the rise of k-12 blended learning in colorado

7/28/2019 The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning in Colorado

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The Rise of K-12 Blended

Learning in Colorado

by Krista Kafer, Senior Fellow,Education Policy Center

IP-5-2013 | July 2013


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The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning in Colorado July 2013

IndependenceInstitute.org Page 1

Executive Summary

More than a decade of research and

development has produced sophisti-

cated computer-based instruction, cur-

riculum and assessment programs thathave transformed online education

from the textbook-like classes of yester-

year to the engaging, dynamic learning

experiences of today. These online tools

combined with face-to-face instruction

create what is known as blended learn-

ing. Eective integration of technology

can reduce the amount of time teachers

spend on tasks like attendance, grad-

ing, data aggregation and analysis, and

skills practice, thereby enabling teach-

ers to focus on high-impact instruction-

al strategies and personalized atten-

tion. A well-designed blended learning

program can even save schools money

because computer-based instruction

requires fewer on-site teachers and less

classroom space.

The Clayton Christensen Institute for

Disruptive Innovation has identiedfour blended learning models:

Model 1 Rotation: Students alternate

between face-to-face instruction and

online lesson delivery in a classroom,

computer lab or at home.

Model 2 Flex: The curriculum is de-

livered online usually in a learning

lab while teachers provide on-site

support in the form of tutoring orsmall group instruction.

Model 3 Self-blend: Students take tra-

ditional courses at school and self-se-

lected online courses at home.

Model 4 Enriched Virtual: Students

take classes online at home and check

in with teachers for face-to-face learn-

ing as needed.

Colorado is well positioned to imple-

ment and test blended learning pro-

grams on a larger scale. The state has

abundant experience with online ed-

ucation, several non-prot blended

learning support organizations, and

philanthropic and government back-

ing. Several Colorado districts have

invested in online courses, professional

development for online and traditional

classroom teachers, and state-of-the-

art learning centers to better enable

students to participate in online and

blended learning classes. Charter and

district public schools have begun to

implement blended learning models

and have seen promising results.

In order to facilitate the development

of blended learning, lawmakers should

consider policy changes that 1) enable

per-pupil revenue to ow directly toschools and courses rather than rst

through the district central oce; 2) dis-

tribute funds based on multiple count

dates rather the current single October

1 enrollment count, using average dai-

ly membership (ADM) rather than at-

tendance; 3) divide payments to online

course providers so that 50 percent of

the funding is provided after successful

completion; and 4) commission experi-mental or quasi-experimental research

into the impact of blended learning

on student prociency in reading and

math on state assessments.

Colorado is well

positioned to

implement and

test blended

learning

programs on a

larger scale.


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Introduction

Asked to visualize the words middleschoolmath class, most people will sum-mon a memory of two dozen teenagerssitting in desks facing a teacher who is

writing the quadratic formula on theboard. Maybe the teacher is a master ather craft and most of the students are

busy scribbling equations; or maybehalf the class is asleep or passing a note(in todays parlancesending a text)while a few math whizzes do the work.

Chances are this visualization exer-cise will yield vastly dierent scenesof math class in the future, thanks totechnology. Instead, the followingscene might unfold: a student logs onto his home computer and watches arecorded mini-lecture on equations andthen works through a series of prob-lems. The next day, he comes to classand works with the teacher in a smallgroup on concepts a software programhas identied as dicult for the group

based on the exercises completed theprevious afternoon. Alternatively,math class might be a group of ad-

vanced middle school students work-ing through Algebra II in a learning labthrough an online program. They meetwith the teacher once a week to workthrough a hands-on math applicationin the schools science lab. Parents arerelieved that their 6th graders can moveahead in math without being bused tothe nearby high school. Or, math classmight look like this: a 12th grader tak-ing a credit recovery Algebra course

at home after school spends an hour aweek with a teacher getting one-on-onehelp with dicult concepts. These de-pictions of math class may not yet betypical, but they are the very real ex-perience of thousands of Colorado stu-dents engaged in blended learning.

Blended learning, according to JohnWatson of the Evergreen EducationGroup, combines online delivery ofeducational content with the best fea-tures of classroom interaction and liveinstruction to personalize learning,allow thoughtful reection, and dif-ferentiate instruction from student tostudent across a diverse group of learn-ers.1 As the above examples demon-strate, blended learning is not one typeof instruction but a spectrum of inter-actions between students, teachers andonline tools that spans from primarilyteacher-led to primarily computer-pro-vided instruction.

The Clayton Christensen Institute forDisruptive Innovation (formerly theInnosight Institute) categorizes blend-ed learning into four models:2

Model 1 Rotation: Students rotate be-tween online lesson delivery and face-to-face instruction. Station Rotationtakes place in the classroom where stu-dents move through a series of learn-ing activities such as small group in-struction, independent pen and paper

work, group projects, and learning on acomputer or computer tablet. Lab Ro-tation has the student working alter-nately in the classroom and in a com-puter lab. In a Flipped Classroom,students watch prerecorded lectures athome online and then apply conceptsin class with the guidance of the teach-er. With Individual Rotation, theteacher and student create an individ-ualized rotation plan among learning

modalities that include online learning.Model 2 Flex: The curriculum is deliv-ered online, usually in a learning lab,while teachers provide on-site supportin the form of tutoring or small groupinstruction.

Blended

learning

combines

online delivery

of educationalcontent with

the best

features of

classroom

interaction

and live

instruction...

-John Watson,

Evergreen

Education

Group


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Model 3 Self-blend: Students take tra-ditional courses at school and self-se-lected online courses at home.

Model 4 Enriched Virtual: Studentstake classes online at home and check

in with teachers for face-to-face learn-ing as needed.

Curriculum and Instructional Tools

Blended learning models are facilitat-ed through a Learning ManagementSystem (LMS)a software applicationthrough which students can engagewith the online curriculum, submit as-signments, participate in discussions,take tests, receive grades, and record

attendance. There is considerable va-riety in the types of online curriculumavailable. Instruction may be synchro-nous, that is, teachers interact withstudents in real time through a virtualwhite board, voice, and even live video.Alternatively, instruction may be asyn-chronous, that is, provided through re-corded video or audio and posted read-ing, quizzes, worksheets, and writingassignments.

Just as with traditional curriculum,online curriculum may be developed

by Colorado teachers and developersor licensed through a national curric-ulum provider. The packaged instruc-tion may be dynamic with embeddedanimation, videos, quizzes, learninggames, and other applications, or itmay be static like an online textbook.The curriculum and instruction may

be a single package that the student

works through in a self-paced manneror may be separated into componentsthat teachers can piece together to meetthe needs of the student. Combinationsof these elements are common in onlineand blended education. A single onlineclass could include synchronous ses-sions with the teacher, recorded asyn-

chronous lectures, a tutorial from a freeonline resource like Khan Academy3, alesson borrowed from the district or astatewide online lesson library, postedreading assignments, a series of diag-nostic quizzes from a national provid-er, and a few short videos created byNational Geographic on YouTube.

For more than a decade online instruc-tional tools and course oerings, aswell as the LMS technology, have beendeveloped by Colorado and nationalcurriculum developers, programmersand teachers, and piloted and renedin district and charter virtual schools.Virtual schools have primarily served

homeschooled and homebound stu-dents, drop-outs and those at risk ofdropping out, highly gifted students,traveling student athletes and artists,and other students for whom tradition-al classrooms do not meet their needs.Recently, some online schools have

begun to blend in face-to-face instruc-tion as a means of increasing studentengagement, providing tutoring andmentoring, enabling student-to-stu-dent collaboration, increasing student

accountability and persistence, andproviding opportunities to apply learn-ing such as a science lab experiment orservice learning. Kim McClelland, As-sistant Superintendent of Falcon SchoolDistrict 49 who oversees the iConnectInnovation Zones online and blendedlearning programs, believes that add-ing face-to-face components to onlineschooling is exactly what many onlinestudents need to feel more connected to

school and to persist to graduation.4

On the other side of the spectrum, tra-ditional classroom teachers have begunto adopt online learning tools to helpthem gather ongoing student perfor-mance data, extend learning beyondthe classroom, individualize assign-

Blended

learning models

are facilitated

through a

Learning

Management

System (LMS)


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ments and resources, and ecientlymanage low learning value tasks suchas taking attendance, collecting papers,reporting grades, and giving home-work.

