Policy impediments to expanding access to online courses

Title: Date: Policyimpedimentstoexpandingaccesstoonlinecourses June2009 Question:WhatarethepolicyimpedimentstoexpandingaccessforK 12 studentstoonlinecoursesincalifornia? Response: Toansweryourquestion,weconductedaliteraturesearch 1 andfoundseveralpublications. ThismemoincludesasummaryofoneCalifornia specificreport,adescriptionofrelated Californialegislation,andalistofrelevantresources. Onlinecourseshavetheabilitytofillcurriculumgapsinschools courseofferings(e.g.,in smallschools,ruralschools,alternativeschools,andindependentstudy),providehighly qualifiedteachersinsubjectswherequalifiedteachersarelacking,increasethe sophisticationofcurrentcourseofferings,andofferstate of the artteachingmethodsand toolstoagenerationofstudentsusedtotechnology.butdespitetherapidincreaseinthe availabilityandbreadthofonlinecourses,thereisverylittleliteraturetoinformeducators abouttheemergingfieldofonlinelearningandthepoliciesthatareinplacetoensurethat coursesmeetparametersestablishedinstateeducationcodes.wewereabletofindone report(summarizedbelow)thatdescribespolicybarriersandotherchallengestoonline learningincalifornia. TheStateofOnlineLearninginCalifornia:ALookatCurrentK 12PoliciesandPractices (http://www.uccp.org/images/pdf/solc.pdf),waspublishedinseptember2006bythe UniversityofCaliforniaCollegePrep(UCCP)programincoordinationwithseveralother organizations. 2 Itprovidesanoverviewofonline learningincalifornia,includingissuesrelatedtoteachingandlearning,evaluating academicsuccess,professionaldevelopment,technology,californiaattendanceguidelines foronlineeducation,lessonsfromotherstates,andtopicsforfuturediscussion.withagoal 1 WesearchedtheInstituteofEducationSciences WhatWorksClearinghouse(http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/),ERIC(http:// www.eric.ed.gov/),andgoogle.wealsoidentifiedadditionalreportsmentionedintheirbibliographies. 2 TheUCCPprogramcommissionedthisreportalongwiththeeScholarAcademy,InstituteforComputerTechnology, RainbowAdvancedInstituteforLearningDigitalCharterHighSchool,andtheCaliforniaVirtualAcademies.Individuals fromtheseorganizationsparticipatedinawider,informalad hoce learninggroup,looselycomposedofgovernment educationsegmentsande learningpractitioners,includingrepresentativesfromtheuniversityofcaliforniacollegeprep Online,CaliforniaDepartmentofEducation,countyofficesofeducation,schooldistricts,theCharterSchoolAssociation,the UniversityofCalifornia sofficeofthepresident,andvariousonlineschools.theirpurposewastoexchangeinformationabout onlineeducationincaliforniabetweengovernmentandpractitioners. NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 1

ofidentifyingwaystoexpandlearningopportunitiesforstudents,thereportdiscussesk 12onlinelearninginthecontextofCalifornia spubliceducationsystem. 3 Specifically,accordingtothereportauthors,policybarriersinclude: Lackofsystematictrackingofonlineprogramsinmoststates,includingCalifornia, oratthefederallevel.therearenosolidandcomprehensivefiguresforthenumber ofonlineprogramsandstudentstakingorcompletingthem.thecalifornia DepartmentofEducationdidtrackthenumberofstudentsintheAB294Online ClassroomPilotProgram(describedintheRelatedLegislationsectionbelow),butit doesnotcomprehensivelytrackallonlinestudentparticipants. Policiesrelatedtostudentswithdisabilities.Bylaw,apubliceducationmustbe madeavailabletoallstudents,includingstudentswithlearningdisabilitiesand physicaldisabilities.mostschoolshavebeendiligentaboutensuringthatonline programsareavailabletostudentswithdisabilities.aspolicymakersseektoexpand theavailabilityofonlinecourses,theyshouldconsiderissuesofaccessforthis studentpopulation. Nowaytoverifyalignmentbetweenonlinecoursesandstatestandards.Online programsdevelopcoursesbasedontheselearningstandardsinthesamewaythat physicalschoolsdo.butwithoutaformalapprovalprocess,onlinecoursesmaynot bealignedwithorbasedoncaliforniastatestandards. Alignmentbetweenonlinecoursesanda