Online courses for Middle School Students: What does it mean for high school and higher ed?

I've been thinking a lot lately about how online courses taken by high school students will impact course offerings and general operations of colleges and universities.  What happens when a high school student arrives at the university with enough credits to be a sophomore thanks to special programs in North Carolina like Learn and Earn?  Are colleges and universities adjusting their offerings and capacity to meet the needs of these students?

My wonderings were recently piqued when I read about a Wisconsin district's efforts to expand online offerings to middle school students.  (See Wakesha Schools expand online academy to grades 6-8)  What does this, in turn, mean for high schools?  And to highlight one section of the article, are middle school students ready for the independence required in the online environment?  I'd love to hear more about how higher education is adapting their offerings and advising to meet these changes in offerings for middle school and high school students.