Okay, are you ready for this? I have been compiling this post for some time because it took me quite awhile to sludge through the murky Internet “facts.” In doing this, I am trying to provide statistics from reputable sources. In my last post, I talked about WV Virtual School. While this blog primarily deals with charter schools in WV, I think technology is an important part of the future of education. If you look at the states surrounding us, many have virtual charter schools – which are nothing like WV, becasue they are schools in and of themselves. Check out my Links page above on other Charters for a few examples.

Well, I think WV is missing the boat in terms of technology. This, of course, puts our kids behind the curve in a technological age. Here are some fun facts to share with your friends. I will give a short bio of the organizations at the end of the post for those interested.

– In 2006, the Sloan Consortium reported 700,000 enrollments in K-12 online learning. The Sloan Consortium checked the enrollments two years later and found the overall number of K-12 students engaged in online courses in 2007-2008 is estimated at 1,030,000. This represents a 47% increase since 2005-2006.

– In April 2006, Michigan became the 1st state to require online learning for high school graduation. In 2008, Alabama added a high school graduation distance/online learning requirement.

– In Utah, online schooling is fairly new for K-12 students, but about 30 percent more parents are choosing it over traditional brick and mortar schools every year.

– By 2019, researchers at the International Association for K-12 Online Learning estimate public schools nationwide will deliver about 50 percent of their courses over the Internet.

– THIS IS WV EXACTLY –

INACOL reported that when considering online education for either students in rural communities who have “access to only a limited number of course offerings in their public schools” or advanced students interested in taking courses for college credit, the public expresses considerable support. In these two instances, over 60 percent of respondents support public funding for online education.

– According to the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory’s “Synthesis of New Research on K-12 Online Learning,” online learning is effective: “Equal or Better”: “One conclusion seems clear: On average, students seem to perform equally well or better academically in online learning.” (p. 17)

– The Pew Internet Project reports “the Internet is an important element in the overall educational experience of many teenagers” – saying that 86% percent of teens, 88% of online teens, and 80% of all parents believe that the Internet helps teenagers to do better in school.

– KEEP IN MIND THIS WAS IN 2005 – According to the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education Issue Brief on Rates of Computer and Internet Use by Children in Nursery School and Students in Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade: The use of computer technology begins at young ages; 67 percent of children in nursery school were computer users, as were 80 percent of those in kindergarten.

– INACOL reported Virtual schools and online learning can help provide equal access to rigorous courses for all students, reducing inequities that exist across the educational system.

– The National Education Technology Plan recommended that every student have access to e-learning opportunities and every teacher have access to e-learning training

– According to iNACOL, 69 percent of the public say that they “would be willing to have a child [of theirs] go through high school taking some academic courses over the Internet.

So, I ask you and the West Virginia Legislature. Why don’t we have a greater online learning system? I certainly don’t want my child thrown under the technology bus when they go looking for a job.

The International Association for K-12 Online Learning, iNACOL , is a non-profit organization that facilitates collaboration, advocacy, and research to enhance quality K-12 online teaching and learning. Due to the rapid development in the field of K-12 online learning, the North American Council for Online Learning was launched as a formal corporate entity, in September 2003, as an international K-12 non-profit organization representing the interests of administrators, practitioners, and students involved in online learning in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In October 2008, NACOL expanded its reach globally and became the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

The Sloan Consortium, an organization dedicated to integrating online education into the mainstream.

The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory is a Learning Point Associate. They apply research and evaluation, direct professional services, and policy knowledge to create change at every level of the education system—classroom, school, district, state and national.

The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues. The Pew Internet Project conducts original research that explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life.

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