grequirements.accordingtotheuc/csu a gdesignationprocess,schoolsmustaddcourses(includingonlinecourses)to theira glistsindividually.ifschoolsdonotdothisinatimelymanner,studentscan beuc/csuineligible.forsciencecourses,thewetlabrequirementfora gcourses alsoisabarrier. Lackofhighqualityonlinecoursestandards.Thereisnouniversallyacceptedsetof qualitystandardsforonlinecourses(unlesstheyarea gapproved).several organizationshavepublishedrecommendationsforqualityonlinecourses(seep.26 ofreport). Thereisnostaterequirementthatonlineteachersreceiveanytraininginteaching online,eventhoughtheskillsneededtoteachonlinearenotexactlythesameasthe skillsneededtobeasuccessfulteacherintheclassroom. Fundingmechanismsforonlineprogramsandstudentsarecontroversial. o Inmanyrespectsthehardwareandsoftwarearethe facilities ofanonline school,muchasphysicalbuildingsarethefacilitiesofatraditionalschool. However,unliketraditionalschoolfacilitiesfunding,thereisnocomparable fundingmechanismforonline facilities. o Fundingofonlinestudents,andinparticularonlinecharterschoolstudents, hasbeencontroversialinseveralstates,includingcalifornia.this controversyisdueinparttothefactthatfundingoftenfollowsthestudent, andinsomestatesonlineschoolshavemarketedacrossthestateinaneffort 3 ItfollowsanotherUCCP commissionedreportfrom2002,californiavirtualschoolreport:nationalsurveyofvirtual EducationPracticeandPolicywithRecommendationsfortheStateofCalifornia.http://www.wiche.edu/telecom/projects/ vhs/vhs_report_lowres.pdf NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 2

toincreasetheirstudentnumbers.theresultisstudentsleavingtheir home schooldistrictfortheonlineschool,resultinginadropinfundingforthat schooldistrict.incaliforniamanyonlinestudentsarefundedvia independentstudy,whileothersreceiveadafundingviatheab294online ClassroomPilotProgram. Participationinstatetests.Onlineprograms,withstudentsscatteredacrossmany counties,typicallysetuponeormorelocationswheretheirstudentscanparticipate instateassessmentswithproctors.becausegettingtothelocationisaburdenfor studentsandtheirfamilies,participationratesarelowerthanforphysicalschools. Policiessometimeslimittheextenttowhichonlineprogramscanexpand.In California,forexample,charterschoolscharteredbyadistrictmayonlyserve studentsinthatcountyandcontiguouscounties.therearealsolimitationsonthe numberofstudentsthatcanbeservedbyonlineschoolsinadjacentcountieswhen usingresourcecenters;acharterschoolmustoperatewithatleast50percentofits studentsfromthecountyinwhichtheschoolischarterediftheonlineschool operatesregionalcentersinadjacentcounties. Otherchallengesandconcernsrelatedtoonlinecoursesinclude: Ancillarystudentsupportsareneeded.Thissupportvariesbytypeofprogram,and inmostcasesmustincludebothtechnicalsupport(includingcourseaccessand problemswithcomputersorsoftware)andacademicsupport(issuesrelatedtothe coursecontent).inadditiontotheonlinecoursesthemselves,thesesupportsmust alsobeavailable. Cost.Whileprogramsmayhavesomecostsavingsduetolessneedforphysical classroomsandotherfacilities,thesesavingsareoffsetbytheneedforhardware andsoftwareforclasses,ongoingtechnicalsupport,comprehensivestudent support,coursedevelopmentorlicensing,andothercosts,especiallyatstart up. Equalaccess.Thereisconcernthatonlineeducationmayexacerbatethedigital divideandexistingstudentachievementgaps,duetounequalaccesstotechnology acrossincomelevels,geographicregions,andethnicgroups. Lackofacommonunderstandingofonlineeducationamongparents,educators, administrators,andlegislators.onlinelearningremainsnewenoughthatmany peopleinbothadministrativedecisionmakingpositionsthegeneralpublicdonot understandit.therealsoisalackofcommondefinitionsacrossonlineprograms, suchaswhatconstitutes/countsassuccessfulcoursecompletion,enrollment,and attendance,andhow at risk isdefined. Additionally,thereportauthorsoffersomerecommendationstoexpandtheavailabilityof onlinelearningopportunities.forexample,theysuggestthatcaliforniamaywantto: [A]ctivateaccesstoonlinecoursesforallhighschoolstudentsinthestatebyusinga designatededucationalagencytoapproveonlinecoursesthatmeetstatestandardsanda g requirements.theagencycouldcreateaninternetsystemandinfrastructureforschools andstudentstoaccessandtakeweb basedcoursesleadingtoahighschooldiploma.it couldalsoserveasaclearinghousetolinkpublicentitiesthatofferapprovedcourseswith studentswhoneedthecourses(p.9). NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 3

