Global Strategies: "Make Oregon an international leader in providing online learning opportunities"

The Co-Chairs of the Online Learning Task Force, Senator Devlin and Representative Gelser, will present the task force report to the two interim education committees at hearings on 1/12 and 1/13/10. Unfortunately, it’s the story of the tail wagging the dog. Much of the report deals with efforts to regulate virtual charter schools. Virtual charter schools, IMHO, have developed (and become the focus of controversy) because of a lack of leadership in developing other forms and opportunities for online learning in Oregon’s K-12 education system. On the issue of giving broad direction for online learning in Oregon, the Online Learning Task Force essentially passes the buck to the State Board of Education. And their charges to the Board of Education to develop a "governance model" and "review" appropriate funding levels seem unclear, very limited, and lacking in vision.

I’m not going to blog about the virtual charter school issues. They are the side show. I am going to present excerpts from the Online Learning Task Force Report that relate to developing a more comprehensive system on online learning opportunities. And then include my letter to the members of the two interim education committees.

From the Executive Summary of the Online Learning Task Force Report:

The legislation recommended by the Online Learning Task Force is designed to address the issues of governance, funding, accountability, quality, and equitable access to online education in Oregon. The recommended legislation also contains provisions to bring clarity to existing statutes as well as a plan for achieving a clearer scheme of regulation for online education generally.
Under the recommended legislation, the State Board of Education (Board) is directed to propose a governance model for public schools that provide online courses although not primarily at a physical location (virtual public schools). The governance model would account for public charter schools that offer online instruction (virtual charter schools). The Board’s proposed governance model is to be presented to the appropriate legislative committees by September 1, 2010….
…The recommended legislation focuses on funding by directing the Board to review appropriate levels and methods for funding virtual public schools including virtual charter schools. This will position the Legislative Assembly to thoughtfully and comprehensively set a course forward for online learning in Oregon. The Board is to report its preliminary findings to the appropriate legislative committees by September 1, 2010.

The other product of the Online Learning Task Force is Legislative Concept 15, a draft of a bill intended to go to the February special legislative session. Section 9 of the bill is the only part that gives any further direction for developing a more comprehensive system. From the report:

LC 15 is recommended by the Online Learning Task Force to address the issues identified as practical to address during the February 2010 Legislative Session. Overall, the legislation seeks to ensure that online education in Oregon will be of high quality and available to those who choose it. It also would provide accountability and develop information that will foster effective discussions of online education in Oregon. It also proposes a process to develop consistency and clarity in statutes governing virtual public schools including virtual charter schools……
Section 9(2)(a)
Section 9(2)(a) charges the Board with proposing a governance model for virtual public schools including those that are virtual charter schools. The Board’s proposed governance model is to be presented to the appropriate legislative committees by September 1, 2010. The Task Force believes that the Board has developed expertise in online education and that its thoughtful consideration of this subject will move Oregon forward in assuring clarity and fairness in providing online learning opportunities. The Task Force recommends that the governance model contain a mechanism to ensure high-quality online course offerings and curriculum.
Section 9(2)(b)
Section 9(2)(b) requires the Board to review the appropriate levels and methods for funding virtual public schools including those that are virtual charter schools and to report its preliminary findings to the appropriate legislative committees by September 1, 2010.

The following is the email I sent to members of the Senate Interim Education and General Government Committee on 1/9/10. My email to members of the House Interim Education Committee was similar.

Dear Senator,
I urge you to expand substantially online learning opportunities for Oregon students statewide
I am primarily concerned that Mandarin and a variety of other foreign languages learning opportunities be available online statewide to all Oregon students, that Oregon capture the costs savings from a broad and significant statewide online learning effort, and that some of those cost savings be reallocated to foreign language and high school study abroad programs. I have estimated the annual educational cost savings from online learning to be $240 million after six years. I would welcome a better, more researched estimate by someone with access to more cost data from online providers.
The Senate Interim Education and General Government Committee will both receive the “Report of the Online Learning Task Force” and hold a hearing on “Legislative Concept 15” on Wednesday, January 13^th.
Please clarify the intent, or substitute the language provided below, of Section 9 (2) of Legislative Concept 15, which currently states:
(2) The State Board of Education shall:
(a) Develop a proposed governance model for virtual public schools, including virtual public charter schools.
(b) Review the appropriate levels and methods of funding for virtual public schools, including virtual public charter schools.
I do not think the language “governance model” nor “review” are clear enough in the current version of Section 9, part (2). I suggest the language of Section 9, part (2) be changed to:
(2) The State Board of Education shall:
(a) Develop a proposal for a statewide system of online learning opportunities for students in kindergarten through 12^th grade that includes:
(A) Full-time online school programs, both charter and non-charter, at all levels kindergarten through 12^th grade;
(B) High school online courses, both semester and full-year;
(C) Middle school online courses, both semester and full-year; and
(D) Other online programs or classes that can be used by in-building teachers as part of their classes or by students seeking credit by proficiency.
(b) Develop a proposal for a statewide system for paying for online learning opportunities for students in kindergarten through 12^th grade. In developing such a proposal, the Board shall consider a statewide open bidding process by online providers that would provide the maximum course variety and choice of online providers at the least possible costs.
(c) Develop a proposal for a governance and administrative structure for a statewide system of online learning opportunities for students in kindergarten through 12^th grade.
(d) Develop cost estimates for:
(A) Providing every Oregon public school student with a laptop computer; and
(B) Connecting every Oregon public school building to broadband internet services with wifi services throughout the school buildings.
(e) Develop a proposal for whatever else is needed to make Oregon an international leader in providing online learning opportunities for its students statewide.
(f) change the existing (c) to (f).
And Section 9 (4) would also need to be changed to conform to any changes in Section 9 (2).
Thank you. Sincerely – Dave Porter
PS – Rosetta Stone, for example, offers online learning opportunities in 28 foreign languages, see here.
PPS – From my blog post “Saving $60 million with online learning:”
“This is my rough estimate of cost savings: Currently Oregon has 1-2% percent of its students using online education. I think over the next six years Oregon could grow online education to 10% of the educational activity (a mix of full time and part time online programs). Online education cost about one-half (Salem Keizer Online’s full-time high school program is about one-half the average per pupil state fund payment) of brick-and-mortar education. Going from 2% to 10% is an 8% growth. Saving one-half of costs on the 8% growth is saving 4% of total costs, or $240 million of a $6 billion statewide educational budget. Perhaps only 1%, or $60 million, could be saved in the first biennium.” See here.