Trends in State-Run Virtual Schools in the SREB Region

Transcription

1 Educatioal Techology Cooperative Treds i State-Ru Virtual Schools i the SREB Regio February 2013 Souther Regioal Educatio Board th St. N.W. Atlata, GA (404)

2 Iside Summary of olie learig i the regio 1 Status of state-ru virtual schools 2 Access to olie learig 3 Fudig variatios 6 Olie learig as a graduatio requiremet 7 Actios to esure quality 8 Expadig access ad requiremets 10 Coclusio 11 Tables: Status of SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, Uique Studet Erollmets i SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, 2007 to Uique Course Erollmets i SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, 2007 to Percet Chage i Fudig for SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, 2007 to This publicatio was prepared by Holly Lyde, research ad policy coordiator, SREB Educatioal Techology Cooperative. For more iformatio, edtech@sreb.org or call (404)

3 Treds i State-Ru Virtual Schools i the SREB Regio Summary of olie learig i the regio I a relatively short time, olie learig has become a itegral part of America K-12 educatio ad the ormal routie of most studets. State support for olie learig has bee strog: All but oe SREB state have sposored a statewide virtual school i the last decade, ad 11 have doe so for six years or more. Today, however, as support for olie courses provided by the state is waig i some states, other, more local olie learig ad classroom techology iitiatives are gaiig i popularity. This meas that states ad local school districts will eed to work together to esure that all studets have access to quality olie courses. From the begiig of state-led olie educatio, SREB states have bee iovators ad atioal leaders i deliverig olie courses statewide. Olie learig s stregths lie i helpig states meet specific educatio challeges, such as accommodatig icreases i studet populatios ad potetially lesseig the eed to build ew schools; givig studets access to academic courses that their schools caot or do ot provide; givig studets more opportuities for credit recovery ad remedial educatio; providig alterative educatio optios to studets who eed help stayig i school, ofte because they eed flexible schedules or they have disabilities; ad allowig studets access to school-choice optios. Eleve years after the lauch of SREB s first state-ru virtual school i Florida i 1997, SREB states peaked i the umber of state-ru virtual schools at 15. I 2005, SREB s Educatioal Techology Cooperative (ETC) bega aually surveyig ad reportig o the state-ru virtual schools operated i the regio. This is the seveth report o the regio s state-ru virtual schools (SVS). It is distict from previous reports because it summarizes the results of previous surveys, icludes a summary of legislatio passed from 2010 to 2012 that affects state-ru virtual schools, ad makes recommedatios for how states should proceed with olie learig at a time whe local school districts have begu offerig their ow olie courses ad bleded learig opportuities.

4 The latest survey results ad recet legislatio show several treds: More SREB states have formalized their relatioships with school districts with respect to delivery of olie courses. As the umber of idividual school districts providig olie courses has icreased, states have sought to esure that all studets have access to quality olie courses, regardless of the districts i which they live. This meas some states require districts to provide olie courses to their studets, while others require that districts allow studets to take olie courses from the state-ru virtual schools. Fudig structures for state-ru virtual schools are beig clarified. I 2008, a SREB report, Makig the Critical Trasitio to Stable Fudig for State Virtual Schools, called o states to establish a stable fudig mechaism for state-ru virtual schools. SREB states are takig that advice, ad may are developig legislatio to provide fudig streams for virtual schools ad olie courses. States are recogizig the eed to esure the quality of olie courses. As the prevalece ad popularity of olie courses grow, SREB states are implemetig a variety of measures to regulate the quality of olie courses ad providers. States are makig olie learig a itegral part of high school educatio. Curretly, four of the five states i the atio that require a olie learig experiece to ear a high school diploma are SREB states. States are esurig that studets have access to techology as a learig tool. May SREB states have chaged the defiitio of textbook i legislatio to iclude digital or electroic resources, ad others are ecouragig the use of electroic devices as a learig tool. Status of state-ru virtual schools i SREB states The umber of SREB states with state-ru virtual schools peaked i the school year (SY), whe 15 of the 16 SREB states (all except Oklahoma) had these schools. (Although the ETC used data from the Uiversity of Oklahoma High School [OUHS] i its aual SVS survey reports, the school was ru by the uiversity for studets statewide.) After 2009, the umber of virtual schools ru by the states bega to declie. Delaware s virtual school was a pilot that was discotiued because of isufficiet fudig. I SY , Mississippi outsourced the operatios ad maagemet of the Mississippi Virtual Public School to Coectios Educatio, a private, for-profit etity. Curretly, Mississippi is the oly SREB state that has such a cotract. I 2011, both OUHS ad Teessee s state-ru virtual school closed. (Teessee s state-ru virtual school had bee fuded with federal Title IID fuds, which expired. No replacemet state fuds were appropriated.) (See Appedix A for more iformatio o the status of each state-ru virtual school i the SREB regio.) More recetly, i 2011, Ketucky Virtual Schools shifted its focus from directly offerig olie courses to studets to providig iformatio ad support to families ad schools about olie learig optios. I 2012, the Louisiaa Virtual School (LVS) also chaged its focus ad became the approver of olie courses offered through the ew Course Choice Program. LVS 2

