K-12 Online Learning: A 2008 Follow-up of the Survey of U.S. School District Administrators
The Sloan Consortium, one of the largest organization focused on quality education through online learning, recently released this report as a follow-up to a K-12 report from two years ago. The report reveals a 47% growth in the number of students enrolled in online courses from the original study. Among other key findings, the report includes the following highlights:
1. Three quarters of the responding public school districts are offering online or blended
courses:
• 75% had one or more students enrolled in a fully online or blended course.
• 70% had one or more students enrolled in a fully online course.
• 41% had one or more students enrolled in a blended course
• These percentages represent an increase of approximately 10% since 2005-2006.
2. 66% of school districts with students enrolled in online or blended courses anticipate
their online enrollments will grow.
3. The overall number of K-12 students engaged in online courses in 2007-2008, is
estimated at 1,030,000. This represents a 47% increase since 2005-2006.
4. Respondents report that online learning is meeting the specific needs of a range of
students, from those who need extra help and credit recovery to those who want to take
Advanced Placement and college-level courses.
5. School districts typically depend on multiple online learning providers, including
postsecondary institutions, state virtual schools and independent providers as well as
developing and providing their own online courses.
6. Perhaps the voices heard most clearly in this survey were those of respondents
representing small rural school districts. For them, the availability of online learning is a
lifeline and enables them to provide students with course choices and in some cases, the
basic courses that should be part of every curriculum.
See the complete report linked at the bottom of this page.
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