Because blended learning is a frame-work for integrating technology andinstruction rather than a type of in-struction, it can be adapted to t in-structional models across the pedagog-ical spectrum. A teacher who primarilyuses lecture and discussion might usean LMS to post syllabi, homework,grades, and resources for students whoneed additional interactions with thecontent or who want to go deeper into

the subject matter. Teachers who en-gage in project-based instruction mightassign reading, prerecorded lectures,and skills practice as online homeworkand spend classroom time monitoringcollaborative and project-based work.A recent case study by the Donnell-KayFoundation of two very dierent char-ter schools using blended learningRocky Mountain Prep, a new no ex-cuses charter school, and the OdysseySchool, a 15-year-old Expeditionary

Learning charter schoolshows howblended learning is compatible withvastly dierent instructional models.5

A Disruptive Innovation

Some advocates of blended and on-line education see them as more thanexpanding the instructional toolbox.They consider the technology to be adisruptive innovation that can trans-form a sector characterized by prod-ucts or services that are complicated,expensive, inaccessible, and central-ized into one with products or servicesthat are simple, aordable, accessible,convenient, and often customizable.6Clayton M. Christensen, Michael B.Horn, and Curtis W. Johnson, whowrote one of the seminal books on the

promise of blended learning, Disrupt-ing Class: How Disruptive Innova-

tion Will Change the Way the World

Learns, believe that 50 percent of allhigh school courses will be deliveredonline by 2019.7 To reach this level,online education will no longer be pri-marily utilized by homeschoolers andfull-time virtual school students; onlineeducation will be a normal part of dailyinstruction.

Horn and Heather Staker of the ClaytonChristensen Institute for Disruptive In-novation predict that blended learningcould revolutionize K-12 educationin terms of quality and cost.8 Blend-

ed learning can reduce the amount oftime teachers spend on tasks like atten-dance, grading, data aggregation andanalysis, and skills practice, therebyenabling teachers to focus on high im-pact instructional strategies and per-sonalized attention.

At Carpe Diem Collegiate High Schooland Middle School (CDCHS) in Yuma,Arizona, for example, a door sensortakes student attendance. Students

begin a class on their own computerwhere they acquire new knowledgeand practice skills. Students then ro-tate to a classroom where they engagethe concepts at a deeper level with theteacher and peers through in-depthdiscussion and application projects.The e2020 online content providertracks student progress through thecurriculum and when a student strug-gles with a concept for more than three

minutes, the system alerts a learningcoach who oers the student help. Inaddition to tracking progress, the soft-ware gives students real-time feedbackon their progress by displaying a red,yellow, green progress bar on the top ofthe webpage.9 Daily progress adds up.On Arizona state reading assessments,97 percent of CDCHS students, half of

[Christensen,

Horn, and

Johnson]...

believe that 50

percent of all

high school

courses will be

delivered online

by 2019.


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whom are minority students or fromlow-income families, score at the pro-cient level, and 94 percent of studentsare procient in math.10

With the task of data analysis com-

pleted by the computer program, theteachers can determine how they will

best meet the needs of students whoneed extra help. Students who havemastered the skills can move on whilethe teacher works one-on-one or in asmall group with struggling students.At School of One middle schools inNew York City, the daily online assess-ment helps determine whether the stu-dents can move forward or if they will

need to switch to a new learning mo-dality.11 Modalities include large groupinstruction, small group instruction,small group collaboration, tutoring,virtual instruction, and independentpractice. The computer assigns stu-dents to modalities based on the cur-rent assessment and their assessmenthistory. Teachers can alter schedules atany time if their professional judgmentdetermines a dierent course.

A Promising Strategy

Blended learning also can save money.CDCHS saves costs through its lab ro-tation model. The school employs sixfull-time teachers, one for each coresubject, to teach 280 students in grades6-12. Students rotate between their per-sonal cubicle, outtted with a comput-er, and a classroom every 55 minutes.The building cost $2.7 million to build,compared to a nearby school of similarsize that cost $12 million.12 Similarly,Rocketship Education, which operatesa network of elementary schools inCalifornia primarily for low-incomestudents, saves an estimated $500,000 ayear because the model requires fewerclassrooms and fewer teachers.13 Stu-dents spend 60 to 80 minutes in a learn-

ing lab supervised by IndividualizedLearning Specialists who make $15 to$16 an hour.14 The cost savings enablesthe school to pay higher teacher sala-ries. Average student performance ishigher than the district and state aver-age.15

As with all innovations, however,blended learning is only as promisingas the quality of its implementation,Horn and Staker of the Clayton Chris-tensen Institute warn. They write, Justas a hybrid car can be either ecient orclunker but still be a hybrid car, blend-ed learning can be both good and bad.Some blended-learning programs save

money; others are more expensive.Some blended-learning programs pro-duce stellar results; others do not.16Since John Dewey rst published oneducation in 1897, educators, parents,and policymakers have enthusiastical-ly embraced innovations that have had,at best, mixed results.

Research on the eectiveness of on-line or blended learning for K12 stu-dents, though promising, is scant. In a

recent meta-analysis of 50 study eectscomparing the ecacy of face-to-face,

blended and online instruction, onlyseven comparisons from ve studieswere conducted with K12 students.Four studies involved middle schoolstudents in social studies, math orSpanish classes. One study examinedelementary school students in spe-cial education classes, and one studylooked elementary school students in

science classes in Taiwan. All ve hadpositive ndings for the blended andonline classes relative to purely face-to-face classes. When the K-12 and adultlearner study ndings are combined,11 studies show signicantly positivendings for online or blended learn-ing modalities relative to face-to-faceinstruction, and three study eects

Students who

have mastered

the skills can

move on while

the teacherworks one-

on-one or in

a small group

with struggling

students.


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favored face-to-face instruction overonline instruction. Of the 11 positivendings for online or blended learning,those that focused on blended learningshowed a larger advantage relative toface-to-face instruction than did solelyonline instruction.17 This bodes well for

blended learning, but clearly more re-search is needed.

Blended Learning in Colorado

State-Level Initiatives

Colorado is well positioned to imple-ment and test blended learning pro-grams on a larger scale. The state hasabundant experience with online ed-ucation. At present, the Colorado De-partment of Education reports that17,289 students are enrolled in onlineschools in Colorado in the 2012-13school year.18 The rst online schoolopened in 1996 as a pilot program inthe Monte Vista School District.19 Sincethen, districts, schools, and non-protorganizations have been developingonline curriculum aligned to Coloradostate standards. Today, the state has ve

multi-district online charter schools,some of which provide face-to-facetutoring at a drop-in center. The statehas 21 multi-district online schools thatenroll students from across the stateand 11 single-district online schoolsthat enroll only district students. Sev-enteen districts have online programswhich provide credit recovery or sup-plemental courses for a small numberof district students and four statewide

supplemental online programs whichaugment district and BOCES course of-ferings.

The largest of these supplemental pro-grams is Colorado Online Learning(COL), which began in 1998 as a 14-dis-trict Colorado Online School Con-sortium to oer supplemental online

courses. Today COL oers more than70 standards-aligned online coursesdeveloped by Colorado licensed teach-ers. About 80 percent of students whotake COL classes live in rural schooldistricts which lack the resources oflarge districts to develop online course-work.20 COL receives individual courseenrollment fees from districts and astate subsidy.

