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CAPITOL FACTS & FIGURES

EDUCATION

THE COUN CIL OF STATE GOVER NM ENTS

Digital Learning Boosts Student EngagementA personalized education gives students the opportu-

nity to graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary

for college and careers.

Technology as an Instructional Practice Digital learning is any instructional practice that

effectively uses technology to strengthen a students

learning experience. Digital learning encompasses a

wide spectrum of tools and practices, including: Online and formative assessment;

An increase in the focus and quality of teaching

resources and time;

Online content and courses;

Applications of technology in the classroom and

school building;

Adaptive software for students with special needs;

Learning platforms;

Participation in professional communities of practice;

and

Access to high-level and challenging content and

instruction.1

Teachers become leaders and guide students through

their educational path, ensuring they stay on track for

graduation.

Learning is adaptive and interactive software allows

students to learn at their own pace which then is evalu-

ated by competency-based assessments.

Digital learning can be full-time online, part-time,

where a student enrolls in individual online courses

while taking traditional brick-and-mortar classes, or

full-time blended, where digital learning is combined

with other modes of learning.

Digital learning allows students to use technology to

learn in and beyond the classroom.

Students can extend the traditional school day or

school year through the Internet, online resources andopportunities for expanded research.

A classroom is no longer necessary for learning to take

place; students learn through the use of technology

and a multitude of devices.

Elements of Digital Learning According to Digital Learning Now!, a program oper-

ated by the Foundation for Excellence in Education,

an organization focused on education reform, the 10

elements of high-quality digital learning are:

Student eligibility: All students are digital learners.

Student access: All students have access to high-

quality digital learning.

Personalized learning: All students can use digital

learning to customize their education.

Advancement: Students progress based on demon-

strated competency.

Quality Content: Digital content and courses are

high quality.

Quality Instruction: Digital instruction is high-

quality.

Quality Choices: All students have access to mul-

tiple high-quality digital providers.

Assessment and Accountability: Student learning is

the metric for evaluating the quality of content and

instruction.

Funding: Funding creates incentives for perfor-

mance, options and innovations.

Delivery: Infrastructure supports digital learning.2

Technology to Boost Student Achievement Nearly 80 percent of K-12 teachers and administratorsbelieve technology has positively impacted the class-

room and the productivity of students.3

Roughly 65 percent of educators surveyed by Comp-

TIA in 2012 also believe that students are more pro-

ductive today than they were three years ago because

of the increased use of technology in the classroom. 4

Technology infuses classrooms with digital learning

tools, such as computers and hand held devices; ex-

pands course offerings, experiences, and learning mate-

rials; supports learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;

builds 21st century skills; increases student engage-

ment and motivation; and accelerates learning.5

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REFERENCES

1Alliance for Excellent Education. Culture Shift: Teaching in a Learner-Centered Environment Powered

by Digital Learning.(2012) Accessed at http://www.all4ed.org/les/CultureShit.pd2Foundation for Excellence in Education. Digital Learning Now! 10 Elements of High Quality Digital

Learning.(2010) Accessed at: www.digitallearningnow.com/10elements/3CompTIA: The IT Industry Association. IT Opportunities in the Education Market.(2011) Accessed

at: http://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_

Boosts_Student_Perormance_Staf_Productivity_in_Nation%E2%80%99s_Schools_New_

CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspx4Ibid5

U.S. Department of Education. Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning.(2013) Accessed athttp://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning6Ibid7Foundation for Excellence in Education. Digital Learning Now! Digital Learning Report

Card.(2012) Accessed at: http://www.digitallearningnow.com/wp-content/uploads/

reportcard/2012/2012ReportCard.pd8Ibid9Ibid

State Policies and Digital Learning Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia

support online learning opportunities that range

from supplementing classroom instruction on an

occasional basis to enrolling students in full-time

programs.6

Only Alabama, Florida, and Michigan require

students to take at least one course online, though

Virginia and North Carolina will add the require-

ment for students in the graduating classes of

2017 and 2020, respectively.7

Twenty-two states allow students to enroll in

online courses without caps on class size or geo-

graphic boundaries.8

Several states advanced policies to eliminate the

road blocks of seat time and class size regula-

tions that interfere with competency-based and

blended learning models.9

Student Eligibility All students must be provided opportunities

to access online courses throughout theirentire K-12 experience

All students must complete at least one on-line course to earn a high school diploma

Student Access Digital learning environments, including

online and blended learning schools, courses,and models, have flexibility with class sizerestrictions and student-teacher ratios

No school district may restrict studentenrollment in full-time online school or in anindividual online course through enrollmentcaps or geographic boundaries

All student can enroll in an unlimited numberof individual online courses

Personalized Learning All students may enroll with more than one

online course provider simultaneously All students may enroll in and begin an

individual online course on a rolling basisanytime throughout the year

Advancement All students must demonstrate mastery on

standards-based competencies to earn creditfor a course and to advance to the succeedingcourse

All students are provided multiple opportuni-ties during the year to take end-of-courseexams

All students earn credits based on compe-tency and are not required to complete adefined amount of instructional time to earncredit

All districts and approved providers in thestate accept credits from all other districtsand state-approved providers

QualityContent All digital content and instruction must be

aligned with state standards or Common CoreState Standards

No additional burdens are placed on the ap-proval and procurement processes for digitalcontent beyond those for print content

Instructional material funding may be used forpurchasing digital content and systems

Quality Instruction State allows alternative routes for teacher

certification State allows reciprocity among other states

for certification of teachers There is a statewide definition for teacher of

record Teachers are permitted to be teacher of

record in multiple schools Student performance data is used to evaluate

the effectiveness of teachers Professional development in digital learning

is available to teachers teaching an online orblended learning course

Quality Choices Statewide digital provider authorization

includes: virtual charter schools full time online schools part time individual online courses