5 evetually will phase out its ow course offerigs. As a result, by fall 2012, 12 of the 16 SREB states offered courses through a state-ru virtual school dow from 15 ad this umber likely will cotiue to decrease. Although some state-ru virtual schools have closed, by stadard measures most schools have bee successful i servig studets. Two measures of erollmet at state-ru virtual schools are the most commo: uique studet erollmet cout (oe studet takig oe or more courses) ad uique course erollmet cout (oe-half credit of cotet delivered i oe semester). These yardsticks show that erollmets have icreased substatially both atioally ad i SREB states i a short period of time. Shortly after 2000, researchers estimated that schools logged 40,000 to 50,000 olie course erollmets atioally. By fall 2011, researchers recorded more tha 536,000 course erollmets i state-ru virtual schools atiowide. With a average aual growth rate of 32 percet, total uique course erollmets i state-ru virtual schools i SREB states soared from almost 156,000 i SY to 454,000 i SY a icrease of early 300 percet. (See Appedix B for erollmet chages by SREB state.) Uique studet erollmets climbed eve more: almost 400 percet from SY to SY With a average aual growth rate of 37 percet, total uique studet erollmets grew from 96,700 to 378,000 i the regio. (The first year that SREB surveyed the state-ru virtual schools, SY , oly 10 states had state-ru virtual schools, ad uique studet erollmets stood at 32,000.) With the higher growth rate of uique studet erollmets, the average umber of courses per studet dropped slightly, from 1.6 i SY to 1.2 i SY The rapid pace of uique studet erollmet growth was made more difficult because states had ad cotiue to have trouble fidig eough qualified teachers. From SY to SY , the budgets of some state-ru virtual schools icreased to serve these risig umbers. Budgets i four SREB states icreased more tha 100 percet, with oe icreasig almost 700 percet ad oe more tha 800 percet. Three states had state-ru virtual school budgets decrease. (See Appedix C for a budget breakdow by state.) Access to olie learig The greatest chage i olie learig i recet years, however, is ot related to budgets or erollmets but to icreased access to olie learig, particularly from local school districts. The U.S. Departmet of Educatio reported that i SY about 55 percet of school districts throughout the Uited States reported erollig more tha 1.8 millio studets i districtru distace educatio courses, the vast majority of which were olie. I SREB s 2011 survey of school districts i the regio, 320 of 476 respodig districts (67 percet) reported that they coordiated or provided olie learig optios for their studets i SY The districts also idicated they were likely to icrease the umber of olie learig optios they offer i the comig years: Of the 156 districts reportig that they curretly did ot offer ay olie learig optios, 40 said they were plaig to do so. I 2008, Florida became the first SREB state to require that idividual school districts offer olie learig optios to studets. As the umber of idividual school districts offerig olie 3