Districts, BOCES, and other organi-zations have launched collaborativeeorts to provide online and blendededucation resources. eNetColorado,started by the Centennial Board of Co-operative Services (CBOCES) and Col-

orado BOCES Association, is a partner-ship of 75 school districts, 14 BOCES,and over 20 educational and communi-ty-based organizations. eNetColoradoprovides professional development on

blended and online learning. eNetCol-orados DREAM (Digital Resource Ex-change and Marketplace) is an onlinerepository of links to low or no cost re-sources such as Khan Academy, Smith-sonian Education historical resources,and Lessons on Local Government from

the Colorado Municipal League. Re-sources are rated by users. Educatorsalso have access to free educationalpodcasts, videos and PDF les on theColorado iTunes U.21

Colorado eLearning Collaborative

(CeLC) is a consortium of districts andschools partnering with education non-prots, school reform organizations,foundations, BOCES, an LMS provider

Schoology, and the Colorado Leagueof Charter Schools. CeLC was foundedin 2009 as a grass-roots eort amongschool district online and blendedlearning leaders collaborating to sup-port each other as they were buildinge-learning programs. As a result oftheir work, CeLC formally organizedto become a full-service provider in the

...ndings

that focused

on blended

learning

showed a larger

advantage

relative toface-to-face

instruction

than did

solely online

instruction.


8/26



online and blended education environ-ment led by experienced practitioners.CeLCs mission is to provide the mosteective quality and sustainable ser-vices to ensure all schools and districtsin Colorado have access to resourcesnecessary to support blended and on-line learning. Currently, CeLC workswith over 40 districts and oers pro-fessional development, a high-qualitydigital content library, vendor grouprates, consulting, and networking op-portunities. CeLC manages pooled re-sources shared by participating schoolsand districts to reach all corners of Col-orado.22

Several philanthropic organizationsand businesses have donated to indi-vidual schools or districts to design andimplement blended learning strategies.At least three foundations have takena statewide approach to disseminatinginformation about blended learning,implementing high-quality programs,facilitating collaboration, funding con-sortiums like eNetColorado and CeLC,and working to overcome barriers toimplementation.

The Colorado Legacy Foundation(CLF), in partnership with the Colora-do Department of Education, is leadingan initiative in Colorado public schoolsto catalyze next-generation curriculumdevelopment, professional develop-ment, data systems, and other eortsto make teaching and learning moreindividualized, exible, and eective.The multifaceted Expanded Learning

Opportunities initiative aims to ignitethe unique potential of every studentthrough the creation and delivery ofdramatically personalized learning ex-periences.23 Specically, CLF is collab-orating with select Front Range schoolsand experts at the National Center onTime & Learning to maximize and ex-pand learning time through the use of

staggered schedules, technology andother strategies. CLF, along with theColorado Department of Education, isalso working in southern Coloradowith 14 districts in the San Luis Valleyto implement blended learning andadvanced assessment strategies inliteracy in 16 classrooms. In CommerceCity, CLF is working with EducationElements and educators at LandmarkAcademy to implement blendedlearning. In order to disseminate bestpractices in blended learning, CLF andother Colorado partners have providedtraining and conferences around thestate.

CLF will soon launch an online plat-form for educators to collaborate anddesign blended learning strategies.There is great enthusiasm from teach-ers throughout the state to collabo-rate, innovate and explore creativeapproaches to personalized instruc-tion, said Samantha Long, Director ofInitiatives for CLF. In order to createnext generation learning we need toexpand learning opportunities so thatstudents who need it get time to catch

up without taking time from studentswho can move ahead. Blended learningsaves and gives time, the most preciouscommodity in education. 24 She alsonotes that blended learning can extendeducation beyond the school day andschool building thereby increasing theamount of time students spend acquir-ing knowledge and skills.

The Donnell-Kay Foundation (DKF)

has supported dissemination and re-search into the implementation ofblended learning in Colorado. Alongwith the CLF, the Colorado Departmentof Education, the University of Colora-do, eNetColorado, and the Internation-al Association of K-12 Online Learning(iNACOL), DKF hosted the 3rd annualColorado Summit on Blended Learn-

The...Expanded

Learning

Opportunities

initiative aims

to ignite

the unique

potential of

every student

through the

creation and

delivery of

dramatically

personalized

learning

experiences.


9/26



ing in 2012. DKF launched its workon blended learning in 2010 by host-ing the rst Colorado Blended Learn-ing Summit and releasing the paper,Blended Learning: The Best of BothWorlds.25 Last year, DKF and the In-dependence Institute convened nearly50 Colorado online education leaders(including school district and charterschool sta) and policy experts to crafta Policy Roadmap for Reform to sup-port the statewide implementation ofhigh-quality online and blended learn-ing programs. iNACOL president andCEO Susan Patrick, then-Colorado De-partment of Education Assistant Com-missioner Amy Anderson, and former

State Board of Education member Ran-dy DeHo facilitated the discussion.

The resulting Roadmap makes recom-mendations in three stages that ad-dress attendance count dates, a state-wide tracking system for assessment,graduation and other learning data forstudent cohorts, high-speed broadbandInternet access, course-level funding,performance-based funding for onlineproviders, and a competency-based

system for earning credits in highschool.26

A month later, Independence Insti-tute senior education policy analystBen DeGrow published a paper onhow Colorado can enable greater stu-dent access to self-blended courses.27Following the example of other states,Utah in particular, Colorado could

broaden self-blended course access by

distributing funding based on multiplecount dates, state funding of individu-al courses on a tiered funding structure

based on costs, combining studentsPPR and categorical funds and en-abling them to follow the student to theproviders of their choice, and dividingonline provider payments so that halfis paid upon successful completion by

the student. DeGrow recommendedselecting 10 or more school districts topilot the changes.

Even if these reforms are enacted, twobarriers remain to fully implementing

student-centered, course-level fund-ing: the lack of common course test-ing measurements and concerns abouthow to share accountability for a stu-dents performance.28

This year, DKF partnered with theGates Family Foundation and thenational organization, CEE-Trust, tofund an extensive blended learningworkshop. The summit and work-shop presentations are available on thefoundations website along with otherresources. A year ago, the foundationfunded a study of blended learning inrural Colorado that identied lack ofaccess to bandwidth as one of the main

barriers to broadening the capacity oftechnology integration in rural schools.Responding to this challenge, the foun-dation is now focusing on opportuni-ties to collaborate with organizationsand foundations at the state and na-

tional levels to build local capacity andinfrastructure in ways that will furtherintegrate digital learning into the edu-cation system more broadly across thestate.

In addition to supporting two Den-ver-area charter schools as they imple-ment blended learning strategies, Gatesis underwriting research and support-ing statewide organizations like CeLCthat are building capacity within thepublic school system to integrate tech-nology. Recently, the foundation con-tributed to the Charter Schools GrowthFunds Next-Generation School Invest-ments campaign to support high-per-forming charter schools with blendedschool models.29

Following the

example of

other states...

Colorado could

broaden self-blended course

access...


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Rural Colorado Access

Although no statewide statistics onblended learning in Colorado are avail-able, some data exist on blended andonline learning availability for rural

students. Last year, the Evergreen Edu-cation Group surveyed the superinten-dents of 139 rural Colorado districts,the executive directors and technologydirectors of the states 19 Boards of Co-operative Education Services (BOCES),and full-time virtual schools that serverural students.30 Of the 66 individualsfrom 54 entities who responded, 84 per-cent indicated that students were par-ticipating in online or blended learn-

ing classes. Where blended or onlinelearning exists, it is more likely to beavailable to high school students thanmiddle school or elementary schoolstudents. Credit recovery, AdvancedPlacement, and dual-credit arrange-ments are the most common online or

blended learning courses taken by stu-dents in rural areas.

Of the districts that reported oeringonline or blended learning opportu-

nities, 56 percent oer fully onlinecourses, 49 percent oer self-blendedcourses where student self-select intoonline courses they take after school,37 percent oer ex model classes in alearning lab, and 16 percent have class-es with a rotation model.31

John Watson of the Evergreen Educa-tion Group notes that some countriesare implementing blended learning ata faster rate than the United States. InSingapore, a nation known for its ex-ceptional education outcomes, 100 per-cent of high schools (grades 7 to 10) and85 percent of primary schools (grades 1to 6) use an LMS.32

Colorado Innovations by

School District

A growing number of districts andschools in Colorado have embracedonline and blended learning. The fol-lowing is not meant to be a denitivelist of districts and schools implement-ing blended learning strategies or pro-grams.

