Individual Online Classes

Any school district can offer individual

online classes.

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Online programs allow pupils to remain enrolled in their school district of residence and substitute an online class for one in their traditional school, or to take an online class in addition to their existing coursework. School districts typically use online programs to expand their curricula, and they remain responsible for granting credits, awarding diplomas, assessing pupil progress and

achievement, and providing special education services if needed. Table 28 shows the four current supplemental programs that all school districts in Wisconsin can use to provide online classes. Additional information on each program, including program administrator information, class enrollment totals, and curriculum contractors, can be found in Appendix 5.

Table 28

Supplemental Online Programs

2007-08 School Year Online Program Year Program Started Grades

Served Program Description

Wisconsin Virtual School 2000-01 6 through 12 The program is administered by CESA 9 and uses curriculum materials purchased from contractors. DPI- licensed teachers teach all classes in association with a local education guide, who is designated to monitor pupil progress. A variety of classes is offered to pupils statewide.

Wisconsin eSchool Network 2006-07 9 through 12 The program is administered by eight partner school districts and uses curriculum materials developed by Wisconsin teachers and purchased from contractors. DPI-licensed teachers teach all classes in association with a local education guide. A variety of classes is offered to pupils statewide.

District Cooperative Online Program

2001-02 5 through 8 The program is administered by the Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth and uses curriculum materials developed by Wisconsin teachers. DPI-licensed teachers or teachers with advanced degrees teach classes. Advanced classes are offered to academically talented pupils statewide.

Digital Districts Online 2005-06 9 through 12 The program uses curriculum materials purchased from contractors. All classes must have a DPI-licensed local teacher. A variety of classes is offered to pupils within the program’s member districts.

Online programs offer online classes to supplement

coursework in traditional public schools.

INDIVIDUA L ONLINE CLASSES

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In order to promote access to online classes for all pupils statewide, 2007 Wisconsin Act 222 required DPI to “make online courses available for a reasonable fee, through a statewide Web academy, to school districts, CESAs, charter schools, and private schools” in Wisconsin. In July 2008, DPI entered into a memorandum of understanding with CESA 9, which operates the Wisconsin Virtual School online program, to administer a new program, the Wisconsin Web Academy. The program provides more than 70 core curriculum, elective, and credit-recovery classes and more than 20 advanced placement classes year round to middle and high school pupils. All classes are taught by DPI-licensed teachers, and school districts must designate a local education guide—typically a teacher, guidance counselor, or other appropriate school staff person—who serves as a liaison between a pupil and teacher and monitors pupil progress. School districts pay a per pupil, per class fee of $325 to CESA 9 for most classes. CESA 9 staff provide guidance and training to school districts on policy writing, mentor orientation, and other district needs related to online learning. In addition to providing education to full-time pupils, 7 of the 15 virtual charter schools we reviewed enrolled part-time pupils in the 2007-08 school year. Part-time open enrollment allows pupils to take no more than two classes at any time in a school outside of their own district. As noted, Appleton eSchool, Janesville Virtual Academy, Kenosha eSchool, and Kiel eSchool are members of the Wisconsin eSchool Network online program and allow pupils from their own and other school districts to enroll in individual classes taught by virtual charter school teachers. School districts using these services contract with the chartering school districts, which in turn pay a portion of the funds received to the Wisconsin eSchool Network online program for operating costs, such as purchasing and updating online curriculum materials. The Wisconsin eSchool Network online program’s eight member districts, which also include the Baraboo, Kimberly, Madison Metropolitan, and

Sheboygan school districts, are autonomous but share resources to purchase online curriculum materials and develop and teach their own online classes. School districts are also able to create online classes independently or in cooperation with their CESAs, but use of these online classes has been low.

Some concerns have been raised regarding the licensing of teaching staff associated with online programs offered by individual schools. For example, recent media accounts reported that the Oshkosh School District was unaware of the qualifications of teaching staff provided under contract with Kaplan, Inc., which provides services associated with its online program for grades 9 through 12. We contacted the Oshkosh School District’s interim superintendent and were told that all Kaplan, Inc., teachers serving district pupils have CESA 9 administers the

statewide Wisconsin Web Academy through a memorandum of understanding with DPI.

Seven virtual charter schools served as supplemental online programs by enrolling part-time pupils in the 2007-08 school year.

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subsequently become licensed in Wisconsin. However, the interim superintendent indicated that the licensing of Kaplan’s teachers was not required because they function as teaching assistants, and licensed teachers employed by the school district continue to teach each class as they have in the past.

Statutes now require virtual charter school teachers to hold a

teaching license in the subject area and grade level in which they are teaching, and the governing body of a virtual charter school must assign an appropriately licensed teacher for each online class offered by a virtual charter school. Although these rules do not directly apply to online programs, any person who teaches in a public school must hold a teaching license issued by DPI. Therefore, school districts that use contracted teachers for online programs must ensure that those teachers are appropriately licensed by DPI for the grade and subject being taught, or the district must assign an appropriately licensed teacher to the classes.

Recommendation

We recommend the Department of Public Instruction annually request information from all school districts regarding the provision of supplemental online programs and verify that all teachers of online programs teach subjects and grade levels that are

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A study published by the North American Council for Online Learning in fall 2009 found that 45 states had implemented either full-time or supplemental online learning programs, and the number of pupils participating in online learning is expected to continue to increase nationwide. As noted, 2007 Wisconsin Act 222 limits the number of full-time pupils who may attend virtual charter schools in Wisconsin through open enrollment to 5,250 per year, starting in the 2009-10 school year. This open enrollment limit will likely be reached in the near future, which will prompt continued legislative debate about the program’s size and scope.