6 learig optios has icreased to serve a growig umber of studets, some states have clarified their relatioship with districts. May SREB states have passed legislatio to esure that studets i all districts regardless of whether or ot the state or the district provides olie learig optios have access to olie courses. I 2010: House Bill (HB) 1362 i Marylad allows districts to establish their ow virtual schools, with approval from the state Departmet of Educatio. I Oklahoma, Seate Bill (SB) 2319 prohibits districts from deyig studets the opportuity to eroll i educatioally appropriate courses, which ca iclude olie courses. The bill requires the state Board of Educatio to adopt rules to implemet olie courses. The bill also permits studet, parets ad teachers to participate i defiig the term educatioally appropriate as used i the bill. The bill was ameded by SB 280 i 2011 to clarify that these olie courses be supplemetal to regular istructio, or part time. Virgiia s SB 738 allows school districts to provide their ow olie courses or programs or to cotract with approved orgaizatios to provide them through the districts. The bill specifically states that studets from withi ad outside a district may participate i these courses or programs. The bill also requires school districts to publish a list of courses they offer o their websites. I 2011: HB 7197 i Florida kow as the Digital Learig Now Act is based o the 10 Elemets of High Quality Digital Learig released by the Foudatio for Excellece i Educatio ad the Alliace for Excellet Educatio i Amog its may provisios, it expads the umber of part-time ad full-time olie learig opportuities that school districts must provide to studets. The bill also expads FLVS authority to provide fulltime olie istructio to studets i kidergarte through grade 12 ad part-time olie istructio for studets i grades four through 12. It clarifies that studets receivig full-time olie istructio from FLVS i grades two through five must meet certai eligibility criteria ad that studets receivig part-time olie istructio i grades four ad five must take accelerated courses. North Carolia s 2011 appropriatios bill requires the North Carolia Virtual Public School (NCVPS) to esure that studets i rural ad poor couties have access to its course offerigs i order to expad available istructioal opportuities. The Virtual Public Schools Act i Teessee (SB 874) allows districts to cotract with private, for-profit etities to operate cyber-based, or virtual, charter schools. Ay studet erolled i a public school may take part. Prior to this legislatio, for-profit schools were prohibited from operatig virtual schools i the state, ad oly studets who were erolled i ad had atteded a public school durig the prior school year could participate. 4

7 I Texas, SB 1 requires school districts ad ope-erollmet charter schools to adopt a policy that allows studets to eroll i olie courses through the Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN). I 2012: HB 7063 i Florida expads FLVS ad district authority to offer olie learig. FLVS ow may offer part-time ad full-time istructio to studets i kidergarte through grade 12, although part-time studets i kidergarte through grade five must meet certai eligibility requiremets. The bill also removes the accelerated learig requiremet for fourth- ad fifth-grade studets. Districts may offer part-time istructio to studets i kidergarte through eighth grade, thereby authorizig districts to provide part-time ad full-time olie istructio to all K-12 studets. As a result, the bill sigificatly icreases the optios available to studets for olie learig: Studets ca choose from multiple part-time ad fulltime optios at the district level, as well as FLVS. Georgia s SB 289 prohibits districts from prevetig a studet from takig courses offered through Georgia Virtual School (GAVS), eve if the school i which the studet is erolled offers the same course. Similar to Florida s madate, it also requires school districts to offer studets i grades three through 12 both full-time ad part-time olie learig optios. The districts may use GAVS, cotract with a state Departmet of Educatio-approved outside provider or eter ito a agreemet with aother school district. I additio, the Olie Clearighouse Act (HB 175) requires that the state Departmet of Educatio maitai a list of olie courses or clearighouse offered by school districts ad charter schools. Other school districts ad charter schools may the access these courses (for a fee) for their studets. HB 976 i Louisiaa which created the Course Choice Program allows qualified busiess or commuity groups, educatioal etities (such as postsecodary istitutios) ad idividual teachers to apply to become olie course providers, begiig i SY Eligible studets, icludig those attedig failig public schools ad schools that do ot offer specific courses, may begi takig these courses at o cost begiig i SY Studets attedig high-performig public schools, private school studets ad approved home-schooled studets may take courses but must pay tuitio i certai circumstaces. I 2012, the Oklahoma State Board of Educatio adopted rules (Chapter 15, Subchapter 34 of the Departmet of Educatio Admiistrative Code Rules) creatig the Oklahoma Supplemetal Olie Course Program, i respose to SB 2319 ad SB 280. The rules allow school districts to offer their ow supplemetal olie courses or to sped state fudig for studets to eroll i olie courses for up to five hours per day. Studets must sped the remaiig istructioal time physically o a school campus. Also that year, SB 1816 created the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, which allows the state through the Board to apply to operate a full-time, statewide virtual charter school. 5