Boulder Valley School District

The Boulder Valley School District(BVSD) serves fully online students andhybrid students at Boulder Univer-sal, the districts virtual school. Hybridstudents are enrolled at two schoolstheir traditional high school and Boul-der Universal. Boulder Universal oersa range of credit recovery and corecontent courses to all BVSD students.Currently, over 1,100 students takecredit recovery courses while another400 self-blend into online courseworkthat they complete at home or at theirneighborhood schools computer lab orlibrary. All online courses are asynchro-nous.33

Under principal Kurt LeVasseursleadership, Boulder Universal is mov-ing beyond being a school for onlinestudents or for district students whowant to take a couple of online class-es. Boulder Universal is poised to be-come the districts blended learningresource center. Educators and technol-ogy experts are building courses thatare granular, so that teachers in thedistricts traditional public schools cantake them apart and use components toindividualize learning. Since all BVSDhigh schools have learning labs, teach-ers have the freedom to implement arange of blended models. Several highschools and middle schools have begunto integrate Boulder Universal resourc-es into teaching and learning.34

Boulder

Universal

is poised

to become

the districts

blended

learning

resource

center.


11/26



Boulder Universal resources presentdistrict teachers with many options.For example, a history teacher coulduse a Boulder Universal course scopeand sequence and the LMS (Schoology)to post the syllabus and assignments,collect essays, and post short videosfor students to watch as homework inpreparation for discussion the next day.A science teacher might have studentscomplete a large portion of the onlineclass content at home and use the classperiod to conduct experiments. A mathteacher might have students completethe quizzes online through the LMS toget data on whether students are grasp-ing the concepts. The teacher may then

have students who have mastered thematerial move ahead on the next mod-ule while she works with students whoare struggling.

One advantage of having online op-tions is that students who are aheadcan continue to move forward in a sub-

ject while remaining in the buildingwith their peers. Traditionally, studentswho excel beyond their age group at-tend class in an upper grade. While this

works for some students, it becomescomplicated when students must at-tend class with students who are sub-stantially older or when students must

be bused to another building. When aBVSD middle school had a group of 8thgraders who were advanced in math,the school decided not to bus themto the high school. Instead, the stu-dents completed their geometry coursethrough Boulder Universal. On the rst

day of class, a Boulder Universal teach-er demonstrated how to use the LMS,enabling the students to start the class.The students completed a semester ge-ometry course in 10 weeks by workingon library computers and at home. Theclass normally takes 18 weeks. Theymoved into the second semester ofgeometry and completed that course

in 10 weeks as well. While they couldhave moved into algebra in the secondsemester, the students opted to nishthe semester engrossed in online mathgames so that they could begin rst se-mester 9th grade algebra in the fall. Thestudents were able to progress aheadin math without having to be bused tohigh school, an intimidating prospectfor many middle schoolers.

Brighton School District 27J

In the 2013-14 school year, BrightonSchool District 27J will open a blend-ed learning high schoolB.O.L.T.(Brighton Online Learning for Tomor-row) Academywhere students willspend part of the time on campus andpart of the time online. The idea for a

blended learning school grew out ofthe districts decision to oer onlineclasses. Because the district does nothave a virtual school, students inter-ested in online education had left theschool system to attend online schoolsin other districts. When district leaders

began to examine student performanceand graduation rates at the states on-

line schools, however, they were disap-pointed in the results and determinedto go in a dierent direction.35 They setout to create a school that combinedthe connection and accountability offace-to-face learning with the person-alization of online learning. JenniferAlexander, a veteran educator and thedistricts digital learning teacher, waschosen to head the school. One of theadvantages of starting a school now,

says Alexander, is that we can look atestablished blended learning schoolsfor best practices.36

In designing the school, Alexan-der looked to several hybrid schoolsaround the country. She was drawnto the advisory program at Big PictureLearning, a school network that has es-

One of the

advantages

of starting a

school now,

says [B.O.L.T.

head of school,

Jennifer]

Alexander,is that we

can look at

established

blended

learning

schools for

best practices.


12/26



tablished schools in 14 states, includingColorado, and ve countries. At BigPicture Learning schools, an advisor isassigned to a small group of studentsand oversees progress on their individ-ualized learning plan by helping themset and meet weekly and quarterlygoals. The advisor oversees studentsinternships, leads group academic dis-cussions, collects and monitors studentwork, and connects students with edu-cation resources from books to onlineprograms to community college class-es.37

In terms of the sophistication of theironline systems, Alexander was im-

pressed by the ability of School of One,Carpe Diem Collegiate High Schooland Middle School, and Rocketshipschools to track and analyze studentperformance in real time.

Alexander also researched practices atSan Francisco Flex Academy, USC Hy-

brid High in Los Angeles, and FlexTechHigh School in Brighton, Michigan.At USC Hybrid High, opened in 2012,students work online in the classroom

while the teacher circulates to answerquestions. FlexTech High School stu-dents take online courses and workon projects, with the teacher acting ascoach and mentor. Students can alsoparticipate in a one- or two-year Culi-nary Arts & Hospitality ManagementProgram where they can earn an indus-try-recognized certicate from the Na-tional Restaurant Association Educa-tional Foundation. At the San Francisco

Flex Academy, which opened in 2010,high school students take on-site, on-line courses provided through K12 Inc.in a central lab. Students also meet withteachers in breakout rooms as neededfor intervention and supplemental in-struction.

The district decided that the ex modelwas the best blended learning strategyfor Brighton students. BOLT Acade-my students will be required to attendcampus classes three hours a day, fourdays a week. The remaining time, stu-dents will take online classes provided

by a national curriculum provider inthe schools lab or at home. At school,students take face-to-face enrichmentclasses such as personal nance, citi-zenship, and how to be Internet-savvyresearchers. BOLT students also willparticipate in internships and dualenrollment classes in community andtechnical colleges. The school will startsmall with around 50 students and

grow over time.

Buena Vista School District

Innovation is not just a Front Rangeventure. At the foot of the CollegiatePeaks, a small, rural school district isexperimenting with blended learningfor students in the districts alterna-tive and online schools. Students in theBuena Vista Online Academy, launchedin 2010, participate in some face-to-face

instruction, while students at ChaeeCounty High School, the alternativehigh school started by the district inpartnership with the Salida School Dis-trict, have the opportunity to completeonline coursework. Students enrolledin the Buena Vista Online Academy andthe Chaee County High School, whileconsidered separately for funding andstate assessment purposes, have accessto the same teachers and online classes.

The main dierence is where they fallalong the Blended Learning Continu-um, with alternative program studentsreceiving more face-to-face time andonline students spending more timeworking independently.

The district

decided that

the ex model

was the best

blendedlearning

strategy for

Brighton

students.


13/26



During the rst four weeks of theschool year, alternative and onlinestudents participate in an orientationcourse that introduces them to theirteachers, fellow students and what thedistricts director of online educationand principal of Chaee County HighSchool, Mike Post, calls the rules ofthe sandbox, that is, the logistics andnon-negotiable rules of school.38

The district uses an LMS called Moo-dle. When a student logs into the sys-tem from a school or home computer,it is as if she has walked through thefront door of the online school. Shechecks into a class and lls out a jour-

nal that describes what she intends tocomplete over the next three hours. Sheemails the entry to her advisor, whomonitors her progress and participa-tion. By clicking into the math course,the student has entered the virtualclassroom where she nds the ALEKSmath program, an interactive math cur-riculum licensed by a national providerwhich provides the bulk of the curric-ulum. Also waiting for her is a record-ed message from her teacher, a link to

Khan Academy for extra help, andher score on the last Demonstration ofKnowledge exam which she must passin order to progress in the class. Once amonth, the student goes to her teacher

Jake Hills oce to work on a module,but she can contact him any time forextra help. If one could peer into Hillsoce at Chaee County High School,where he teaches full-time in the al-ternative program, one might see ve

students working online, two workingfrom a traditional textbook, and twoworking with Hill on a dicult mathproblem. Some students may be in thealternative program, others in the on-line program.