The criteria, process and timeframe for autho-rizing online providers are clearly defined

Online providers, including virtual charterschools, full time online providers, and indi-vidual online course providers are allowed toappeal decisions or revise and resubmit theirapplications after a denial

Multiple opportunities during the year areavailable for virtual charter schools, full timeonline providers and individual online courseproviders to apply for approval

Approval of digital providers lasts for three ormore years

State maintains a website that providesinformation and links to all digital learningopportunities, including all approved virtualcharter schools, full time online schools andindividual online course providers

Assessment and Accountability State-mandated assessments in core subjects,

including annual assessments, end-of-courseexams and high school exit exams, must beadministered digitally either online or on acomputer

Outcomes-based student performance datais used to evaluate the quality of virtualcharter schools, full time online providers andindividual online courses

As determined by outcomes-based studentperformance data these poor performingschools and course must be closed:

virtual charter schools full time online schools individual online course providers

Funding Public funds are available for online learning

all district public school students all charter public school students

all private school students all home education students

State funding for digital learning is providedthrough the public per-pupil school fundingformula

Funding is provided on a fractional, percourse basis to pay providers for individualonline courses

Funding follows the student to the school orcourse of their choice

The same per-pupil funding with the samepayment process is provided to all virtualcharter schools, full time online schools andindividual online course providers, regardlessof whether the school is public, charter, not-for-profit or for-profit

Providers receive final funding payment uponcourse completion based on student dailyattendance, performance and competency

Delivery All schools have high speed broadband Inter-

net access All teachers are provided with Internet access

devices All students have access to Internet access

devices All of the Data Quality Campaigns 10 State

Actions to Ensure an Effective Data Use areachieved

Source: Digital Learning Now!, Nations DigitalLearning Report Card

Pam Goins, Director, CSG Center for Innovation and Transformation in Educationpgoins@csg.org

http://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%25E2%2580%2599s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspxhttp://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%25E2%2580%2599s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspxhttp://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%25E2%2580%2599s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspxhttp://www.digitallearningnow.com/wp-content/uploads/reportcard/2012/2012ReportCard.pdfhttp://www.digitallearningnow.com/wp-content/uploads/reportcard/2012/2012ReportCard.pdfmailto:pgoins%40csg.org?subject=mailto:pgoins%40csg.org?subject=http://www.digitallearningnow.com/wp-content/uploads/reportcard/2012/2012ReportCard.pdfhttp://www.digitallearningnow.com/wp-content/uploads/reportcard/2012/2012ReportCard.pdfmailto:http://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-0628/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%25E2%2580%2599s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspx%0D?subject=http://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%25E2%2580%2599s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspxhttp://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%25E2%2580%2599s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspxhttp://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%25E2%2580%2599s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspx

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State

OverallGrade

StudentEligibility

StudentAccess

PersonalizedLearning Advancement

Quality

Content

Quality

Instruction

Quality

Choices

Assessment &

Accountability Funding Delivery

Alabama F D F C C A C+ F F F D

Alaska F F A C D F D F F F F

Arizona D+ D A A F A B+ D+ C F F

Arkansas F F F F F D A- C- F F F

California F F C C F B C+ D+ F F F

Colorado D+ F C C F A B+ A- C F F

Connecticut F F F F F D C- F D+ F F

Delaware F F D+ F F D A F F F C

Florida B+ A A- A D A C B A- A D

Georgia B F A- A C A B+ A A- C D

Hawaii D F D+ F C A B+ F F F C

Idaho D D C F D A C- D+ B D+ F

Illinois F F D+ C F B C- C- F F F

Indiana C D A C F A B+ C- B F B-

Iowa F F D+ F F A C+ F A- F F

Kansas B- F B A C A B+ D+ A- B D+Kentucky D- F D+ F F A B+ C F F B-

Louisiana C+ F C C C A A B A- A- F

Maine D+ F C C C A F A F F B-

Maryland F F C F C A C A F F F

Massachusetts F D F C F F F D+ C F F

Michigan C- A F F F A A C- B D D

Minnesota B D A C A A C+ A F B D+

Mississippi F F B F F A C- F C F D

Missouri F F A C C D C+ F F F F

Montana F F F C C A C F C F F

Nebraska F D A- F F A F F D+ F F

Nevada D F F F B+ A F A F F D

New Hampshire F F F C B- A C+ F F F F

New Jersey F F B F F A C- D+ F F FNew Mexico D F D+ C F A A- D A- F F

New York F F F F F A C+ F C F F

North Carolina C- F D+ F B+ A A C+ D+ F C

North Dakota F F C C F D F F F F F

Ohio D F C F D A C+ D+ C F D

Oklahoma D+ D A C B+ A D+ D+ F D+ F

Oregon D- F D+ F F A C+ B+ D+ F F

Pennsylvania F F D+ C F A C- D+ F F D

Rhode Island D+ F D+ C D A B+ C C F D+

South Carolina C F B C B+ A C+ A A- F D

South Dakota D+ F C A B+ B D A- F F F

Tennessee F F D+ F F A C+ F F F D

Texas C- D C C A A C- C- F F D

Utah A- D A A A A C+ A A A B-

Vermont F F D+ F A A C- F F F F

Virginia B- C D+ C D A A A A D C

Washington C D B C D+ A C- A C C+ F

West Virginia D+ F C C A A A- F F D D

Wisconsin D F A- F F A B+ F C F C

Wyoming D+ F D+ A F A A B+ F B F

THE COUN CI L OF STATE GOVERNM EN TS

Digital Learning Now!s

National Digital Learning Report Card

Source: Digital Learning Now!, Nations Digital Learning Report Card Accessed at: http://www.digitallearningnow.com/reportcard/#grade0