8 Fudig variatios Sice SREB bega surveyig the state-ru virtual schools i 2005, the ecoomic picture has chaged from growth to recessio. Whe the ecoomy faltered i 2008, state-ru virtual schools like most educatio etities became victims of budget cuts. Some states ultimately closed their virtual schools, while others shifted the resposibility of paymet for a studet s erollmet to the school district or to studets ad their parets or guardias. Today, most states recogize that fudig allocatios for olie learig eed attetio. The 2008 SREB report callig o states to establish stable fudig for state-ru virtual schools stressed that it was importat to sustai ad grow a state virtual school to meet ad adjust to the academic eeds of studets across the state. To do this, the report asserted, budgets of state virtual schools [must] be established as a itegral part of the budgets of public educatio. State virtual schools eed stable fudig because they have the same fudametal eeds as traditioal schools. Begiig i 2011, several SREB states bega to trasitio away from legislative allotmets to fudig formulas as a meas to fud olie learig ad create a more stable fudig stream. I 2011: I 2004, Florida became oe of the first states i the atio to begi performace-based fudig for its state-ru virtual school. Passed i 2011, the Digital Learig Now Act (HB 7197) chages this fudig mechaism slightly by tyig fudig to studets passig edof-course assessmets for those courses that require them, effective i fall North Carolia s 2011 appropriatios bill requires the state Board of Educatio to establish a ew per studet allotmet formula for NCVPS. NCVPS must project erollmet for each of its local educatio agecies (LEAs) ad the develop a per course fee, based o a ew per course teacher paymet structure. These per course fees are the multiplied by the projected erollmet of each LEA to determie the total istructioal cost. At the begiig of the school year, the LEAs must pay NCVPS 75 percet of the projected costs. By February 21 of the school year, they the pay NCVPS the remaiig amout, as ecessary, based upo actual erollmets. The state Board of Educatio also must set separate tuitio for out-ofstate, home-schooled ad private school studets, as well as develop a pla to geerate reveue from the sale of courses to out-of-state etities. SB 1 i Texas elimiates the fudig allotmet per studet previously available to TxVSN. The bill specifically states that a school district i which a studet is erolled is etitled to fudig for the studet s erollmet i a electroic course offered through the state virtual school etwork i the same maer that the district is etitled to fudig for the studet s erollmet i courses provided i a traditioal classroom settig, provided that the studet successfully completes the electroic course. 6