In addition to Demonstration of Knowl-edge summary assessments, students

must take the districts Content TargetAssessment Tests. Teachers and advi-sors monitor assessments, log-in data,

journal entries and teacher contact timein lieu of traditional attendance andseat time. Post has created an innova-tive way to correlate online and alterna-tive work with the traditional CarnegieUnit of credit. He assigns 100 points toone course credit, which equals one .5Carnegie Unit or 60 hours of seat timein a traditional setting. One hour oftraditional seat time is therefore worth1.67 points. Teachers assign tasks pointvalues based on the expected amountof time they take to complete and theiroverall value in the learning process. A

student earns the points when he hascompleted the task and scored at the80 percent mastery level. Post oersthe following example: While watch-ing a three-hour movie may be worthonly one point, a half-hour meeting todiscuss content or concepts with theteacher or in a group may be worththree points.39

Students are required to document andsubmit all of their work for the teacher

to evaluate. The teacher provides feed-back and the student may need to re-submit work with edits in order to earnan 80 percent. The student keeps copiesof his work to provide evidence to theteacher that he has earned 100 pointsfor a credit. Exemplary work is used asdocumentation in the graduation port-folio. While students may work at theirown pace on the credits of their choice,they are expected to earn 9.6 points per

day, or 61.44 points every two weeks.Teachers, advisors, and the principalmonitor students through a contractsystem and work with students wholag behind or fail to meet minimumexpectations to create and execute awork plan that keeps them on task.

...[Chaffee

County

High School

principal Mike]

Post believes

that the mix

of online andface-to-face

instruction

has improved

student

outcomes.


14/26



Alternative and Online students takethe ACT together. Last year, these stu-dents enjoyed the highest score for analternative campus in the state. Proudof the results, Post believes that themix of online and face-to-face instruc-tion has improved student outcomes.In the future, he would like to see thedivisions break down between the Bue-na Vista Online Academy, the districtsalternative program, and traditionaldistrict high school students so thatstudents can take whatever course, beit online, blended, or traditional, thatworks for them to achieve prociency.

Denver Public Schools

In 2012, the Janus Foundation commit-ted to donating $2.1 million over threeyears to Denver Public Schools to accel-erate the use of blended learning in theclassroom. The goal is to leverage tech-nology so as to expand learning timewhile reducing class size and teachingloads. The district is in the process oflaunching six pilot schools that willadopt a classroom rotation model withstudents engaging in independent on-

line work part of the time. West Gen-eration Academy and Grant BeaconMiddle School are the rst two pilotschools.40

Grant Beacon Middle School (GBMS)received Innovation School statusin May 2012. Under the InnovationSchools Act of 2008, Colorado schoolsmay apply to their district to receiveInnovation School status. The designa-tion allows schools to waive state andlocal policies and collective bargain-ing agreements in order to implementinnovative ideas. During the 2012-13school year, GBMS began implement-ing a blended learning rotation model.Principal Alex Magana selected twolead teachers to act as math and read-ing blended learning facilitators to help

teachers implement the model. In read-ing, students rotate between an onlineprogram, independent reading, andworking with a teacher. In the 2012-13school year, the school used the Accel-erated Reader program which moni-tors and assesses independent readingand Read Live which develops read-ing skills.41 The school will use Read-ing Plus, which Magana sees as morerigorous, instead of Read Live in the2013-14 school year. In math, teachersdivide their classes into two groups.One group works on the ALEKS onlineprogram while the other works direct-ly with the teacher until they switchmodalities. In social studies, teachers

are implementing a ex model wherethe teacher posts learning goals andstudents work independently and ingroups to research topics online withthe teacher as a coach throughout theprocess.

Magana is especially pleased with howteachers are using the LMS (Moodle)to develop their own online curric-ulum. Reading teachers have addeddiscussion boards for students to post

book reviews and facilitate discussionof assigned books. In math, one teach-er has prerecorded his math lecturesso that students can listen to them asmany times as they need to understandthe learning target. In math, reading,and other subjects, students have theopportunity to move through the cur-riculum faster or slower depending ontheir needs, with the goal of helpingall students achieve prociency. Says

Language Arts Teacher Peter Grampp,Blended learning has everybodyreaching for the same goals, the samestandards, just dierent ways of gettingthere. Its an awesome way to keep therigor and the standards we must haveand be inclusive of all sorts of studentsand one teacher can do it. 42

At Grant

Beacon Middle

School...

students rotate

between an

online program,

independent

reading, and

working with a

teacher.


15/26



Several other foundations supportthe work of Rocky Mountain Prep(RMP), a charter school in east Den-ver where blended learning is integralto the schools structure. Disheartened

by Denver Public School statisticsonly half of all DPS students read ongrade level and 52 percent graduatefrom high schoolRMP founder JamesCryan set out to design a school whereteachers had real-time data and toolsto dierentiate instruction to meet theneeds of every single student.43 Blend-ed learning strategies could enabledierentiation even in a classroom of28 students. RMP opened a year agowith 131 pre-kindergarten, kindergar-

ten, and rst grade students, and willeventually enroll students through the8th grade. Cryan estimates that about83 percent of his students are fromlow-income families, about a third areHispanic, a third African American, 13percent White, 10 percent Arab, and 10percent Eastern European. Were theModel UN of schools, says Cryan.44

In addition to enabling more dieren-tiated instruction, the blended learning

model saves money, allowing Cryan toinvest more funds in his teaching staand special programs for students.Our blended learning approach al-lows us to oer a program that is eco-nomically more self-sustaining, saysCryan, So we believe that at full build-out our blended learning approach willsave the school about quarter milliondollars a year.45

Each reading and math class employsa rotational model. Class begins witha short whole group lesson, and thenstudents break into groups accordingto skills levels. Students rotate betweenstations that feature independent worksuch as reading, small group guidedreading or math with a teacher, smallgroup practice with a beginning teach-

er (called a teaching fellow), and inter-action with the DreamBox LearningMath and i-Ready online programs ona computer or tablet.46 Even the young-est students enjoy the online program-ming, which helps students developcompetency in essential skills, oftenin the guise of an engaging game. Stu-dents showed strong academic growthover the year, with 83 percent of RMPstudents scoring at grade or above lev-el by the end of the year on the STEP lit-eracy assessment.47 At the beginning ofthe school year, nearly half of studentsscored in the lowest quartile on the na-tionally normed Measures of AcademicProgress (MAP) assessment. By the end

of the year, nearly half scored in the topquartile on MAPs and students scoredin the 70th percentile overall.48

At the 14-year-old ExpeditionaryLearning Odyssey School in the ParkHill neighborhood of Denver, someclassrooms had already integratedtechnology into instruction. ExecutiveDirector Marcia Fulton wanted to ex-plore blended learning as a solution toa multitude of challenges from how to

meet student needs to time, space, andbudget concerns.49 Through a collab-orative process between teachers andthe administrators, the school commu-nity determined that blended learningwould complement the rotation modelalready in place throughout the school.Teachers regularly divide the class intosmall groups for collaborative, inde-pendent, and teacher-led work. Theschool worked with the Evergreen Ed-

ucation Group supported by a PitonFoundation grant to develop a plan forimplementation. Another grant by theMorgridge Family Foundation enabledthe school to pilot a blended literacymodel in grades 2 to 5.50

University Prep, a two-year-old char-ter school in historic Five Points, has an

...the blended

learning model

saves money,

allowing [Rocky

MountainPrep founder

James] Cryan

to invest more

funds in his

teaching staff

and special

programs for

students.


