Special Report
Special Report

Virtual Shift

E-learning turns toward district-level approaches and a focus on accountability
March 15, 2012
  • Accountability E-Schools Put Specific Measures for Success in Place
    The devil is in the details when evaluating the educational effectiveness of virtual education.
    Michelle R. Davis, March 12, 2012
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    6 min read
    Roma Chokshi, a junior at Springfield High School in Springfield, Ohio, participates in a special program at her school that allows high-achieving students the opportunity to take additional courses online, which she can work on at home, above.
    Roma Chokshi, a junior at Springfield High School in Springfield, Ohio, participates in a special program at her school that allows high-achieving students the opportunity to take additional courses online, which she can work on at home, above.
    Larry C. Price for Education Week
    Accountability Single-District Virtual Ed. Seen Growing Fastest
    As districts move in this direction, they are taking a harder look at how they will evaluate their local models of virtual education.
    Katie Ash, March 12, 2012
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    9 min read
    States States Face Virtual School Financing Challenges
    Funding models for state-sponsored virtual schools vary widely, but e-learning experts are trying to identify what works best.
    Michelle R. Davis, March 12, 2012
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    7 min read
    Accountability Virtual Education Companies Face Increasing Scrutiny
    As online learning expands to more schools, educators and policymakers are emphasizing the importance of holding those companies accountable.
    Ian Quillen, March 12, 2012
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    9 min read
    School & District Management E-Learning Providers Adjust to Market, Policy Forces
    Shifts in the virtual education market are creating opportunities and challenges for companies selling online learning services.
    Ian Quillen, March 12, 2012
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    5 min read
    Accountability School Districts Team Up on Virtual Ed. Initiatives
    Multidistrict collaborations help schools save money and share best practices about online teaching and learning.
    Katie Ash, March 12, 2012
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    8 min read
    Classroom Technology Examining the Florida Virtual School
    The largest state-sponsored online school is held up as a model to follow, but some are questioning its effectiveness.
    Michelle R. Davis, March 12, 2012
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    5 min read
    "There's going to be times that you don't understand the material that you're learning, and you have to push yourself forward to keep learning and trying," says Maribel Peralta, a student at Bronx Arena High School.
    "There's going to be times that you don't understand the material that you're learning, and you have to push yourself forward to keep learning and trying," says Maribel Peralta, a student at Bronx Arena High School.
    Emile Wamsteker for Education Week
    Student Well-Being Students Critique Blended Learning Experiences
    Learning partly online and partly face-to-face helps students move at their own pace, but requires them to take more responsibility for learning, students say.
    Katie Ash, March 12, 2012
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    5 min read
    States States Take Legislative Actions to Expand Virtual Ed.
    Measures have been passed to require online courses for graduation, to remove enrollment caps on virtual charter schools, and to create state online schools.
    Katie Ash, March 12, 2012
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    8 min read
    Teacher Katie Glass, middle, talks to student Christian Guillen about history at Bronx Arena High School in New York City while student Maribel Peralta works on an assignment. Bronx Arena blends online instruction and face-to-face teaching to help students who have not succeeded in traditional public schools.
    Teacher Katie Glass, middle, talks to student Christian Guillen about history at Bronx Arena High School in New York City while student Maribel Peralta works on an assignment. Bronx Arena blends online instruction and face-to-face teaching to help students who have not succeeded in traditional public schools.
    Emile Wamsteker for Education Week
    Classroom Technology Blended Learning Sports Variety of Approaches
    Educators are identifying promising models for mixing online learning and face-to-face instruction that emphasize a more personalized approach to education.
    Katie Ash, March 12, 2012
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    11 min read
    Classroom Technology Statistical Snapshots: Technology and K-12 Learning
    Speak Up, a national initiative of Project Tomorrow, an education nonprofit organization working to raise the profile of student voices in education, surveyed 294,399 students, 35,525 teachers, 42,267 parents, and others in fall 2010 to determine the benefits of certain types and uses of technology for teaching and learning.
    March 12, 2012
    Accountability Spotlight Turns Toward Virtual Ed. Accountability
    As e-learning moves further into the K-12 mainstream, it is attracting greater scrutiny from educators, policymakers, researchers, and the news media.
    Kevin Bushweller, March 12, 2012
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    3 min read
    Education Technology Counts 2012: Virtual Shift
    March 12, 2012