9 I 2012: Georgia s SB 289 chages how GAVS receives fudig for erollmets. The chage requires a district to pay for studets to eroll i ay of its courses, but the cost may ot exceed $250 per studet per semester. While this will help districts better estimate their costs ad help GAVS better budget, it will be a problem later as costs rise ad $250 becomes isufficiet to sustai GAVS expeses. Uder Louisiaa s HB 976, which established the Course Choice Program, olie course providers will be compesated o a per studet basis. This compesatio may be up to oesixth of 90 percet of per studet fudig for the school district i which the studet lives; the district retais the remaiig 10 percet for overhead. This allows parets (ad studets) to direct their state ad local educatio dollars to the course(s) of their choosig. Olie learig as a graduatio requiremet As the proportio of postsecodary studets takig olie courses (ow 32 percet) cotiues to grow, more high school studets also wat to take them. They believe they eed to kow how to lear i a olie eviromet ad wat to experiece olie classes while i high school. The results of the aual ETC SVS surveys of the regio s state-ru virtual schools idicated that state-ru virtual schools meet specific studet eeds that their face-to-face classes do ot. The curriculum helps studets get courses they eed to graduate or that are uavailable at their home schools, provides remedial ad credit recovery courses, ad eables studets to take erichmet courses ad try out learig olie. (See Figure 1 o Page 8.) Policy-makers also recogize the importace of olie learig experieces while i high school, ad some have legislated that studets have the experiece. While Michiga was the first i the atio i 2006 to require a olie course to graduate from high school, Alabama passed legislatio i 2008 requirig studets to take at least oe olie course to ear a high school diploma. West Virgiia also ameded its state Board policy that year to require that all high school studets complete a olie learig experiece. With olie learig o loger a ovelty, SREB states have led the way i makig olie learig a stadard part of a studet s high school experiece: As part of the 2011 Digital Learig Now Act (HB 7197), Florida became the third SREB state (ad fourth i the atio) to require that studets take a olie course i high school to ear a diploma. The requiremet bega with studets eterig ith grade i I 2012, with HB 1061, Virgiia became the fourth SREB state (ad fifth i the atio) to require olie learig for high school graduatio: oe virtual course begiig with ithgraders i The bill permits o-credit-bearig olie courses to fulfill the requiremet, which idicates that policy-makers believe olie learig is valuable but it eeds to be offered i a variety of ways, icludig oes that do ot ecessarily affect a studets academic stadig. 7

10 Figure 1 Number of SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools Reportig Reasos Why Studets Took Olie Courses, 2007 ad 2010 I 2007, all state-ru virtual schools reported that high school studets used olie courses to meet both practical ad persoal goals Schedule Coflict Course Uavailable at Studet s School Graduate o Time Credit Recovery Erichmet 4 0 Remedial 2 Graduate Early 6 To Try a Olie Course 1 SY SY Notes: I 2007, 14 SREB states had state-ru virtual schools (all except Delaware ad Texas). I 2010, 14 states (all except Delaware ad Oklahoma) had state-ru virtual schools. Oklahoma s data are from the Uiversity of Oklahoma Virtual High School i both 2007 ad The survey did ot offer a respose-optio for To Try a Olie Course. Sources: SREB Report o State Virtual Schools, 2006 through 2010; resposes to SREB state virtual school survey, Georgia s SB 289 directs the state Board of Educatio to establish rules ad regulatios to maximize the umber of studets who complete at least oe course ivolvig olie learig prior to graduatig from high school, begiig with studets eterig ith grade i 2014, but it does ot require studets to take a olie course. Some school districts i SREB states, icludig oe i Georgia ad several i Teessee, require a olie course to graduate from high school. However, the extet of these district-level requiremets is ukow. Actios to esure quality With the rapid growth of olie learig, states are more cocered tha ever about the quality of olie courses available to their studets. Because some states have ceased offerig olie courses directly, they may well have lost groud as the arbiter of quality for olie courses ad therefore must be more vigilat i esurig the quality of those providig olie courses 8