16/26



ambitious goal to prepare elementaryschool students so they can graduatefrom college down the road. DavidSinger, University Preps principal, be-lieves that blended learning can helpthe school accomplish its mission bygiving students more practice throughacademically rigorous online curric-ulum. Twice a week, students workon the ST Math online program whileteachers and teaching fellows circulateand provide assistance. The programmakes it easy for teachers to identifystruggling students through a colorsignal on the screen. On other days,teachers use more traditional methodsto teach math. In reading, students are

divided into four exible groupingsbased on reading skill levels. To masterthe ve components of readingpho-nics, phonemic awareness, uency, vo-cabulary, and comprehensiongroupsof students rotate through three orfour 30-minute blocks working withteachers, independently, or online withi-Ready reading program. Singer be-lieves it is important to provide chil-dren from low-income families with thesame caliber of technology as childrenin wealthy communities. Each class atUniversity Prep has a set of iPads to fa-cilitate blended learning. Says Singer,The mission of the school is for all ofour students to attend college; wed befoolish not to recognize the importanceof technology in education.51

Falcon School District 49

In August 2010, the Falcon School Dis-

trict opened the Falcon Virtual Acad-emy (FVA) with 59 students in gradeskindergarten through 12th grade. Lessthan three years later, the school has420 full-time students and nearly 1,000additional students who attend part-time or who take supplemental orcredit recovery courses while attendingtheir local school. Part of the growing

popularity of FVA is the 21,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art blended learningcenter the district opened in 2012.52 Thefacility features student workstations,videoconferencing systems, meetingrooms, an art studio, and a science lab.Three days a week, FVA students cango to the center to work independently,meet with teachers, or take classes thatapply what they are learning online.FVA students also take courses at PikesPeak Community College and engagein internships in the community.

Kim McClelland, district assistant su-perintendent and iConnect Zone inno-vation leader, estimates that during the

2012-13 school year, FVA students com-pleted about 70 percent of their workonline through the k12 and Aventa pro-grams and 30 percent in a face-to-facesetting at the center. She predicts thatin the future students may split theirtime evenly between on-site and onlinelearning.53

In 2013, Falcon and Yuma School Dis-trict 1 created the Colorado DigitalBOCES to support online and blend-

ed learning in districts throughoutthe state. Boards of Cooperative Ed-ucational Services (BOCES) providemember school districts with a varietyof services such as curriculum devel-opment, training, technology and datasupport, vocational, gifted and talent-ed, special education and alternativeprograming, and grants management.Because the FSD already contracts withCharter School Solutions, LLC for its

charter liaison services, it was a naturalt for Charter School Solutions to pro-vide the same type of expertise for thenew BOCES.

The rst of its kind in the state, theColorado Digital BOCES will provide

blended learning teacher training, asubstitute pool of trained educators, in-

The rst of

its kind in

the state,

the Colorado

Digital BOCES

will provide

blended

learning

teacher

training, a

substitute

pool of trained

educators,

induction

programing,

special

education

services, and

consulting.


17/26



duction programing, special educationservices, and consulting. McClelland isenthusiastic about the BOCES poten-tial to support the implementation of

best practices in blended learning forschools. Many districts do not havethe capacity to provide training andcurriculum development in blendedand online learning environments ontheir own, she says. We can do moretogether.54

Falcon 49 is unique in that instead ofhaving a superintendent, the districthas made use of the states 2008 Inno-vation Schools Act to divide into fourzones, each overseen by an assistant

superintendent. Each of the three tra-ditional zones comprises a high schooland its feeder middle school and ele-mentary schools. The fourth zonetheiConnect Zone includes the districtscharter schools, virtual school, homes-chool program, and alternative school.Each zone has considerable autonomyover its programing. While blendedlearning occurs most noticeably in thevirtual schools learning center in theiConnect Zone, blended learning strat-

egies are being implemented in the tra-ditional zones as well. Several schoolsare oering self-blended online coursesto be taken in the schools computer labor have instituted a lab rotation modelwith students spending part of the timein the schools computer lab and part inthe classroom.

Jefco Public Schools

In 2008, Jeco Public Schools openedthe Jeerson County 21st CenturyVirtual Academy, an online school forstudents in grades 7 to 12. Part-timestudents can take up to three coursesa semester while remaining enrolledin their own public, private, or homeschool. The school also oers credit re-

covery courses throughout the year forstudents needing credits to graduate.

The virtual academy adopted the LMSSchoology because it resembles thepopular social networking site Face-

book.55 The LMS is user-friendly, andteachers and students are comfortablewith its format. The district hires ex-pert curriculum writers who createcourses so that the components, suchas assessments, reading requirements,discussion questions, assignments, re-cordings, videos, and other resources,can be restructured by teachers accord-ing to their needs and the needs of theirstudents. Teachers and students can

post feedback on Schoology regardingthe course so that it can be improved.

Jeco 21st Century Virtual Academyteachers and students are not the onlyones logging into the schools LMS;20,000 other Jeco students also haveaccounts. Teachers at traditional districtschools are using the LMS and its cur-ricular resources to implement blendedlearning in their own classrooms. Tofacilitate the integration of technology

in the classroom, the district has beenconducting training at Jeco schools.The Schoology site also provides vir-tual working space for educators todesign or rene virtual and blendedlearning courses and get feedback andsupport from district technology andcurriculum experts.

In addition to providing opportunitiesfor traditional students to self-blendinto online courses or to study full timeat the Jeerson County 21st CenturyVirtual Academy, the district is facil-itating the adoption of blended learn-ing models in its traditional schoolsthrough its virtual school resources.With district resources and training,the skys the limit for creative teach-

Teachers attraditional

district schools

are using the

LMS and its

curricular

resources to

implement

blendedlearning in

their own

classrooms.


18/26



ers, says Sherry Meier, assistant di-rector of student online learning at the

Jeerson County Public Schools.56

The greatest challenge for many teach-ers, Meier believes, is getting people to

conceptualize blended learning. Edu-cators often see learning as constrained

by four sides of a boxseat time, loca-tion, packaged curriculum, and sched-ule. Blended learning enables teachersto fold down the sides of the box. Stu-dents can learn outside of the schoolday and school classroom. Studentscan take more or less time to master thematerial and progress to the next learn-ing target. Teachers can take apart the

curriculum and use components thatwork for them while adding their owntools and content.

Woodland Park School District Re-2

Nestled in the Rampart Range, theWoodland Park School District Re-2is home to two high school chemistryteachers whose blended learning mod-el has won them national attention fromthe premier education reform journal

Education Next and other national or-ganizations.57 In 2012, Jonathan Berg-mann and Aaron Sams published FlipYour Classroom: Reach Every Student inEvery Class Every Day, and have pro-duced a series of webinars about theipped classroom strategies they useat Woodland Park High School.58 In aipped classroom, students watch re-corded videos of lectures at home afterschool hours and spend class time inthe science lab applying the conceptsthey learned the previous night.

Enabling students to listen to lecturesat home accomplishes several objec-tives: homework is essential not busywork, students who need to hear thelecture more than once can do so, andlimited classroom time can be spent in

the lab working on challenging prob-lems. After all, students do not need to

be together in a classroom to listen to alecture, but they are unlikely to conductadvanced chemistry alone at home.Bergman and Sams ipped classroomhelps them maximize time.

Bergmann and Sams believe the newarrangement has improved their rap-port and engagement with students.In the classroom, students who under-stand can work independently, whilestudents who need help work one-on-one or in a small group with the teach-er. Bergmann says that struggling stu-dents are more likely to ask questions

in the lab environment than in a wholeclass lecture.59

Bergmanns daughter Kaitie took twoipped classes while in high schoolan honors freshman earth and spacescience class and chemistry. She likedthe ability to watch the lecture morethan once. She also appreciated theability to step up and take responsibil-ity for my own learning at a pace thatworked for me. I got to choose when to

listen to a lecture, decide what was thebest use of my class time, such conduct-ing a lab, doing a worksheet, asking forhelp, or working in a small group, andthen work towards the weekly statedgoals.60

According to Bill Tucker, who proledBergmann and Sams work in EducationNext, the idea of the ipped classroomhas been around for a decade. The Na-tional Center for Academic Transfor-mation (NCAT) and higher educationinstitutions have implemented similarmodels.

NCAT president and CEO Carol Twiggbelieves that with strong student ex-pectations and monitoring a ippedclassroom can help reengage students

In a ipped

classroom,

students watch

recorded

videos oflectures at

home after

school hours

and spend

class time in

the science lab

applying the

concepts theylearned the

previous night.


