Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Review of State-Level Policy and Practice, 2007
Author: Watson, John
Date: 2007-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: State Agencies,School Districts,Educational Trends,Teacher Characteristics,Student Characteristics,National Surveys,Outcome Measures,Special Education,School Holding Power,Educational Policy,State Policy,Policy Analysis,State Programs,Governance,Educational Legislation,Educational Finance,Educational Practices,Accountability,Program Descriptions,Profiles,Teaching Methods,Glossaries,Educational Resources,Elementary Secondary Education,Charter Schools,Teacher Education,Academic Achievement,Models,Dual Enrollment,State Surveys,Interviews,Virtual Classrooms,Electronic Learning,Educational Technology,Online Courses,Computer Assisted Instruction,Internet,Synchronous Communication,Asynchronous Communication,Blended Learning,Distance Education,Audits (Verification),Program Administration,Program Effectiveness

The goal of "Keeping Pace" is to to serve as a useful document for policymakers and practitioners, and as such, it takes a journalistic approach to research and writing. Most state and program profiles include footnotes that reference state laws, state policies, and websites of programs. However, in some cases, the information is general and was gathered through numerous website reviews and phone interviews with state agencies; in these cases footnotes are not included. The primary purpose of footnotes is to provide the source documents that will be most valuable to readers. Research for this year's report was conducted from May through August of 2007, and every effort has been made to ensure currency of information as of September 1, 2007. This report's second chapter, titled "National snapshot and the year in review," captures both a picture of the state of online learning in 2007 as well as a sense of the rate and type of changes being implemented. Chapter three of the report discusses findings categorized by key issues such as funding, teaching, and accountability, including analysis and recommendations. This analysis chapter integrates findings from the program survey and the state profiles research. Chapter four presents 25 program profiles. Unlike previous "Keeping Pace" reports, the program profiles are not limited to state-led programs. Instead the profiles capture a cross-section of program types, including state-led and district-led, supplemental and full-time, charter schools, and both synchronous and asynchronous programs. Chapters five through eight present state profiles of more than 40 states, divided into southeastern, northeastern, central, and western regions. Although presented first, the key issues chapter of the document builds on the program and state profiles presented later in the report. The state profiles contain most of the footnotes and references to source documents. Glossary of online learning terms is appended. (Contains 8 figures, 1 table, and 126 footnotes.) [Additional funding for this paper was provided by the Odyssey Charter Schools and Illinois Virtual High School. For "Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Review of State-Level Policy and Practice, 2006," see ED535911.