11 withi the state. A few states recetly have defied quality olie courses or providers i legislatio or have chaged the focus of their state-ru virtual school to serve as the judge of the quality of outside courses ad their providers or to act as a resource for districts, studets ad parets. I 2011: Florida s Digital Learig Now Act (HB 7197) revised the criteria for approvig olie learig providers by requirig, amog other thigs, that all courses meet the stadards of the Iteratioal Associatio for K-12 Olie Learig (inacol) ad SREB. inacol s Natioal Stadards for Quality Olie Courses ad Natioal Stadards for Quality Olie Teachig are based o stadards origially developed by SREB. I additio, the legislatio requires that the Florida Departmet of Educatio develop a method for evaluatig part-time olie learig providers i the state, which must iclude the percetage of studets makig learig gais, passig ed-of-course exams, takig a Advaced Placemet (AP) exam ad passig a AP exam. Teessee s Virtual Public Schools Act requires that local school districts evaluate ay virtual school withi their districts every year, based o icreases i studet achievemet as well as the accoutability ad viability of a school s academic, fiscal ad operatioal performace. Texas is workig to improve the quality of its courses ad teachers with user ratigs ad reviews. SB 1 requires TxVSN to create a ratig system for each course that icludes a quatitative ratig scale as well as a commet sectio so that studets ad parets ca provide iput o their experieces. The commets must be sortable by teacher, course ad provider district/school. I 2012: To be icluded i Georgia s Olie Clearighouse, HB 175 requires that the state Departmet of Educatio review a olie course to esure that it meets state curriculum stadards ad techical requiremets ad that it is taught by a highly qualified teacher who exhibits exceptioal teachig skills ad methodology as certified by the local school system or charter school. Uder Louisiaa s ew Course Choice Program, created by HB 976, to be approved to offer a course, a provider must meet characteristics laid out by the state Departmet of Educatio, icludig a commitmet to accoutability through: rigorous, clear ad measurable stadards of studet achievemet ; usig state, regioal or atioal academic assessmet systems or idustry certificatios ; ad clear stadards for measurig ad reportig o its course performace. Marylad passed SB 674 ad SB 689. The first of these bills allows couty boards of educatio to request that the state Departmet of Educatio develop or review ad approve olie courses ad services, or the departmet may delegate that authority to a couty Board of Educatio. SB 689 established the Marylad Advisory Coucil for Virtual Learig to ecourage ad support the educatio of studets i accordace with atioal stadards of olie learig ad state law. 9

12 Expadig access ad requiremets Techology, particularly mobile devices, cotiues to play a icreasigly importat role i the lives of adult Americas: Forty-five percet of America adults (ages 18 ad older) have a smartphoe. I fact, the youger the adult, the more likely he or she is to have a smartphoe: Sixty-six percet of those ages have oe. Eve tablet computers are becomig icreasigly commo: Twety-five percet of America adults ow a tablet computer, ad that percetage is likely to icrease as these devices get more powerful ad less expesive. But mobile devices have eve more of a impact o school-aged childre, the so-called digital atives a term ascribed to them because they have grow up with digital techologies from birth. About 77 percet of pre-tees ad tees (ages 12 to 17) have a cell phoe, ad 74 percet have a desktop or laptop computer. Yet, util recetly, most states ad districts have bee reluctat to adopt either mobile devices or digital textbooks for use i the classroom; for may studets, discoectig from their devices whe they get to school has bee the orm. That is slowly chagig as may SREB states have modified the defiitios of textbook or istructioal materials i legislatio to be more iclusive of techologies i teachig ad learig materials. However, the extet of school districts implemetig the chage is ot kow. I Arkasas, HB 1427 i 2011 ameded district textbook requiremets to iclude digital resources ad the equipmet eeded to access the digital resources. I Florida, SB 2120, passed i 2011, o loger referred to textbooks, istead substitutig istructioal materials. More importatly, the bill required that school districts, begiig i SY , sped at least 50 percet of their aual istructioal materials budgets o digital or electroic istructioal materials o the state adopted list. With this law, Florida became the first state i the atio to require the adoptio of digital cotet. I 2012, Florida established the Digital Istructioal Materials Work Group i HB 5101 to pla ad moitor the implemetatio of the trasitio to digital istructioal materials. SB 6 (2011) i Texas created a istructioal materials allotmet for each studet to purchase istructioal materials, techological equipmet ad techology-related services. I 2012, Alabama passed the Alabama Ahead Act (HB 165). It allows the state to issue up to $100,000,000 i bods to fiace the purchase of approved textbooks ad istructioal materials i electroic format ad, where feasible, to provide a pe-eabled tablet, mobile computer, or similar wireless electroic device for storig, readig, accessig, explorig, ad iteractig with digital textbooks ad other istructioal materials. Georgia also opeed the door to the icreased use of techology i the classroom whe HB 706 passed i By repealig the prohibitio o the use of persoal electroic commuicatio devices durig classroom istructioal time, it cleared the way for more school ad district brig-your-ow-device policies (kow commoly as BYOD policies) ad allowed studets to use their ow cell phoes, smartphoes, digital or e-textbooks, ad eve laptops ad etbooks i school as learig tools. 10

