Innovative Policies for Virtual Education

1. Innovative Policies for Virtual Education NECC/NYCC Regional P12 Virtual Education Summit Paul Leather Deputy Commissioner, NH Department of Education

2. Will Discuss ~ • On Line Policies • NH On Line Policies • Related Policies that Matter in NxGL ~ • Personalization • Authentic Student Voice and Agency • Competency Based Learning and Credit • Any Time, Everywhere Learning • Performance Assessment • Student Centered Systems of Support • Effective Educators, who can award credit?

3. INACOL Funding and Policy Frameworks for Online Learning

4. Four Pertinent Policy Issues: Of the dimensions shown in the previous slide, four are particularly pertinent to policy issues: • Comprehensiveness: Although programs may provide both full-time and supplemental options, most offer primarily one or the other. The way in which a program is funded and regulated rests largely on this variable because in most cases, supplemental programs do not directly generate funding based on the state education funding formula, while students enrolled in full-time online schools usually do. • Reach: Several states draw a distinction between online programs that primarily serve students in their own districts, and programs that serve students across multiple districts, the entire state—or even beyond. • Blended learning: Schools may deliver instruction online, face-to-face, or in some kind of combination. An increasing number of schools are blending online and face-to-face learning, with implications for policymaking related to the location and financing of physical facilities, attendance, requirements for teachers, etc. • Location: Since the beauty of online learning is directly related to its “any time, any place” flexibility, it is important to rethink policy as relates to attendance at a physical school. The establishment of physical facilities that might serve multiple districts also presents policy challenges related to funding, supervision of instruction, understanding who is ultimately responsible for student grades and progression, graduation requirements, and more.

5. Quality Online Learning Policy • Public education should include a variety of high quality learning options, including online learning • Include both full-time and supplemental online opportunities • Provide equal access to all students • Facilitate a range of online learning opportunities • Provide fair and sensible funding that allows online learning to expand with demand while maintaining state-of-the-art quality • Provide reasonable oversight and reporting requirements to ensure quality • Allow for thoughtful teacher licensure requirements so that students benefit from the best online instructors • Advocate for valid research to ensure effective, research-based instructional and curricular practices • Seek a balance between simultaneously providing oversight and ensuring a responsive ongoing policy refinement process to allow policy development to keep pace with emerging virtual learning developments • Maintain teachers as the expert leaders and facilitators of learning, giving them responsibility for overseeing and managing student learning, and for ensuring academic progress and accountability • Encourage and facilitate the involvement of parents, guardians, and mentors to increase accountability and support in the learning process • Require high quality curricula, aligned with state and applicable district standards • Address existing policies that do not fit or that hinder online learning progress and accessibility, including removing enrollment caps and artificial limits restricting student access to online courses • Allow learning to transcend time- and place-related requirements and focus, instead, on successful student achievement • Look for opportunities to address policy issues that may provide improvement or address gaps across all modes of education delivery Trujillo Commission Online Education Final Report, 2007

6. National On Line Policies • States should continue to revise, create, and implement standards and learning objectives using technology for all content areas that reflect 21st-century expertise and the power of technology to improve learning. • Rethink basic assumptions in our education system that inhibit leveraging technology to improve learning, starting with our current practice of organizing student and educator learning around seat time instead of the demonstration of competencies. • States, districts, and others should develop and implement learning resources that exploit the flexibility and power of technology to reach all learners anytime and anywhere. National Education Technology Plan 2010

7. What is Next Generation Learning? A personalized system of education that prepares each child for life, work and citizenship in the 21st century. Critical attributes: 1. Personalized learning 2. Authentic student voice 3. World-class knowledge and skills 4. Performance-based learning 5. Any time, anywhere opportunities 6. Comprehensive systems of learning supports

8. NxGL Policy Development in NH

9. Current NH Definition of “Extended Learning” (c) “Extended learning” means the primary acquisition of knowledge and skills through instruction or study outside of the traditional classroom methodology, including, but not limited, to: (1) Independent study; (2) Private instruction; (3) Performing groups; (4) Internships; (5) Community service; (6) Apprenticeships; and (7) Online courses.