RelatedLegislation TheOnlineClassroomPilotProgram(AssemblyBill294) TheOnlineClassroomPilotProgramwasestablishedin2003toutilizetechnologyin selectedhighschoolstohelpaddressissuesofequitableaccess(e.g.,providingcoursesin hard to staffsubjectareas,meetingtheneedsofdiverselearners,andprovidingstudent accesstoadvancedplacementcourses).nofundingwasattachedtothislegislation.the CaliforniaDepartmentofEducation(CDE)accepted40schoolsitesfrom11districtsforthe OnlineClassroomPilotProgram.Inastatusreport 4,CDEnotedthat63teachersandover 1,700studentsparticipatedintheprogram,andmadethefollowingthree recommendations: Expandtheprogramtoallowmoreinteresteddistrictstoparticipate; Removethelimitationofallowingonly15percentoftheschool sstudentpopulation toenrollinonlinecourses;and Allocateappropriatefundingtorelievethecostburdenassociatedwithstart up costsforanonlineprogramthatmeetsdiversestudentneeds. Despitetheserecommendations,thislegislationwasnotextendedpast2007.The Governor scareertechnicaleducationinitiative(senatebills70and1130)in2005,sb70, thegovernor sinitiativeonimprovingandstrengtheningcareertechnicaleducation (CTE),allocated$20,000,000fromtheCommunityCollegereversionaccounttobe specificallyusedfortheimprovingofcteatboththecommunitycollegeandsecondary level.in2008,sb1130wassignedbythegovernortocontinuethisworkwithadditional funding($500,000)throughthe2013 14fiscalyears.LocalEducationAgencies(LEAs), Californiacommunitycolleges,stateuniversities,andstateagencieswereinvitedtoapply forfunds.onmay18,2009,statesuperintendentofpublicinstructionjacko Connell announcedthatcdeandthecaliforniacommunitycollegeschancellor sofficeapproveda listof10granteesthatwillsharethe$500,000todevelopandoffercareertechnical educationcoursestostudentsinruralareasofcalifornia.specifically,thegranteeswill developcareertechnicaleducationdistancelearningopportunitiesforruralstudents, sharingcourseswiththesestudentsviatheinternetandothertechnologiestodeliverhighqualitycareertechnicalcurriculumandcareerexplorationtostudentswhopreviouslyhave nothadaccesstotheseclasses.thegrantsareprovidedthroughandwillbemonitoredby CDE. RelatedResources Belowaresomeadditionalpublicationsandorganizations(withsummariesordescriptions providedbytheauthororurl),withlinkswhereavailable.althoughtheseresourcesdo notspecificallyhighlightcaliforniak 12policybarriers,theycanshedlightontheprogress andchallengesofonlinelearningintheunitedstates.topicsinclude: 4 4ReporttotheLegislature:AB294OnlineClassroomPilotProgram(AuthorizedbyChapter429,Statutesof2003): http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/st/documents/ab294legisrpt.doc NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 4

Californialegislationrelatedtoonlinecourses Federalpolicybarrierstoonlinelearningandtherolesthefederalgovernmentcan playinovercomingthesebarriers Reviewsofstate levelpolicy,trendsandpractice Keyissuesforschools,andexamplesofwaystoprovidestudentsgreateraccessto advancedcoursework Researchontheeffectsofonlinelearningonstudentoutcomes Policyissuesforonline/distanceeducationinhighereducation Publications 1.ReporttotheLegislature:AB294OnlineClassroomPilotProgram(Authorizedby Chapter429,Statutesof2003).ExistinglawrepealedonJanuary1,2007. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/st/documents/ab294legisrpt.doc ThepurposeofthisreportwastosummarizethestatusoftheAB294OnlineClassroom PilotProgramimplementationforeachparticipatingschooldistrictinCalifornia,basedon reportingdocumentsandfeedbacksubmittedtothecaliforniadepartmentofeducation (CDE). 