19/26



in learning. While the ipped class-room can provide expanded time forlab work and other projects, teachersneed to ensure that students have therequisite knowledge and skills to par-ticipate in projects in a meaningful way.If you dont have basic math skills,says Twigg, you cant do an interest-ing physics project.61

Status of Blended Learning

As table 1 shows, district and schoolexamples described on the previouspages can be categorized by the Clay-ton Christensen Institute for DisruptiveInnovation blended learning models.

In Model 1 schools, students rotate be-tween face-to-face instruction and on-line lesson delivery conducted in theclassroom, in the lab, or at home. Theschool may employ blended learningin a few classrooms or it may be an in-tegral part of the schools instructionaldelivery. In Model 2 schools, instruc-tion is delivered primarily online in

a lab with teachers providing onlinesupport and enrichment opportuni-ties. In Model 1 and 2 schools, studentsattend a single school which receivesthe students per-pupil funding and isaccountable for the students perfor-mance on the Transitional ColoradoAssessment Program (TCAP) and ACTassessments.

Similarly, in Model 4, where studentsattend a single online school and re-ceive face-to-face support and enrich-ment coursework at a learning center,students attend a single school, whichreceives the students funding and isresponsible for student assessment

scores. Students enrolled full-time inone of the states multi-district onlineprograms receive less PPR than tradi-tional district students while studentsenrolled full-time in a single-districtonline program receive the same PPRas traditional students. Students mayenroll part time in an online school andpart time in their neighborhood school.

Table 1: Blended Learning Classication of School Examples Described in this Report

Model 1 Rotation Model 2 Flex Model 3 Self-Blend Model 4 Enriched-Virtual

Carpe DiemCollegiate HighSchool and MiddleSchool, AZ

BOLT Academy,COFlexTech High,MI

Boulder Universal,CO*

Buena Vista Online Acad-emy, CO

Grant Beacon Mid-dle School, CO

San FranciscoFlex Academy,CA

Colorado OnlineLearning, CO

Falcon Virtual Academy,CO

Odyssey School,CO

USC HybridHigh, CA

Jeco 21st CenturyVirtual Academy,CO*

RocketshipEducation, CA

Rocky MountainPrep, CO

School of One, NYUniversity Prep,CO

Woodland ParkHigh School, CO

*Also enroll full-time and part-time online students

...district

and school

examples

described on

the previouspages can be

categorized

by the Clayton

Christensen

Institute for

Disruptive

Innovation

blendedlearning

models.


20/26



Students may also access up to twosupplemental courses through a dis-trict-approved provider such as a dis-trict online school, online program, or astatewide online program like Colora-do Online Learning (COL) and still beconsidered a full-time student at theirlocal school. In this self-blend option(Model 3), unlike Models 1, 2, 4, stu-dents take courses from more than oneprovidertheir local school and an on-line provider.

The growing popularity of self-blend-ed supplemental courses has promptedthe legislature to make changes in howthese classes are funded and tracked. In

2013, Gov. John Hickenlooper signedSenate Bill 139, which mandates thatevery Colorado high school studenthave the opportunity to take at leastone supplemental online course peryear. The state, in coordination with theBOCES administering the supplemen-tal online provider contract, will trackacademic performance of students tak-ing supplemental online courses, passand fail rates of supplemental coursesand satisfaction survey results of teach-

ers, parents, and students. The lawalso eliminated the $200 per studentper semester course fee cap in hopesthat it would increase the number ofhigh-quality courses created and of-fered by providers.

Despite these reforms, student abili-ty to take self-blended courses is stilllimited. If the student wants to take acourse from a non-approved source,

even if it is provided by another Col-orado district or public charter school,he must pay out of pocket and may notreceive course credit.

Some states have enacted educationfunding systems that allow secondarystudents to more easily take onlinecourses. Louisiana is the latest state to

adopt such reforms. In 2013, the Loui-siana Board of Elementary and Second-ary Education voted to fund the $2 mil-lion Louisiana Course Choice programfor the upcoming school year. Studentsattending a public school with a stateaccountability rating of C, D or F, or anA- or B-rated school that does not oeran equivalent course, may enroll in anonline course from state-approved pro-vider. The state pays the online provid-er half upon enrollment and half uponsuccessful completion.62 Utah and Tex-as also pay online providers at the be-ginning and end of the course. Fundingonline courses through a combinationof upfront and completion payments

ensures that online providers workto retain students until they success-fully nish the course. This system ofaccountability protects taxpayers andprovides an incentive for providers todeliver engaging courses and interven-tions.

Florida takes accountability to anoth-er level: online and traditional site-

based courses with end-of-courseexams will be funded through a per-

formance-based system beginning in2014.63 By doing so, Florida has creat-ed a link between funding and studentcontent mastery.

Historically, class completion has beenmeasured in terms of seat time, alongwith a rating of the students workquality and subject competency in theform of a grade. If students can work attheir own pace in a blended or online

class, seat time requirements may bea hindrance, particularly for studentswho can master the material in lesstime than a semester. A recent study

by the Colorado Childrens Campaignoers this insight: Competency-basedpathways ip accountability. Instead ofmaking time the constant and allow-ing mastery to vary, competency-based

If the student

wants to take a

course from a

non-approved

source...he

must pay out

of pocket and

may not receive

course credit.


21/26



approaches make mastery the measureby which students move to the next les-son, unit, course, or graderegardlessof how much time it takes.64 Rigorous,standards-aligned end-of-course as-sessments oer a more accurate deter-mination of completion. Adams SchoolDistrict 50 in Westminster has imple-mented a competency-based system.65

The Colorado Childrens Campaignrecommends the state provide districtswaivers and credit exibility to adaptcompetency-based measures of studentprogress for the granting of credits andfunding purposes. However, the orga-nization believes that ultimately the

state must redesign its education sys-tem to fully integrate student learningoutcomes with matriculation and fund-ing. Other states are moving in this di-rection. In 2013 Texas Gov. Rick Perrysigned Senate Bill 1365, which enablesstudents to earn course credits throughassessments rather than seat time.

Although Colorado does not current-ly tie funding and credit earning tocompetency-based measures such as

end-of-course exams, the state doesconnect competency-based measuressuch as TCAP to school rating (SchoolPerformance Frameworks) and UniedImprovement Plan designations. Inother words, schools are accountablefor student prociency in core subjects.As students take more self-blended on-line classes from the district or outsideproviders, policymakers will need toconsider the potential impact on TCAP

scores and school ratings. For example,even if the student takes reading cours-es online but attends a traditional pub-lic school, his reading scores on TCAPor the ACT are owned by the school,not the online provider. Since this islikely to be the case in only a small per-centage of situations, online coursesare unlikely to impact a schools TCAP

or ACT scores. But in the future, thenumber of blended students is likelyto increase and with them the potentialfor impacting schools average scoresand ratings.

Recommendations for Lawmakers66

1.Enable per-pupil revenue to ow di-rectly to schools and courses ratherthan rst through the district cen-tral oce. Funding could be divid-ed among courses and travel acrossdistrict lines based on student enroll-ment choices.

2. Distribute funds based on multiplecount dates rather the current single

October 1 enrollment count, usingaverage daily membership (ADM)rather than attendance. Senate Bill213, signed by Governor Hickenloop-er in 2013, changes the current one-day count to a quarterly ADM count.However, voters must approve a $1

billion tax increase in November forthe change to take place.

3. Divide payments to online courseproviders so that 50 percent of thefunding is provided after successfulcompletion. Districts and the stateshould consider how to dene suc-cessful completion in terms of com-petency measures, such as end-of-course exams rather than seat time.

4. Commission an experimental or qua-si-experimental research study on

blended learning at specic Coloradosites to determine possible impacts

on student prociency on state as-sessments.

Recommendations for Schools

Given that existing research on blend-ed learning in a K-12 environment islimited, teachers, principals, and su-perintendents may want to proceed

The Colorado

Childrens

Campaign

recommends

the stateprovide

districts

waivers and

credit exibility

to adapt

competency-

based

measuresof student

progress for

the granting

of credits

and funding

purposes.