10. Current Extended Learning Policy (4) If a district chooses to offer extended learning opportunities, the extended learning opportunities shall: a. Consist of activities designed to: 1. Provide credit or supplement regular academic courses; and 2. Promote the schools and individual students’ educational goals and objectives; b. Be governed by a policy adopted by the local school board that: 1. Provides for the administration and supervision of the program; 2. Encourages that certified school personnel oversee an individual student’s program; 3. Requires that each extended learning proposal meet rigorous standards, and be approved by the school prior to its beginning; 4. Specifies that credits can be granted for extended learning activities, including, but not limited to, independent study, private instruction, team sports, performing groups, internships, community service, and work study; and 5. Requires that granting of credits shall be based on a student’s demonstration of competencies, as approved by certified educators; c. Incorporate student participation in selecting, organizing, and carrying out extended learning activities; d. Provide opportunities for students to acquire knowledge and skill development comparable to knowledge and skill development in courses offered at the high school; and e. Be available to all students

11. Anytime, Everywhere Learning • Nothing in this section shall prevent a HS from offering classroom courses, distance education courses, independent study programs, or extended learning opportunities in addition to the [required] credits. Schools shall not be required to pay for student registration or similar fees if the course is offered in the classroom. • Nothing in this section shall prevent a student from completing any number of credits through classroom courses, career and technical center courses, distance learning, independent study, or extended learning opportunities to meet the graduation requirements consistent with local district policies.

12. “Customized, Personalized Education for all students, not defined by Time or Place!”

13. One Student’s Story ~ • Young woman, 18 years old. • Failed civics, however, needs to pass Civics to graduate. • Impressed her teacher and others at the school with her interest and passion to make something of herself • ELO Project ~ Working with Manchester City Hall Social Service Department • Her plan is to create a report and presentation to the City Council and to the school, looking at the needed maternal health and wellness supports within her community that will lead to student success despite numerous at-risk indicators.

14. Graduation and Dropout Prevention State Plan 2009 A plan to Implement multiple pathways to graduation through greater personalization and student agency

15. Overall Goals ~ • Reduce the Dropout Rate to 0% by 2012. • Follow The Child: Identify the personal, physical, social barriers, and educational gaps to success for each student and build a system that will address those barriers and gaps early in the process by creating a variety of options towards success. • Build a system that will challenge each student to become college and work ready by high school graduation.

16. Underlying Principles of New Hampshire’s Vision of Multiple Pathways and Redesign • Follow The Child • Personalization & Relationships • Relevance ~ • Engagement & Active Learning • Rigor and High Standards • Demonstration of Student Mastery • Empowered Educators • Teachers as “Facilitators of Learning” • Choices and Flexibility for Where and When Learning occurs

17. The Data to Date ~

18. Ed 306.42 Information and Communication Technologies Program (a) The local school board shall require an integrated approach to the use of 21st century tools, including, but not limited to digital technology and communication tools, within all curriculum areas through the adoption of an information and communication technologies literacy (ICT) program in grades K - 12 that provides opportunities at developmentally appropriate levels for students to: (1) Develop knowledge of ethical, responsible use of technology tools in a society that relies heavily on knowledge of information in its decision-making; (2) Become proficient in the use of 21st century tools to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information within the context of the core subjects (3) Use 21st century tools to develop cognitive proficiency (4) Use 21st century tools to develop technical proficiency at a foundational knowledge level (5) Create digital portfolios (b) The local school board shall provide opportunities for students to demonstrate ICT competency by the end of 8th grade using assessment rubrics applied to the contents of digital portfolios as required in (a)(5) above. Students who successfully demonstrate knowledge, skill, and understanding of these competencies shall have the opportunity, as high school students, to take a higher level computer course to meet the ½ credit requirement.

19. Current NH Online Policy Ed 306.22 Distance Education. (a) In this section, “distance education” means correspondence, video-based, internet-based, and online courses. (b) If a district chooses to offer distance education, the provisions of (c) - (f) below shall apply. (c) The local school board shall be responsible for: (1) The approval, coordination, and supervision of distance education courses offered for instructional purposes or high school credit, or both, in the district; and (2) Granting student credit for completion of distance education courses. (d) School districts may cooperate to share delivery of distance education courses.

