Resources
There are a number of documents that may be helpful when you are Getting Started with the planning of your online learning program. These documents are listed below and were used as input in the creation of this section. In some cases, content or resources have been taken directly from one of these documents as indicated in footnotes throughout the section. The specific references are found in the Footnote section below. If the publication is available online, a link is also provided.
Useful Documents
A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning. This iNACOL publication written by John Watson provides a good overview for people just getting started with online learning.
Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning. This annual publication of the Evergreen Education Group provides the latest information on state-level policy and practice.
K-12 Online Learning: A Smart Investment NOW More than Ever. This 4 page iNACOL document provides a concise description of the need for virtual school opportunities with a focus on state and district policymakers.
Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update. This publication from Project Tomorrow is available for download from Blackboard provides a brief summary of the information the Project Tomorrow team has learned from its annual Speak-Up survey.
Management and Operations of Online Programs. Pages 3-5 of this document from the iNACOL Promising Practices Series written by John Watson and Butch Gemin are relevant as the initial decisions stage of starting an online learning program.
Online Learning Policy Survey: A Survey of the States. This 6-page publication of The Center for Digital Education is available for download from Converge Magazine. This document provides a concise summary of much of the information that is provided in the more detailed annual Keeping Pace report.
Sorting through Online Learning Options: A Guide for Parents. This 2 page iNACOL document identifies questions your parents might be asking. This information may be particularly useful for marketing efforts and establishing the structures/qualities necessary for a quality program.
20/20 Costs and Funding of Virtual Schools. This document written by Augenblick, Palaich, & Associates for the BellSouth Foundation provides information about factors that impact the cost of state virtual schools and full-time online learning programs.
Using Online Learning for At-Risk Students and Credit Recovery. This document from the iNACOL Promising Practices Series written by John Watson and Butch Gemin provides information and examples for this specific audience of students.
Footnotes
1 Watson, John & Gemin, Butch. (2008). iNACOL Promising Practices In Online Learning: Using Online Learning for At-Risk Students and Credit Recovery. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Page 3.
2 Watson, John & Gemin, Butch. (2008). iNACOL Promising Practices In Online Learning: Using Online Learning for At-Risk Students and Credit Recovery. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Page 3.
3 Watson, John & Gemin, Butch. (2008). iNACOL Promising Practices In Online Learning: Using Online Learning for At-Risk Students and Credit Recovery. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Appendix A.
4 Watson, John & Gemin, Butch. (2009). iNACOL Promising Practices In Online Learning: Management and Operations of Online Programs: Ensuring Quality and Accountability. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Page 5.
5 Watson, John & Gemin, Butch. (2009). iNACOL Promising Practices In Online Learning: Management and Operations of Online Programs: Ensuring Quality and Accountability. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Page 3.
6 Watson, John. (2007). A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Pages 8-9.
7 Adapted from The COPS Collaboration Toolkit: How to Build, Fix, and Sustain Productive Partnerships; Section 2: Stakeholders.
8 Watson, John, Gemin, Butch, Ryan, Jennifer, & Wicks, Matthew. (2009). Keeping Pace With K-12 Online Learning. Evergreen Education Group. Page 6.
9 Anderson, Amy Berk, Augenblick, John, DeCesare, Dale, & Conrad, Jill. (2006). 20/20 Costs and Funding of Virtual Schools. Augenblick, Palaich, & Associates for the BellSouth Foundation. Page 11.
10 Sorting through Online Learning Options: A Guide for Parents. The International Association for K-12 Online Learning.