As with all innovations, though, there is always a question of cost for providing such new technologies, especially when states are providing less per-pupil funding.

A study released last week by the Education Center of Excellence at the Parthenon Group (commissioned by the conservative education think tank, the Fordham Institute) suggested that the costs of digital learning could be significantly less than more traditional modes. The authors cautioned that its findings must be interpreted with some caveats: costs vary across digital education platforms and different entities pursue online learning for different reasons (cost-savings versus enhanced offerings, for example).

For the rest of the article, go to Can States and School Districts Cut Costs Through Digital Learning?

1. Poverty. The level of challenge was ratcheted up this year as most U.S. schools faced a double whammy of budget cuts and more kids in poverty. Despite heroic efforts, we lost a little ground on the equity front this year.

For the rest of the article, go to 2011 Was an Inflection Point for Digital Learning

Green is a former executive director of the Idaho School Boards Association who in 2008 was named executive director of iSucceed Virtual High School, and this year formed Praxis Management Group. A former teacher, from 1998 to 2002 he worked for the Idaho Division of Professional-Technical Education.

For the rest of the article, go to New IEN director says project a year ahead of schedule, under budget

But Luna doesn’t believe the school sector has been free of for-profit companies for a very long time. “The fact is in public education, there have been companies, private companies, that have been making profits on public education long before I was ever state superintendent,” Luna explained. “These are all for-profit companies that have been dealing with K-12 public schools for decades and they make a profit.”

For the rest of the article, go to Luna: Opposition to for-profit education providers is like Occupy Wall Street (video)

A quarter-million kids represent a tiny percentage of the 56 million kindergartners through 12th graders in the United States, but it’s a percentage that’s growing, according to The Journal’s numbers: up 40 percent in the last three years. It’s that increase, rather than the actual number of students affected, that makes these virtual schools worth talking about, and it’s an increase not just in children and parents willing to embrace this, but also in school districts. Georgia and Florida both say they spend substantially less on a student in their online schools. An Idaho school superintendent told The Journal that he was considering closing entire departments and outsourcing their courses to online providers. “It’s not ideal,” he said, “but Idaho is in a budget crisis, and this is a creative solution.”

For the rest of the article, go to Can Virtual Schools Really Replace Classrooms?

In Idaho, Alan Dunn, superintendent of the Sugar-Salem School District, says that he may cut entire departments and outsource their courses to online providers. “It’s not ideal,” he says. “But Idaho is in a budget crisis, and this is a creative solution.”

Other states see potential savings as well. In Georgia, state and local taxpayers spend $7,650 a year to educate the average student in a traditional public school. They spend nearly 60% less—$3,200 a year—to educate a student in the statewide online Georgia Cyber Academy, saving state and local tax dollars. Florida saves $1,500 a year on every student enrolled online full time.

For individual school districts, though, competition from online schools can cause financial strain. The tiny Spring Cove School District in rural Pennsylvania lost 43 of its 1,850 students this year to online charter schools. By law, the district must send those students’ share of local and state tax dollars—in this case $340,000—to the cyberschool. Superintendent Rodney Green, already struggling to balance the budget, cut nine teaching jobs, eliminated middle-school Spanish and French and canceled the high-school musical, “Aida.”

For the rest of the article, go to My Teacher Is an App

“I’m still wondering how all this will work, given the parental choice,” Jaquet said.

But Luna counters that it’s very unlikely that a parent or student will venture outside the list of courses provided by their school district. He is also skeptical that online curriculum companies will “cherry pick” students when Idaho is offering a statewide contract.

The task force is expected to send out a request for information from potential online course providers later this week, said Jason Hancock, who serves as Luna’s deputy chief of staff. A request for proposals from online vendors would go out to bid early next year.

“We’re probably looking at some time in March, maybe April,” Hancock said.

Proponents of online education said the virtual classes will help the state save money and better prepare students for college. But critics said they’ll replace teachers with computers and shift state taxpayer money to the out-of-state companies that will be tapped to provide the online curriculum and laptops.

The online class requirement was approved last week by the state Board of Education and will go before Idaho lawmakers for review in the 2012 session, which starts in January. It will apply to students entering the 9th grade in fall 2012.

For the rest of the article, go to Idaho Begins Process of Carrying Out Online Class Requirement

The measure is part of a sweeping education overhaul that introduces teacher merit pay and phases in laptops for every high school teacher and student.

Proponents say the virtual classes will help the state save money and better prepare students for college. But opponents claim they’ll replace teachers with computers and shift state taxpayer money to the out-of-state companies that will be tapped to provide the online curriculum and laptops.

The rule will apply to students entering the 9th grade in fall 2012. It goes before Idaho lawmakers for review in the 2012 session, which starts in January.

The education board gave the online graduation requirement its initial approval in September after heavy opposition was voiced this summer at public hearings across Idaho. Trustees collected more feedback during a 21-day public comment period last month.

For the rest of the article, go to Idaho Online Class Requirement For High School Graduation Gets Board Approval

“This is so nice,” said Sandra Miller, director of federal programs.

Miller’s secretaries moved into the new center before she did, working around construction for months.

The move was accomplished in steps that included selling the old Acequia Elementary School and moving the district’s alternative school, Mount Harrison High School, from the current service center site to the south campus of the former Heyburn Elementary School last year.

The center also includes computer stations for parents to use who do not own their own computers.

“It’s nice to have all these programs in one building,” said Heyburn resident Kimberly Santos.

Michelle DeLuna, district business manager and treasurer, said $95,000 of the remodel was funded by the sale of Acequia Elementary. General funds and plant facilities funding also paid for work done so far.

“This is the first time I’ve got to tour the building,” said district Trustee Mark Sanderson. “I’m really impressed. This is going to be well utilized.”

For the rest of the article, go to Minidoka Educators Showcase New Center.

The school board took a stance to end the practice effective this school year. “As a board, we really talked about the fact that the kids who fail in high school didn’t just start failing in high school,” said Chapin, the school board president. “High school is just part of the continuum.”

The district is taking the approach that “the minute students get off track in middle school there’s going to be intervention,” Chapin said.

Although the district’s budget had to be cut this year, helping middle school students meet academic marks was made a priority.

Individual Credit Advancement Now, or ICAN, requires students who don’t pass math or language arts to stay after school for tutoring. It will involve Spokane Virtual Learning as well as their classroom teacher.

In addition, a new assessment tool tests students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades in math and reading, “so we can catch kids who are falling behind sooner,” Chapin said.

There are also summer school programs to help students catch up in core curriculum areas.

“This is a culture change. Years ago the middle school mantra was ‘nurture the social and emotional,’?” Chapin said. “We’re still doing that, but more.”

For the rest of the article, go to Social promotion puts students on rough path