20. Required Local School Board Policies (e) The local school board shall adopt policies relative to all distance education courses offered by the school district to require that: (1) The courses comply with all federal and state statutes pertaining to student privacy and to public broadcasting of audio and video; (2) Credit courses require students to meet similar academic standards as required by the school for students enrolled in credit courses offered by the school; (3) Only students approved by the school principal or designee shall be eligible to receive credit for distance education courses; and (4) Students earning credit for distance education courses shall participate in all assessments required by the statewide education improvement and assessment program.

21. Required Local School Board Policies (2) (f) The local school board shall adopt policies relative to all distance education courses offered by the school district relative to: (1) The number of students a teacher may be required to supervise; (2) Monitoring of student progress, grading of assignments, and testing; (3) Security of individual student records, provided that no individual student records obtained through participation in distance education courses shall be used for any purposes other than those that support the instruction of the individual student; and (4) Gathering and disseminating of district-level aggregated data obtained through participation in distance education courses.

22. NH Policies for Online Learning ~ Minimum Standards for School Approval, (in revision) Credit requirements may be met through distance education programs, subject to the following: • The 13.5 program specific credits required for HS graduation, not including open electives and information communications technology, shall be offered in a classroom setting. Duplicate, equivalent, or additional courses in those programs may be offered through distance learning; • Distance education courses to be counted toward the 45 required credits must meet the school’s competencies and shall be identified in the school’s program of studies; • The school shall provide all equipment, software, and internet connectivity necessary to participate in distance education programs; • The costs of registration shall be borne by the school district; • At least one staff member shall be identified and available to assist students having difficulty with distance education courses…

23. Current NH Competency language (d) By the 2008-2009 school year, the local school board shall require that a high school credit can be earned by demonstrating mastery of required competencies for the course, as approved by certified school personnel. Until the 2008-2009 school year, the local school board shall require that a high school credit can be earned as provided in (1) or (2) below, or both: (1) Attendance at a course scheduled to meet for no less than 135 clock hours of instructional time if the school operates on an 8-period schedule or for no less than 150 clock hours of instructional time if the school operates on a 7-period schedule; or (2) If a competency assessment is in place as provided in (i) below, by demonstrating mastery of required competencies for the course, as approved by certified school personnel.

24. Competency based Learning • The local school board shall require that a HS credit can be earned by demonstrating mastery of required competencies for the course, as approved by certified school personnel. Each HS shall determine the number of credits to be awarded for successful demonstration of competencies of a classroom course, independent study, distance learning course, or extended learning opportunity. • The local school board shall require that a HS have in place competency assessments for all courses offered through the HS.

25. Definition of Competency: • One credit shall equate to the level of rigor and achievement necessary to meet competencies that have been designed to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to progress toward college level or career work equivalent…

26. What is Mastery and Who Determines It? • Mastery represents the degree to which a student is proficient in learning – it really represent s a degree of proficiency that allows a student to draw upon previous learning and apply it in new settings and in new ways over time. • Determination of the weight of each course competency on which credit is based, as well as the degree of mastery on which credit will be granted, shall be a local decision, based on explicit learning progressions.

27. Course Competencies ~ Sociology Course Competencies: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic theories of Sociologic studies.2. Describe and evaluate the major categories of sociologic research.3. Demonstrate an understanding of the social response and impact of varieties cultural values, beliefs, and norms.                                                        4. Define and evaluate the issues associated with violating and/or changing societal values, beliefs, or norms and the results to cultures and societies.5. Analyze the effectiveness of proposed responses to "building a better society".6. Discuss the societal connection of various cultures.7. Describe the preventative factors involved in protecting the healthy functioning of various societal groups.8. Discuss and evaluate the major historical themes of the field of Sociology9. Demonstrate critical thinking skills (in reading, writing and on-line discussion) and communication skills in assimilating and synthesizing the information of the course.

28. Efficacy Competencies ~ MC2 Choice (and now Charter) School • Self Direction • Ownership • Community Habits of Being • Quality Work • Character • Curiosity and Wonder • Collaboration • Habits of Mind • Problem Solving • Decision Making • Critical Thinking • Creative Thinking • Communication • Organization • Management • Leadership • Information • Technology

29. Ex. Rubric ~ “Ownership” ~ MC2