22/26



with caution. Blending learnings po-tential for improving student perfor-mance and even providing cost savingscan only be realized if the model is wellimplemented. Done poorly, blendedlearning is just another shiny-lookingeducation reform with lackluster re-sults.

The Donnell-Kay Foundations CaseStudy of Blended Learning Implemen-tation: The Odyssey School and Rocky

Mountain Prep by Matt Samelson pro-vides an excellent examination of thecosts and benets of blended learn-ing faced by two Colorado schools asthey implemented blended learning.67

During the process, the school directorsasked themselves a series of importantquestions:

What do we want to accomplish?

Which Learning Management Sys-tem and digital content is right forour school?

How much will they cost?

What professional development is

necessary for teachers?

Should the school start small withone classroom, one grade level oradopt the model universally?

What is the timeline for implementa-tion?

What problems will blended learningsolve?

What are our data needs?

What LMS can handle data frommultiple programs?

How will teachers, board members,and parents respond to the change?

How will blended learning impactteacher recruitment?

Judy Bauernschmidt, the executive di-rector of CeLC, oers valuable adviceto school leaders: Dont go it alone.School leaders interested in blendedlearning should reach out to schoolsimplementing dierent models and tothe previously noted capacity-build-ing organizations that can help schoolsanticipate potential costs, and begin toput together a thorough plan.

Conclusion

Just as computer technology can helpteachers personalize education in thetraditional classroom, face-to-face in-struction can bring a personal touch

to the education of an online student.Blended learning is a framework forintegrating technology with tradition-al instruction rather than pedagogy orcurriculum, it can be exibly adapt-ed to many classroom environments,teacher preferences, and student needs.Schools can choose from among fourmodels of blended learning that spana continuum of primarily face-to-faceto primarily online-driven instruction.Even when minimally implemented,

blended learning strategies can provideteachers with real-time assessment dataand the time to work with small groupsof struggling students while studentswho have mastered the material canmove forward in the curriculum. Onthe other end of the spectrum, onlinecredit recovery courses with face-to-face options can give struggling stu-dents a chance to make up courseworkand graduate while self-blended cours-

es provide motivated students the op-portunity to explore learning beyondthe classroom and school day. That isthe promise of blended learning.

Just as there is promise, there are alsocosts associated with the implemen-tation of blended learning. Whether a

Done poorly,

blended

learning is

just another

shiny-looking

educationreform with

lackluster

results.


23/26



school adopts a blended learning rotation in someclasses or a whole school model with intensive useof online tools, the technology and training entailnancial and time-related costs. One ought also toconsider the cost of failure if the program is poor-ly implemented. Regardless of how a school or adistrict implements blended learning, the questionshould always be: Are students learning more asa result of these changes? The purpose of fundingonline programs based in part on completion, formore research into the ecacy of blended models,and for proceeding carefully when implementing

blended learning strategies at the school level, asthis paper recommends, is to keep that questionever before us. The dierence between true inno-vation and temporary novelty, after all, is the stay-ing power of results.

Notes__________________________________

1John Watson, Blended Learning: The Convergence ofOnline and Face-to-Face Education, North American

Council for Online Learning (2008), p.4, http://www.

eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED509636.pdf.2 Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn, ClassifyingK12 Blended Learning, Innosight Institute,

(May 2012), http://www.christenseninstitute.org/

wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Classifying-K-12-

blended-learning.pdf.3 See Khan Academy, http://www.khanacademy.

org/.4 Kim McClelland, District Assistant Superintendent,Falcon School District 49, telephone conversation withthe author, May 26, 2013.5 Matt Samelson, Case Study of Blended LearningImplementation: The Odyssey School and RockyMountain Prep, Donnell-Kay Foundation (April

2013), http://dkfoundation.org/sites/default/files/

files/DK%20Blended%20Learning%20Case%20

Study%20FINAL.pdf.6

Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker, The Rise ofK12 Blended Learning, Innosight Institute (January

2011), p.1, http://www.innosightinstitute.org/

innosight/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Rise-

of-K-12-Blended-Learning.pdf.7 Clayton M. Christensen, Michael B. Horn, andCurtis W. Johnson, Disrupting Class: How DisruptiveInnovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (New

York: McGraw-Hill, 2008).8 Ibid, p. 6.9 Ibid.; Carpe Diem School video, http://www.

youtube.com/watch?v=-s_O65rWV10.10 U.S. News and World Report: High Schools, http://

www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/

arizona/districts/carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school/

carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school-dba-carpe-

diem-e-825.11 See School of One website, http://schoolofone.org/.12 Horn and Staker, The Rise of K12 BlendedLearning.13 Clayton M. Christensen, Michael B. Horn,and Heather Staker, Is K-12 Blended LearningDisruptive? An introduction of the theory ofhybrids, Clayton Christensen Institute (May 2013),

http://www.christenseninstitute.org/wp-content/

uploads/2013/05/Is-K-12-Blended-Learning-Disruptive.pdf.14 Futuristic Rocketship Schools Redene Teaching,

USA Today, October 22, 2012, http://www.

usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/13/

charter-schools-future-classroom/1631387/.15 Ibid.16 Staker and Horn, Classifying K12 BlendedLearning, p.1.17 U.S. Department of Education Oce of Planning,Evaluation, and Policy Development Policy andProgram Studies Service, Evaluation of Evidence-

Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysisand Review of Online Learning Studies, Revised

September 2010, http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/

eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf.18 Colorado Department of Education, SY2012-13

Online School Demographics by School Name, http://

www.cde.state.co.us/onlinelearning/download/

rptDemographicsAll1213.pdf.19 Colorado Department of Education, Characteristics

of Colorados Online Students, October 2012, http://

www.cde.state.co.us/onlinelearning/download/OL_

Research_Final.pdf.20 See Colorado Online Learning, http://www.

coloradoonlinelearning.org/about.html.21 See eNetColorado, http://www.enetcolorado.org/.22 See CeLC (Colorado eLearning Collaborativewas formerly known as eLearning Network

of Colorado) http://elnco.org/about-us/elnc.23 Ignite the Power of Learning: Expanded Learning
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n/best-high-schools/arizona/districts/carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school/carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school-dba-carpe-diem-e-825http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/arizona/districts/carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school/carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school-dba-carpe-diem-e-825http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/arizona/districts/carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school/carpe-diem-collegiate-high-school-dba-carpe-diem-e-825http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s_O65rWV10http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s_O65rWV10http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Rise-of-K-12-Blended-Learning.pdfhttp://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Rise-of-K-12-Blended-Learning.pdfhttp://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Rise-of-K-12-Blended-Learning.pdfhttp://dkfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/DK%20Blended%20Learning%20Case%20Study%20FINAL.pdfhttp://dkfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/DK%20Blended%20Learning%20Case%20Study%20FINAL.pdfhttp://dkfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/DK%20Blended%20Learning%20Case%20Study%20FINAL.pdfhttp://www.khanacademy.org/http://www.khanacademy.org/http://www.christenseninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning.pdfhttp://www.christenseninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning.pdfhttp://www.christenseninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning.pdfhttp://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED509636.pdfhttp://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED509636.pdf


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Opportunities, Colorado Legacy Foundation

http://issuu.com/coloradolegacyfoundation/docs/

elo-narrative/3?e=0.24 Samantha Long, Director of Initiatives, ColoradoLegacy Foundation, telephone conversation with theauthor, July 3, 2013.25 Amy Berk Anderson and Amanda Skrzypchak,Blended Learning: The Best of Both Worlds,

Donnell-Kay Foundation (February 2011), http://

www.dkfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/

BlendedLearning-BestOfBothWorlds-Feb2011.pdf.26 Pam Benigno and Ben DeGrow, The Futureof Colorado Digital Learning: Crafting a PolicyRoadmap for Reform, Independence Institute Issue

Backgrounder 2012-A (March 2012), http://education.

i2i.org/wp-cont

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