Virtual Schools: Policies and Issues

Archived Session
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Virtual learning, whether part of a traditional school day or as an alternative to on-site education, offers a rich array of courses and learning opportunities to students that enhance both their experiences and potential. Whether a school is just starting out or effectively operating an online program, they face several key policy, funding, and political issues. This web telecast will present these challenges, and panelists will discuss effective ways to address the following key questions:

How are teachers certified, trained, and evaluated for an online environment and for services that span more than one geographic location?
Does online learning result in increased levels of achievement, and how are NCLB regulations for high-stakes testing impacted across state lines?
What are the financial models for virtual schools/online courses, and what's the impact (positive and negative) on funds for schools that are based on attendance if students are schooled online but at home?
How can the quality of online courses be ensured/evaluated, especially when students are taking them from teachers in other states or countries?
How are students admitted/selected for online courses and virtual schools? What can districts do to provide support to students enrolled in online courses / virtual schools?

Moderator:

Irene Spero, Consultant, The Spero Group

Expert Panelists:

Karen Middleton, Senior Project Coordinator, Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET)

Karen is the senior project coordinator for WCET and is managing two projects: "The EduTools Project," which is a web-based resource for higher education, and the creation of a new organization to serve K-12 online teaching and learning. The latter is a new project (no comma) funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, Ms. Middleton directed eCollege's Center for Internet Technology in Education (CiTE), which hosted the first national Virtual High School Symposium.

Liz Pape, Chief Executive Officer, Virtual High School, Inc.

Liz is the CEO of the Virtual High School (VHS, Inc.), a non-profit collaboration of high schools offering full-semester courses over the Internet. Ms. Pape has presented to the National Education Summit, the American Association of School Administrators, the Association of Supervisors and Curriculum Developers, and the National School Board Association. VHS has received the Magna2000 School Award for outstanding programs that advance student learning and the Stockholm Challenge Award 2001 for innovative use of technology in education.