A Wild Policy Ride: Online Learning Trends and Battles NACOL Advocacy and Issues Committee.

A Wild Policy Ride: Online Learning

Trends and Battles

NACOL Advocacy and Issues Committee

Advocacy & Issues Committee Presenters

John Adsit, KC Distance LearningKristin Bannerman, Educate OnlinePam Birtolo, Florida Virtual SchoolLisa Gillis, Insight SchoolsDana Koch, VHS Global ConsortiumMickey Revenaugh, Connections Academy

Agenda

Key Policy Events Round-Up (20 mins)

“Every Student’s Right” Framework (5 mins)

Small Group Work: Policy Positions (20 mins)

Reporting Back and Wrapping Up (10 mins)

Key Policy Events Round-Up

Wisconsin Lawsuit Lawsuit filed in 2004 against virtual charter school

Open enrollment /Charter law – students attended through Wisconsin Open Enrollment Law

Teacher licensure - School employed licensed admins/teachers Court decision in Dec 2007 –

Court of Appeals ordered that DPI refrain from making pupil transfer payments

Legislative process – unification of online community – NACOL served a major role in ensuring

Bipartisan virtual school bill – Wisconsin Act 222, Senate Bill 396Audit - financial and academic submitted by Dec 09Teacher contact time – less than 24 hoursStatewide Web Academy – State Superintendent must provide online

courses available to school districts, CESAs, charter schools, and private schools located in the state.

Florida Legislation

Until 2008: Florida Virtual School plus two full-time K-8 schools

HB7067: Districts can – and then MUST – launch their own virtual schoolsContracting with private providers and FLVSGrowing their own

“It’s the wild west out there”

Arizona Audit

TAPBI program = 7 district (mostly supplemental) and 7 charter (mostly full-time) virtual schools

Audit in 2008 – Critical of TAPBIsQualityFunding flow

Legislation expected in 2009

Pennsylvania Policy

Pennsylvania has 11 full time enrollment cyber charter schools

Of them only 4 met 2007/2008 AYP growthGrowing number of cyber charters and questions

about their effectivenessBudget legislation policy Section 1615Establishes a Virtual High School Study

Commission

Online Science Battles

College BoardVague process with a description of what would workSystem now in limbo as CB reviews and reconsiders

“what will work,” with no definite report dateHas not responded to requests for clarification

University of California “a-g” Courses must be approved by UCOP a-g standards for

admission to University of California CollegesCurrent wording: no online courses with any virtual labs Identified model program uses procedures described as

“poor” by National Research Council report on labs

Online Science Battles

American Chemical SocietyDraft statement opposes all virtual labs and simulationsStatement sparsely researched—premises are

assumptions about the purpose and value of labsPurpose of labs = prepare for career working in labs

NACOL Report Guidelines based on NRC’s America’s Lab ReportNRC research contradicts ACS assumptionsPurpose of labs = help students learn goals of course

NSTA statement supports E-Learning

NCLB/SES Online

20 percent of federal Title 1 funds must be used for SES (tutoring) or public school choice.

SES can be provided at the school, at community based organizations, in home, or online.

SES online presence nationally is small but varies widely from state to state.

In Connecticut, online SES providers are virtually prohibited. In Wyoming, practically all SES is provided online. One report

showed that 100 percent of Wyoming's SES eligible students were served online last year.

Montana also has a high online participation in SES.

NACOL Policy Framework

Every Student’s Right to Online Learning Opportunity

Online learning is emerging as an essential part of the K-12

education landscape. To meet their educational goals and

secure their future as active and productive citizens, K-12

students must have access to quality online learning

opportunities in a variety of forms that meet their needs…

NACOL therefore will endeavor through its advocacy and

policy activities to ensure that all students have the

opportunity to choose an online learning course or

program that meets their needs as part of their K-12

education.

Promoting Online Learning Opportunity Through Advocacy For:

Responsive state and federal policies so that a student’s choice of online opportunity is facilitated rather than blocked.

Fair and sustainable funding so that online learning opportunities expand with student demand.

Sensible and responsible oversight so that each student is guaranteed quality in the online opportunities available.

Modern frameworks for curriculum and instruction so that each student may be assured of credit for successful online work.

Thoughtful teacher licensure requirements so a student may always benefit from the best online instructors.

Valid research so that a student’s online opportunities reflect effective best practices.

Responsive State & Federal Policies

Fair & Sustainable

Funding

Sensible & Responsible

Oversight

Modern Frameworks

for Curriculum & Instruction

Thoughtful Teacher

Licensure Require-

ments

Valid Research

Wisconsin Lawsuit X X X XOnline Science Debate X X XFlorida HB7067 X X XPennsylvaniaCommission XArizona Audit X X XNCLB/Online SES X X X

Events and Issues in Context

Discussion Group Questions

What policy issues concern you the most?Under your particular topic?Other policy issues?

What policy issues are likely to come up in YOUR state (or for your program) in the coming year?

How can the NACOL Advocacy and Issues Committee help?

Small Group Reports

Responsive State and Federal Policies

Fair and Sustainable Funding

Sensible and Responsible Oversight

Thoughtful Teacher Licensure Requirements

Valid Research + Modern Frameworks for Curriculum/Instruction

Facilitator: John AdsitI started by briefly describing the existing draft’s

main idea, that we need to have research that examines the effects of specific online instructional strategies. There was general approval of that overall concept. After that people brainstormed other ideas, several of which are really repeats of the main idea I presented already. Others are new.

Valid Research + Modern Frameworks for Curriculum/Instruction

Additional Comments and suggestionsAs online learning becomes more prevalent, how do we

make sure that the needs of students with disabilities are served? Blindness was specifically mentioned.

Is a universal design using standard elements possible in order to accommodate people with disabilities?

How do we best serve the special needs population (i.e., students with IEP’s)?

How does an online teacher work most effectively in an online environment?

CONTINUED ON NEXT SLIDE

Valid Research + Modern Frameworks for Curriculum/Instruction

What are the elements (including structure, frameworks, etc.) and pedagogical practices that are most effective?

Are there markers/assessments that can be used to determine a student’s suitability to the specific type of online learning provided in a specific program?

What are the characteristics of an effective online teacher?How can we identify and hire effective online teachers?CONTINUED ON NEXT SLIDE

Valid Research + Modern Frameworks for Curriculum/Instruction

There were also comments related specifically to science:

Arizona State University does not accept online science lab classes. Students who enter ASU need to retake the classes in a traditional format.

The Idaho state board of education has just raised the graduation requirements for lab science? How do we accommodate this?

People had a bunch of general questions related to science labs

Questions and Answers