2.VirtualSchoolsForumReport(2002).Denver,Colorado. http://www.inacol.org/resources/docs/denvervsf_final.pdf TheU.S.DepartmentofEducationinpartnershipwithConvergeMagazinehosteda Virtual SchoolsForum in2002.thepurposeoftheforumwastobeginshapinganationalvirtual schoolagendabybringingtogetherkeystakeholderstoidentifyspecificchallenges,policy issuesandregulatoryobstaclesfacingvirtualeducation.workgroupsidentifiedandthen discussedfourspecificsetsofissues:accountability,equity,funding,andquality.thework groupdiscussionsfocusedon:1)whatarethebarrierstovirtuallearningand2)whatroles canandshouldthefederalgovernmentplayinovercomingthesebarriers? 3.InnovationsinEducation:ConnectingStudentstoAdvancedCoursesOnline(2007). http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/advanced/coursesonline.pdf ConnectingStudentstoAdvancedCoursesOnlinehighlightssixprovidersofacademic courseworkbydeliveringadvancedonlinecoursestostudentsthroughtechnology.the primaryaudienceisfordistrictandschooldecision makerswhoarelookingforwaysto givetheirstudentsgreateraccesstoadvancedcourseworkandseeonlinecoursesasan enticingoption. 4.OnlineLearningPolicyIssues(2008).WashingtonStateBoardofEducation. http://www.sbe.wa.gov/documents/onlinelearningmemo051408.pdf Thisbriefprovidesbackgroundinformationaboutthestatusofonlinelearningin WashingtonStateandrelatedpolicyissues.Onlinelearningisaviableoptionformany schooldistrictsworkingtomeettheneedsofsomeoftheirstudentswhohavelearning stylescompatiblewithonlinedeliverymethodsanddesirelearningopportunitiesthat wouldnototherwisebeavailabletothemintheirschoolsorcommunities.currently,local schooldistrictsdeterminewhethertoprovideonlinelearning,howtodeliverit,and monitorthequalityofthatlearningtoensurethecoursesmeetthedistricts requirements. Onlinelearningisprovidedonacourse by coursebasisinsomedistricts,whileinother NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 5

districtstherearefull fledgedonlineschoolswithextracurricularactivities.thestate BoardofEducationroledoesnotprovidedirectoversightoftheseprograms.Thisbrief givesinformationaboutpolicyissuesinwashingtonstateonlinelearningfirst,thenlater sectionsprovidemoreinformationaboutthestatusofonlinelearningintheunitedstates, onlinelearningprogramsinwashingtonstate,currentwashingtonstatelawsandrules associatedwithonlinelearning,andwhatthefuturemayholdforthistypeoflearning. 5.KeepingPacewithK 12OnlineLearning:AReviewofState LevelPolicyand Practice(2007).NorthAmericanCouncilforOnlineLearning(NACOL). http://www.inacol.org/resources/docs/keepingpace07 color.pdf Onlineprogramscontinuetogrowandprovideneweducationalopportunitiesforstudents, andstatepolicymakerscontinuetobechallengedtofindthemostappropriatewaysto overseethesenewprograms.whilemostprogramsappeartobeofferingahigh quality educationaloptionforstudentsandparents,thelackoftransparencyanddatainmany states,andquestionablepracticesfromafewprograms,maythreatenthesustainabilityof onlinelearningforall.inlightofthisthreat,manyonlineprogramsbelievethatsome regulationofonlinelearningisappropriate,aslongasitreliesontransparency,primarily measuresoutcomesdatainsteadofmandatinginputs,andisflexibleenoughtoallowfor innovationanddevelopingpractices.processesandoutcomesofonlineprogramsthat shouldbereviewedinclude: Studentachievementoutcomes,includingparticipationinstateassessments Studentdemographics Curriculumdevelopmentprocedures Teachertraining,supervision,andevaluation,includingcommunication requirements Trackingofattendanceandactivityinthecourse Specialeducationservices Oversightofonlineprogramsshouldbeflexibleandallowforinnovation.Stateagencies overseeingonlineprograms,forexample,mightprovideguidelinesforeachcategoryand thenbuildreportingrequirementsforonlineprogramsthataretiedtothosestandards. Withthemanyapproachestoonlinelearningthatareinplace,itwouldnotmakesenseto beoverlyprescriptive. 6.PromisesandPitfallsofVirtualEducationintheUnitedStatesandIndiana(2008). CenterforEvaluationandEducationPolicy.IndianaUniversity,Bloomington. