iNACOL Programs and Services

iNACOL Programs and Services Bruce Friend Marcel Kielkucki Allison Powell

iNACOL Programs & Services • iNACOL • iNACOL Membership Benefits • Webinars & VSS • Committees • SIGs and Affiliates • Regional Committees • Needs Assessment • Course Reviews • Publishing

International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) • iNACOL is the premier K-12 nonprofit in online learning • 3700+ members in K-12 virtual schools and online learning representing over 50 countries • Provides leadership, advocacy, research, training, and networking with experts in K-12 online learning. • “Ensure every student has access to the best education available regardless of geography, income or background.” • Conference – Virtual School Symposium (VSS): New Orleans, LA on October 21-24, 2012

Mission and Vision • Mission – • iNACOL strives to ensure all students have access to a world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success. • Vision – • Online learning is a powerful innovation that expands education opportunities. iNACOL supports access to high-quality online learning for all students.

In the first half of 2012, completed a strategic planning process which identified three new strategic initiatives for iNACOL (in addition to its current activities) • Develop, and advocate for the adoption of, multi-stage state and federal policy frameworks that incorporate the access and funding elements essential to achieving the destination we seek • Develop, and build field commitment for, a multi-stage quality assurance framework for online and blended learning courses that is essential to achieving the destination we seek • Create the conditions required to develop the broader set of online and blended learning models that are effective in developing college- and career-readiness for all students and that are essential to achieving the destination we seek

We view iNACOL’s role as doing what it takes to ensure that the field reaches its full potential Where we seek to be • All students have access to online and blended models • The models are effective in developing their college- and career-readiness Where we are today Where we couldwell arrive • Some students have access to online and blended models • The effectiveness of these models in developing college- and career-readiness is largely unknown and likely varies widely • All students have access to online and blended models • But many or most of these models are no more effective than traditional classroom instruction

Achieving the destination we seek is likely to be a multi-stage process, with progress made one step at a time Where we seek to be Quality 2.0 • All students have access to online and blended models • Models enable them to become college-ready,including students who require significant competency gain in order to progress • Models are aligned to the Common Core or other college- and career-ready standards and support significant gains in competency, as demonstrated by growth on benchmark assessments Quality 1.0 • The majority of students have access to online and blended models • Models are effective in developing college-ready knowledge and skills • Models are aligned to the Common Core or other college- and career-ready standards and develop student competency, as demonstrated by proficiency on benchmark assessments Where we are today • A growing number of students have access to online and blended models • Models meet programmatic guidelines, output standards (e.g., completion), and/oroutcome standards based on current generation state assessments • Some students have access to online and blended models • Models may meet programmatic, input guidelines (e.g., teacher-student ratios)

Climbing this ladder of success will require the synchronized development of policy and field capacity / capability Access for all, funding tied largely to outcomes improvement / proficiency gains Multi-stage evolution of access and funding policies enabling the growth of effective models Increased access, funding tied largely to outcomes / proficiency Where we seek to beModels develop significant proficiency gains Increased access, funding tied largely to input or output standards Quality 2.0 Models develop proficiency Quality 1.0Models meet input, output standards College- and career-ready standards, ability to collect formative and summative data on competency gains on assessments aligned to these standards College- and career-ready standards, ability to collect proficiency data on assessments aligned to these standards Where we are today State standards, ability to collect input data, output data, and state assessment data Development of college- and career-ready standards, reliable assessments of those standards, and data systems enabling competency-based progression

And over the next couple of years, we can imagine growing to an organization of about 20 people Executive Assistant to CEO CEO Corporate Partnerships Manager Director of Quality Assurance New Learning Models Director #1 Senior Director Policy & Advocacy: Fed. & State Policy New Learning Models Director #2 Advocacy Director: State Policy Member Services Manager Knowledge Manager / Researcher Member Services Assistant Advocacy Director: Strategic Partnerships Advocacy Director: State Policy Strategic Programming Manager Communications Manager Development Manager Director of Operations Finance Associate Executive Assistant to Senior Directors Start date Year 1 Year 2

iNACOL Membership Benefits • Corporate – for profit companies • Associate – non-profit organizations • Institutional – school governing organizations • Educator – teachers and students • Individual – for-profit and non-profit persons

