Online Learning Resources and White Papers

Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills

North American Council for Online Learning and Partnership for 21st Century Skills, November 2006

"Online learning through virtual schools is one of the most important advancements in attempting to rethink the effectiveness of education in the United States. The virtual school provides access to online, collaborative and self-paced learning environments – settings that can facilitate 21st Century skills. Today’s students must be able to combine these skills with the effective use of technology to succeed in current and future jobs." 

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Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2007
This report gave high marks for states that "have moved aggressively to promote comprehensive charter school legislation and enable virtual schooling, thus helping establish the infrastructure for 21st century educational reinvention," and praised virtual schools for providing students, parents and schools with choice and flexibility.

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20/20 Costs and Funding of Virtual Schools: An examination of the costs to start, operate, and grow virtual schools and a discussion of funding options for states interested in supporting virtual school programs
Augenblick, Palaich, & Associates on behalf of the BellSouth Foundation, October 2006

This report determined that "the operating costs of online programs are about the same as the operating costs of a regular brick and mortar school." The report found:

"For a full-time program, results from the panel suggest that costs range from about $7,200 to about $8,300 per FTE…Full-time programs can be more expensive than those serving students on a supplemental basis because these schools are typically responsible for special needs students and for adhering to state and federal accountability requirements (including granting credits, testing students, making AYP, etc.). In addition, local virtual schools are more likely than state virtual schools to provide computers and Internet connectivity for their students, which can result in higher costs per pupil."

The report concluded:
"A common argument heard from policymakers and others is that virtual schools are less expensive than regular public schools, and as such, should be funded differently. Based on the data it appears that the costs of operating a virtual school are about the same as those of a regular brick-and-mortar school. The main benefits provided by virtual schools are that they increase access to quality courses and educational opportunities, making it possible for all students to receive high quality courses of instruction better personalized to their needs. This increased access to rigorous courses is an important component in addressing educational reform for education policy makers."

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A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning
John F. Watson, Evergreen Consulting Associates on behalf of North American Council of Online Learning (NACOL), April 2007

This document provides a comprehensive overview of online learning by examining the basics—teaching and learning, evaluating academic success, professional development, technology and other topics. This report serves as a tool for parents seeking the best education opportunities for their children and for educators and policymakers who must understand the essential elements of online learning in order to make informed decisions about implementing such programs. 

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Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Review of State-Level Policy and Practice
North American Council for Online Learning, October 2006

This report is the third in a series of annual reports looking at the state of online education across the country

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What Are Public Virtual Schools: A Fact Sheet for Policymakers on Public Virtual Schools using K12
K12 Inc.

This document gives policymakers, school district officials, and others information about public virtual schools that use the K12 curriculum and school services, including a breakdown of the many products and services K12 provides to these innovative schools. 

See the fact sheet here. 

A Primer for Virtual Charter Schools: Mapping the Electronic Frontier
National Association of Charter School Authorizers, August 2006

"No doubt the Internet has had a profound effect on our lives and work, our politics and commerce—and increasingly on our schools. Virtual schools have arrive—and, with them, a host of challenges to our notions about schooling. Will the new educational landscape be one without class periods, grade levels, six-hour school days and 180-day school years? Will it discard school buildings, classrooms and district boundaries—or upgrade them somehow to 'version 2.0'?" 

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Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools: Rules of the Road on the Digital Highway
National Association of Charter School Authorizers, September 2006

"The rise in the number of virtual charter schools has resulted in more and more authorizers being confronted with the possibility of taking their work to cyberspace. Across the country, these authorizers are grappling with the same question: how do you approve, evaluate and oversee virtual charter schools effectively?" 

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WHITE PAPER: How Can Virtual Schools Be a Vibrant Part of Meeting The Choice Provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act?
Bryan C. Hassel, Michelle Godard Terrell, Public Impact

"Virtual schools are an acceptable, legal option for districts and states seeking to increase their capacity to meet the choice requirements of NCLB. Research demonstrates that they can offer high-quality instruction to K-12 learners regardless of location, family income, background, or learning differences."

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The Virtual Revolution: Understanding Online Schools
Education Next, Spring 2006

"Virtual schools appeal to a wide array of students, attracting children from both ends of the achievement spectrum. Self-paced study allows struggling students to catch up without a classroom full of distractions and enables advanced students to accelerate their work according to their own abilities…"

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The Effects of Distance Education on K-12 Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
Learning Points Associates, October 2004

"While distance learning as it is practiced in today’s virtual schools uses technology that is less than ten years old and advances rapidly, the literature has shown that a student’s education online can be as effective as it is in a classroom…"

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K-12 Online Learning: A Survey of U.S. School District Administrators
The Sloan Consortium, 2007

This study explores the nature of online learning in K–12 schools based on a national survey of American school district chief administrators during the 2005-2006 academic year.

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Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States
The Sloan Consortium, 2006

This report is based on data collected for the fourth annual national report on the state of online education in U.S. higher education. The survey found that nearly 3.2 million higher education students are taking courses online. It also found that a larger percentage (62 percent) of chief academic officers agree the learning outcomes in online education are now as good as or superior to face-to-face instruction while 57 percent say it is critical to their institution’s long-term strategy.

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Toward a Golden Age in American Education: How the Internet, the Law and Today’s Students are Revolutionizing Expectations
US Department of Education, National Education Technology Plan 2004

"There has been explosive growth in the availability of online instruction and virtual schools, complementing traditional instruction with high quality courses tailored to the needs of individual students."

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Virtual Schools Across America: Trends in K-12 online Education
The Peak Group, 2002

"Responding to the need for alternative education, virtual schools are multiplying rapidly across the nation."

Read the report here.