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ericdocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/ 43/00/d3.pdf TheInternethasbecomeapowerfulforceintransformingorganizationsinbothprivate andpublicsectors,includingpubliceducation.someeducationalreformersnowview virtualschools,inwhichthemajorityofcoursecontentisdeliveredonline,asaviable alternativeandinnovativemeansofeducatingk 12students.AsofSeptember2007,42 states,includingindiana,hadsomeformofpubliconlinelearningprogram,andmanyof theremainingstateshadplansforonlinelearningindevelopment.however,virtual educationremainsacontroversialsubjectwithmanyobstaclesslowingitsdevelopment andsuccess.findingacceptableaccountabilitymeasuresforvirtualprogramsthatareoften NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 6

NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 7 differentfromthetraditionalmeasuresofphysicalclassroomshascreatedquestionsfrom thestudenttothestate.thevarietyofbenefitsandobstacles,bothpresentandfuture, compoundedbyincreasingprogramandstudentenrollmentnumbers,hasthrustvirtual educationtotheforegroundoftheeducationaldebate.thispolicybriefexaminesthemain aspectsofvirtualeducationtoprovideasummaryofthecurrentstatusofvirtualeducation intheunitedstates,focusingonprimaryissuesoffunding,programandteacherquality, andadministrativeoversightandaccountability.policyrecommendationsareofferedfor educationleadersandpolicymakerstoconsiderasameanstomovingvirtualeducation forwardinthestateofindiana.fourpolicyperspectivesareincluded:(1)expanding EducationalOpportunityandInnovationthroughOnlineLearning(SusanPatrick);(2) VirtualEducationandtheFuture(RonBrumbarger);(3)Indiana scomingofvirtualage (BruceColston);and(4)KeyConsiderationsforMovingForwardwithVirtualLearning (TomPagan.) 7.ElectronicDeliveryofHighSchoolCourses:Status,TrendsandIssues(2001). SouthernRegionalEducationBoard.Atlanta,GA. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ericdocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/ 19/8f/8a.pdf By2001,all16SouthernRegionalEducationBoard(SREB)stateshadhighschoolstudents receivingcourseselectronically,accordingtoasrebsurveyofstatedepartmentsof education.coursesaredeliveredelectronicallytohighschoolstudentsinthesrebregion primarilythroughthreemethods:satellite,compressedvideo,andtheweb.althoughonly asmallnumberofhighschoolstudentstakeweb basedcourses,thewebshowsgreat promiseforinstructionaluseandthenumberofstudentsisincreasing.thesreb EducationalTechnologyCooperativeworkedcloselywithSREBstatestodeterminehow statescanshareresourcestoprovideweb basedcoursesforhighschoolstudents.these effortsweredesignedto:coordinateandassiststatesinthisnew,rapidlyevolvingmethod ofdeliveringinstruction;meetstudents academicneedsthroughweb basedcourses, especiallyincoreacademicsubjects;minimizepolicy related,instructional,financialand managerialbarrierstostudentaccesstoqualityacademiccourses;andhelpdistrictsand schoolswithinastateavoidtheinitialcostsandtimeassociatedwithdevelopingwebbasedcoursesbyenablingthemimmediatelytoofferonlinecoursesthatarealready availabletostudents.asweb basedtechnologymaturesinthenextseveralyears,policymakersanddecision makerswillneedtofocusonseveralkeyareas:policy,regulationand legalissuesrelatedtodeveloping,offeringandreceivingcoursesdeliveredovertheweb; financialissuessurroundingthisnewmethodofdeliveringinstruction;andmanagement issuesattheschoollevel. 8.NetChoices,NetGains:SupplementingtheHighSchoolCurriculumwithOnline Courses(2003).WestEdKnowledgeBrief. http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/kn 03 02.pdf Onlinelearningprogramscanhelpschoolsenrichtheircurriculum.Butaschool sdecision toparticipateinsuchaprogramanditschoiceofprogramshouldbebasedonasolid understandingofwhatprogramcharacteristicscontributetosuccessfulonlinelearningfor students.drawingfromareviewoftheresearchliterature,interviewswithnational expertsinonlinelearning,andtheauthors evaluationofastatewideonlinelearning programincalifornia,thisknowledgebriefidentifieskeyissuesthatschoolsshould