13 Coclusio Clearly, olie learig has moved from ovelty to maistream. It is a recogized method of istructio that allows studet to meet key educatioal objectives. It is o loger a alterative learig optio for some, but a everyday learig opportuity for may. It is, however, experiecig a period of sigificat chage: More idividual school districts are providig olie learig optios for their studets, states are assumig the importat role of quality arbiter, ad state-ru virtual schools are fidig ew roles. As all of these activities occur at oce, olie learig cotiues to thrive ad provide a vital learig ad egagemet opportuity for all studets. As the future ufolds, the most effective uses of SREB state resources likely will be to: esure that all studets, o matter where they are, have access to high-quality olie learig by regulatig the quality of olie courses ad providers ad by formalizig their relatioships with districts implemet a more stable fudig source for state-ru virtual schools esure studets have access to techology i the classroom, ad assist studets i experiecig olie learig before graduatig high school. I these ways, SREB states i parterships with local school districts will cotiue to play a vital ad relevat role i olie learig. Refereces 2009 Report o State Virtual Schools i SREB States. Souther Regioal Educatio Board, Accessed at Report o State Virtual Schools i SREB States. Souther Regioal Educatio Board, Jue Accessed at Aotated Committee Report o the Cotiuatio, Expasio ad Capital Budgets. Fiscal Research Divisio, North Carolia Geeral Assembly. Accessed at Report_ _FINAL.pdf. Alle, I. Elaie, ad Jeff Seama. Chagig Course: Te Years of Trackig Olie Educatio i the Uited States. Babso Survey Research Group, Jauary Accessed at learigsurvey.com/reports/chagigcourse.pdf. Course Choice Request for Applicatios (RFA): Call for Quality Course Providers. Louisiaa Departmet of Educatio. Accessed at Fast Facts About Olie Learig. Iteratioal Associatio for K-12 Olie Learig, February Accessed at 11

14 Refereces (cotiued) Quee, Barbara, ad Laurie Lewis. Distace Educatio Courses for Public Elemetary ad Secodary School Studets: (NCES ). U.S. Departmet of Educatio, Natioal Ceter for Educatio Statistics. Accessed at Raiie, Lee. 25% of America Adults Ow Tablet Computers. Pew Iteret & America Life Project, October 4, Accessed at Owership-August-2012.aspx. Raiie, Lee. Smartphoe Owership Update: September Pew Iteret & America Life Project. Accessed at aspx. Report o State Virtual Schools. Souther Regioal Educatio Board, August Accessed at Report o State Virtual Schools. Souther Regioal Educatio Board, August Accessed at Tee Gadget Owership. July Accessed at Pages/Tred-Data-%28Tees%29/Tee-Gadget-Owership.aspx. Thomas, William R. Makig the Critical Trasitio to Stable Fudig for State Virtual Schools. Souther Regioal Educatio Board, November Watso, Joh, Amy Muri, Laure Vashaw, Butch Gemi ad Chris Rapp. Keepig Pace with K-12 Olie Learig: A Aual Review of Policy ad Practice. Evergree Educatio Group, November

