
1981 students / Primarily supplemental / 6-12 / Statewide / 75 part-time
0 full-time / State app. Of $1.45 m
Course fees
Fed. funds / Non-credit granting program of the Illinois Dept. of Education
Michigan Virtual School
8587 course registrations
6954 students / Supplemental / 6-12 / Statewide + / $2.2 m state
Course fees
$1 m fed
Revenue from product sales / ?
Mississippi Virtual Public School
3000-3999 course registrations / p. supplemental / 9-12 / statewide / 73 part-time / $1 m state
$1 m private / ?
Virtual Virginia
6400 course registrations
2000-2999 students / Supplemental / 6-12 / Statewide + / 16 part-time
18 full-time / $2.75 m state
Course fees / A program of the Virginia Dept. of Education

State-Led Initiatives

State-led online initiatives are different from online programs in that initiatives typically offer online tools and resources for schools across the state, including aggregating courses from outside sources, instead of developing and offering their own courses that are taught by teachers that they have hired. Examples include the Washington Digital Learning Commons, Oregon Virtual School District, and Massachusetts Online Network for Education (MassONE). (Pofessional Dvelopment for teachers.)

The Digital Learning Commons (DLC) is a nonprofi t organization that provides online resources, including library databases, teaching resources, assistance from online student mentors and implementation and training support, as well as courses from online course providers, to member school districts across Washington. It was established in 2003 with support from the Washington State Legislature and private foundations. Like other state-led online programs, the DLC is not a school and, therefore, does not award credits or diplomas. Unlike most other state-led programs, it also does not have its own courses or teachers. It offers over 300 online courses in a variety of subjects, including foreign languages and advanced-level courses, from six course providers: Apex Learning, Aventa Learning, Virtual High School, Federal Way Internet Academy, Spokane Virtual Learning, and University of Washington Extension. The DLC also provides reference materials, supplemental curricula to enhance instruction, and professional development for teachers. DLC staff works closely with participating schools to assist with the development of local online course-taking policies and trains school staff members supporting students taking DLC online courses. With an integrated course catalog and registration system, the DLC offers a one-stop-shopping experience for schools offering online courses to their students. Public schools can join the DLC for $6 per student; private schools and programs can join for $8 per student. This price does not include the cost of online courses. The DLC serves as a broker of online courses, and course providers set fees, an average of $260 per course.

Program / Organization Type / Grades / Geographic Region / Teachers / Funding / Governance
Oregon Virtual School District / Nonprofit broker of courses / Statewide / No teachers / State appropriation / ODE
Digital Learning Commons (Washington State)
No students / Nonprofit broker of courses / 6-12 / Statewide / No teachers / State appropriation;
Fees
Private grants / ?

District-Level Programs

Program / Organization Type / Grades / Geographic Region / Teachers / Funding / Governance
SK Online (Oregon)
3000 students / Credit granting, run by a school district / 9-12 / District; elsewhere by tuition / ? / SSF – online class formula
Tuition / District oversight
Cool School – Oregon
414 Students / Supplemental; run by an ESD / 9-12? / Districts may opt in / 25 part-time? / District payments / ESD oversight
Clark County School District Virtual High School
6,706 course registrations;
2,000 unique students / Credit granting, run by a school district / 9-12 / Multiple districts / 52 part time
11 full-time / Public FTE funds, course fees, and federal funds / District oversight
Fairfax County Public Schools Online Campus
1000-1999 course registrations
750-999 students / Supplemental, credit granting program run by a school district / 9-12 courses
5-12 students / One school district / 75 part-time
4 full time / School district funds, course fees / District oversight
Hamilton County Virtual School
1,000-1,999 course registrations
500-749 unique students / Credit granting, run by a school district / K-12 / Across most districts / 52 part-time / Course fees, and federal funds / District oversight
Los Angeles Virtual Academy
320 (fall) and 313 (spring) / Supplemental, credit granting program run by a school district / 6-12 / Across one district / none / Federal funds / District oversight
Spokane Virtual Learning
250-499 students / Credit granting, run by a school or school district / 6-12 / Statewide / 26 part-time
1 full-time / Public FTE funds, course fees / District oversight

Consortium or Network Programs

Multi-district programs may be state-led, run by a consortium or network, or operated by one district offering an online program to students from other districts.Consortium or network programs are a final, catch-all category. Examples include theVirtual High School Global Consortium, Wisconsin eSchool Network, andConnecticut Adult Virtual High School. These programs recognize that there is valuein economies of scale, in combining resources to create online courses, train teachers,and provide student support, and are demonstrating that such programs do notnecessarily have to be run at a state level or by a state education agency.

Program / Organization Type / Grades / Geographic Region / Teachers / Funding / Governance
Oregon Online
840 students / ESD-led
Districts must approve placement / 6-12 / tuition / ESD board
Connecticut Adult Virtual High School
250-499 registrations
250-499 unique students / Credit granting, run by a consortium of local education agencies / Grades 9-12; majority of students are 16-18 but are seeking to earn their
high school diploma through Adult Credit Diploma programs. / Across most or all districts in Connecticut / 8 part-time / State grant from federal funding source / Consortium
DIAL Virtual School / Primarily supplemental, non-credit granting, run by a consortium of
districts or LEAs / 6-12 / Multiple districts / 9 part time
3 full-time / Course fees, state-funded grants, and private grants / Consortium
Virtual High School Global Consortium
9,250 course registrations
7,800 unique students / Supplemental, non-credit granting, non-profi t / 6-12 / 30 states
23 countries / 297 part-time
0 full-time / Course fees, federal funds, and school membership / Consortium
Wisconsin eSchool Network / A network of online schools and programs serving students across Wisconsin
with both full-time and supplemental online courses / 7-12 / Multiple districts / 20 part-time
1 full-time / Primarily public FTE, some federal funds for charter school start-up / Consortium

Charter Schools

Full-time online programs, sometimes called cyberschools, are online learning programs in which students enroll and earn credit towards academic advancement based on successful completion of the courses (or other designated learning opportunities) provided by the online school. Many full-time online schools are charter schools.

Program / Organization Type / Grades / Geographic Region / Teachers / Funding / Governance
Oregon Connections Academy
1800 students / Credit granting, full-time charter school / K-11 / Statewide / Public SSF / District - Scio
Capistrano Connections Academy
500-749 / Credit granting, full-time charter school / K-11 / 5 counties / 22 full-time
2 part-time / Public FTE funds
Federal funds
Private grants, local funds, charter loan
Minnesota Online High School
186 full-time
42 part-time / Charter school, credit granting / 9-12 / Statewide / 19 part-time / Public FTE funds, and federal funds
Odyssey Charter School
1425 full time students / Charter school, credit granting / K-12 / 1 district / 75 full-time / Public FTE funds
Ohio Virtual Academy
4000-4999 students / Charter school, credit granting / K-12 / Statewide / 112 full-time
2 part-time / Public FTE funds, and Federal

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