investigatewhenconsideringtheonlinelearningoption.netchoice,netgainsmakes recommendationsrelatedtoonlinecurriculumandassessment,effectivestudentsupport, technology,professionaldevelopmentforonlineinstructorsandstudent supportstaff, policyandadministration,funding,andoutreach. 9.AskingtheReallyToughQuestions:PolicyIssuesforDistanceLearning(1998). BarbaraGellman DanleyandMarieJ.Fetzner.OnlineJournalofDistanceLearning Administration,VolumeI,Number1,Spring1998.StateUniversityofWestGeorgia. http://www.westga.edu/~distance/danley11.html Theauthorsorganizeissuesrelatedtodistanceeducationinhighereducationintoseven areas,eachwithalistofkeyissues:1)academicacademiccalendar,courseintegrity, transferability,transcripts,evaluationprocess,admissionstandards,curriculumapproval process,accreditation;2)fiscaltuitionrate,technologyfee,fte s,consortiacontracts, statefiscalregulations;3)geographicservicearearegionallimitations,localversusoutof statetuition,consortiaagreements;4)governancesingleversusmultipleboard oversight,staffing,existingstructureversusshadowcollegesorenclaves;5)labor ManagementCompensationandworkload,developmentincentives,intellectualproperty, facultytraining,congruencewithexistingunioncontracts;6)legalfairuse,copyright, faculty,studentandinstitutionalliability;and7)studentsupportservicesadvisement, counseling,libraryaccess,materialsdelivery,studenttraining,testproctoring Organizations 1.InternationalAssociationforOnlineLearning(iNACOL). http://www.inacol.org/about/ DuetotherapiddevelopmentinthefieldofK 12onlinelearning,theNorthAmerican CouncilforOnlineLearningwaslaunchedasaformalcorporateentity,inSeptember2003, asaninternationalk 12non profitorganizationrepresentingtheinterestsof administrators,practitioners,andstudentsinvolvedinonlinelearningintheunitedstates, Canada,andMexico.InOctober2008,NACOLexpandeditsreachgloballyandbecamethe InternationalAssociationforK 12OnlineLearning(iNACOL),facilitatingcollaboration, advocacy,andresearchtoenhancequalityk 12onlineteachingandlearning.Whatwedo: Facilitatethesharing,collection,evaluation,and/ordisseminationofinformation resourcesandmaterials Facilitateanddisseminateresearch,andidentifyresearchneeds Advocacyandpublicpolicythatsupportsactivitiesandlegislationthatremoves barriersandsupportseffectiveonlineteachingandlearningwithoutrespectto spaceandtime DevelopandfacilitatenationalK 12onlinelearningstandards CreatethevoiceofK 12withinthelargereducationcommunitywitheffective marketing,communications,andpublicrelationsactivities AssistandfacilitatefundingeffortsforonlineK12learning Facilitateprofessionaldevelopmentforteachersandadministrators IdentifyanddrivefuturedirectionsinK 12onlineeducation NetworkandidentifycollaborativeopportunitieswithotherprofessionalK 12 organizations NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 8

Driveeducationalinitiativesthatincorporateonlinelearningandwaysthat transformpositivelearningoutcomesforstudents 2.TheSouthernRegionalEducationBoard sdistancelearningpolicylaboratory. Atlanta,Georgia. http://www.ecinitiatives.org/policylab/index.asp TheSREBDistanceLearningPolicyLaboratoryhasfocusedonraisingpubliceducation levelsinthesouthbyincreasingboththeaccesstoandthequalityofdistancelearning.the PolicyLaboratoryhasworkedtoreducebarrierstoelectroniclearningbycollectingand analyzingrelevant,regionaldataanddevelopinginnovativedistancelearningprograms andinterstatepartnerships.throughactivecommunicationwithseveralstate,regional, andnationalagencies,thelaboratoryoutlinedanumberofmajorbarrierstodistance learning.in depthinterviewswithhighereducationpolicyanddistancelearningexperts replicatedandexpandedtheinitialfindings,resultinginasetofninebroadpolicyareas whichwerethenreviewedandsanctionedbythepolicylaboratoryleadershipgroup: FinancialIssues,includingtraditionalfundingmodelsandbudgetallocation practices FacultyIssues,includingfacultyassessment,skilldevelopment,rewardstructures, andintellectualpropertyissues