15 Appedix A Status of SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, 2012 Name Year Opeed Curret Status Alabama Alabama ACCESS (Alabama Coectig Classrooms, Educators, ad Studets Statewide) 2005 Cotiues to operate. Arkasas Arkasas Virtual High School 2000 Cotiues to operate. Delaware Operated as a pilot program durig the school year. Did ot receive fudig to operate beyod the pilot year. Florida Florida Virtual School (FLVS) 1997 Cotiues to operate. Georgia Georgia Virtual School (GAVS) 2005 Cotiues to operate. Ketucky Ketucky Virtual Schools (KYVS) 2000 Shifted focus i 2012; o loger offers courses directly. Louisiaa Louisiaa Virtual School (LVS) 2000 Shifted focus i 2012; will o loger offer courses directly after Marylad Marylad Virtual Learig Opportuities 2003 Cotiues to operate. Mississippi Mississippi Virtual Public School 2006 Cotiues to operate through a cotract with Coectios Educatio. North Carolia North Carolia Virtual Public School (NCVPS) 2007 Cotiues to operate. Oklahoma Oklahoma did ot create a state-ru virtual school. (OUHS, which was a virtual high school at the Uiversity of Oklahoma available to studets statewide, was ope from the late 1990s util it closed i 2011.) South Carolia South Carolia Virtual School Program (SCVSP) 2007 Cotiues to operate. Teessee e4tn 2006 Closed i Texas Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN) 2009 Cotiues to operate. Virgiia Virtual Virgiia 2004 Cotiues to operate. West Virgiia West Virgiia Virtual School (WVVS) 2001 Cotiues to operate. Sources: SREB Report o State Virtual Schools i SREB States, 2009; state departmets of educatio. 13

16 Appedix B-1 Uique Studet Erollmets i SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, 2007 to 2011 SY SY Percet Chage Alabama 5,419 20, Arkasas 3,155 2, Florida 54, , Georgia 3,386 7, Ketucky 6,900 2, Louisiaa 4,368 8, Marylad NA Mississippi 2,768 2, North Carolia 7,251 40, Oklahoma 2 1,545 NA South Carolia 1,921 8, Teessee 737 3, Texas 3 NA 15,068 Virgiia 3,198 2, West Virgiia 1,559 3, NA idicates data ot available. idicates the calculatio is ot possible. Note: A uique studet erollmet is oe studet takig oe or more courses. 1 Marylad stopped collectig uique studet erollmet data at the state level after 2009 due to budget cuts. Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for this period is ot possible. 2 Oklahoma did ot report uique studet erollmet data i SREB s state-ru virtual school survey after SY Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for this period is ot possible. 3 Texas did ot have a state-ru virtual school i SY Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for this time period is ot possible. Sources: SREB Report o State Virtual Schools, 2007 through 2010; resposes to SREB state virtual school survey,

17 Appedix B-2 Uique Course Erollmets i SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, 2007 to 2011 SY SY Percet Chage Alabama 7,289 33, Arkasas 3,850 2, Florida 114, , Georgia 4,331 12, Ketucky 1,352 3, Louisiaa 5,605 8, Marylad NA Mississippi 3,483 2, North Carolia 7,251 88,716 1,124 Oklahoma 2 NA NA South Carolia 2,407 14, Teessee 1,155 4, Texas 3 NA 17,117 Virgiia 3,198 3,282 3 West Virgiia 1,559 3, NA idicates data ot available. idicates the calculatio is ot possible. Note: A uique course erollmet is oe-half credit of cotet delivered i oe semester. 1 Marylad stopped collectig uique course erollmet data at the state level after 2009 due to budget cuts. Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for the period is ot possible. 2 Oklahoma oly reported course erollmet data for SY ad SY Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for the period is ot possible. 3 Texas did ot have a state-ru virtual school i SY Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for the period is ot possible. Sources: SREB Report o State Virtual Schools, 2007 through 2010; resposes to SREB state virtual school survey,

18 Appedix C Percet Chage i Fudig for SREB State-Ru Virtual Schools, 2007 to 2011 Three state-ru virtual schools experieced budget reductios, ad four more tha doubled their budgets. AL 69% AR 18% FL GA 152% 127% KY LA MD MS 25% 7% -68% -69% NC 691% OK 1 SC 801% TN TX 2 VA WV -62% 11% 44% idicates the calculatio is ot possible. Note: The period covered is SY to SY Oklahoma did ot report fudig i SY Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for the period is ot possible. 2 Texas did ot have a state-ru virtual school i SY Therefore, a percetage-chage calculatio for the period is ot possible. Sources: SREB Report o State Virtual Schools, 2007 through 2010; resposes to SREB state virtual school survey,

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