Studentissues,includingcredittransfer,credit banking, andstudentservicesfor thedistancelearner Tuitiondifferentialsbetweenin andout of statestudents QualityAssurance FinancialAidfordistancelearners ReachingUnderservedPopulations CoherenceandValuesinDistanceLearning Additionally,sevendetailedreportsonkeypolicyissueswerepublished,withmorethan 70recommendationstocollegesanduniversities,statesandSREB.ThePolicyLaboratory focusedonthreeoverarchingthemesindistancelearning:increaseaccess;improveand ensurequality;anddrivedowncosts.therelevantreportsfork 12mayinclude: UsingFinancePolicytoReduceBarrierstoDistanceLearning.Despiteits pervasiveness,states,systemsandmostcollegesanduniversitiesstilltreat technologyasa special categoryandfunditaccordinglythroughspecial onetime appropriations.informationtechnology,withfewexceptions,hasyettobe establishedasacorebudgetorcentral utility orembracemodelsthatuse technologytoreducecostsandincreaseproductivityinthesamewaytheprivate businesseshave,especiallyininstruction.thereportexaminesthewaysinwhich stateandsystemfinancingpoliciescanadvancemoreeffectivelytheuseofdistance learningtechnologiesandthegoalsoutlinedinothercommitteereportsprepared bythedistancelearningpolicylaboratory. NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 9

Anytime,AnywhereServicesforthe21stCenturyStudentaddressesthelackof supportservicesthatcanbeaccessedindependentoftimeandlocationandstresses thecriticalroleofservicestostudents academicperformanceandsuccess.the reportrecommendsthatavarietyoftraditionalcampus basedservicesbemodified forlearnerswhoseworkschedulesordistanceimpedethemfromtravelingto campus.furthermore,becausethedistancelearningenvironmentplacesgreater responsibilityontheindividual,studentsmayrequirespecializedservicesto supportthelearningprocess.infact,thegrowinguseoftechnologybothon and off campusdemandsnewstudentservices(suchastechnologytraining)aswellasnew deliveryformats(suchastheinternet)forallstudents. TheChallengesofQualityAssuranceinaDistanceLearningEnvironmentaddresses stateregulatorypracticesinthenewdistancelearningenvironmentandsuggests thattraditionalregulatoryapproachestoqualityassuranceareandwillbeseverely testedinthedistancelearningenvironment.historically,accountabilitystructures havebeentiedtogeographicboundariesandthe physicalpresence ofresources onacampus,branchcampus,orlearningcenter.distancelearningprovidersare findingitdifficulttooperateinthemazeoffederal,state,andaccreditation oversightthatcurrentlyexists.thereportcallsattentiontosuchissuesas evaluationofconsortiaandnon educationalvendors,evaluationofcoursesand modules,anddealingwith blendedprograms. Itrecommendsthatstatestake advantageofstatewide,regional,andnationalnetworksforsharinghighquality offeringsandbestpractices.statepoliciesshouldbeshapedwiththeunderstanding that distance isnotadefiningcharacteristicoflearningprocesses;ratheritisone amongmanyfactorstotakeintoaccountindesigningeffectiveprograms. Thismemorandumisoneinaseriesofquick turnaroundresponsestospecificquestionsposedbyeducatorsand policymakersinthewesternregion(arizona,california,nevada,utah),whichisservedbytheregionaleducational LaboratoryWest(RELWest)atWestEd.ThismemorandumwaspreparedbyRELWestunderacontractwiththeU.S. DepartmentofEducation sinstituteofeducationsciences(ies),contracted 06 CO 0014,administeredbyWestEd.Its contentdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsorpoliciesofiesortheu.s.departmentofeducationnordoesmentionof tradenames,commercialproducts,ororganizationsimplyendorsementbytheu.s.government. NotverifiedasmeetingIESstandards;notforgeneraldistribution 10 WestEd anationalnonpartisan,nonprofitresearch,development,andserviceagency workswitheducationand othercommunitiestopromoteexcellence,achieveequity,andimprovelearningforchildren,youth,andadults.... RELWestatWestEd 730HarrisonStreet SanFrancisco,CA94107 866.853.1831 relwest@wested.org http://relwest.wested.org