Webinars & VSS • iNACOL Leadership Webinars • Experts share their knowledge on a variety of topics, answer questions, and facilitate discussion • 2nd Wednesday of the month at 2:00pm EST. • Special Edition Webinars • Teacher Talk Webinars • For online teachers to discuss a variety of topics specifically related to teaching online in order to support one another • 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00pm EST. • VSS • Next year: Oct 21-24, 2012 in New Orleans – expanding to 3 ½ days (including pre-conference)

iNACOL Needs Assessment Comprehensive survey process that targets educational leaders, school contacts, students and parents. Assists with identifying the specific courses, services, and needs that can be met through online learning.

iNACOL Needs Assessment Benefits your program will receive: • Provides a “voice” for local school leaders and students to share their thoughts as to the courses and services that they would like available through an online environment. • Provides the leaders of online programs with data and feedback that can be shared with key stakeholders when articulating the reasons for why it is important to support online learning • Helps provide awareness of your program with local school leaders, educators, students, and parents.

iNACOL Needs Assessment iNACOL brings experience in every aspect of starting and maintaining a high quality online program

Committees • Advocacy • Advocacy & Education efforts around the country • 1st Thursday of month at 4pm EST • Contact Lisa Gillis, Chairperson, if interested (lisa@iestrategies.org) • Awards • iNACOL Annual Innovator Awards • Meet as Needed • Contact Bruce Friend (Bruce.Friend@sas.com), Chairperson, if interested

Committees • Program • Webinars and VSS Program • 4th Friday at 1:30pm EST • Chairperson: Dr. Fred Sagester (fred.sagester@ucumberlands.edu) • Research • New Research Agenda, Briefs • Meeting as Needed • Chairs: Katherine Kennedy (kmkennedy@georgiasouthern.edu) & Regina Brown (mrfbrown@yahoo.com)

SIGs and Affiliates • Special Interest Groups (SIGs) • DiversityDavid Glick (dave@glickconsulting.com) • Online Christian EducationBrian Crouse (bhcrouse@comcast.net) • ResearchCathy Cavanaugh (cathycavanaugh@coe.ufl.edu)

SIGs and Affiliates • Affiliates • CUE – eLSIG • Application on Membership Website • Work with iNACOL on Benefits

iNACOL Regional/State Committees • iNACOL members from across the United States have organized into state-level or regional groups. • These groups meet on a monthly basis, discussing online education topics and how to increase collaboration among members. • Currently, the following regional committees have been established:

State Online Learning Program Leaders Committee • State-led virtual school leaders meet monthly to discuss that face them as a group. • This committee meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 2:00 EST. • For more information, contact Jamey Fitzpatrick (jfitz@mivu.org)Cindy Hamblin (chamblin@ilvirtual.org)

eLSIG Computer Using Educator’s Affiliate Group in California • iNACOL members from across California meet monthly on a conference call, focusing on online educational issues in the state. • Conference calls occur on the second Tuesday of the month at 3:30 PM PST. • For additional information, contact co-chairs Chris Bell (chrisbell619@gmail.com) orRob Darrow (Rob@onlinelearningvisions.com)

iNACOL State Committee in Georgia • The Georgia committee meets on the second Friday of the month at 9:30 AM EST. • Topics that are up for discussion this year are • For additional information, please contact Ryan Fuller (ryan.fuller@cobbk12.org) and Amy Waters (Amy_Waters@Gwinnett.k12.ga.us)

iNACOL Midwestern Committee • The Midwestern committee is comprised of iNACOL members in IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, and WI. • Members meet on the first Friday of the month from October-May at 9:00 AM Central via Elluminate. • Monthly discussion topics are decided based on member input, and have included items such as continuity of learning, credit-recovery, and Second Life. • For more information, contact co-chairsJennifer Kolar-Burden (jkolarburden@gmail.com)Allynn Swensen (aswensen@indva.com)

iNACOL Northeastern Committee • The Northeastern committee is comprised of iNACOL members in CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, and DC. • Members meet on the third Thursday of the month at 3:00 PM EST via Elluminate. • For more information, contact co-chairsLiz Pape (lpape@govhs.org) andChris Harrington (charrington@qcsd.org)

iNACOL Southeastern Committee • The Southeastern committee is comprised of iNACOL members in AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV. • Members meet on the second Thursday of the month at 11:00 AM EST via Elluminate. • For more information, contact co-chairsDebbi Crabtree (crabtree_d@hcde.org)Earlene Patton (epatton@ALSDE.edu)

iNACOL Western Committee • The Western Committee is comprised of iNACOL members from AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY. • Meetings First Monday of the Month at Noon MST. • For additional information, contact chairpersons Kathryn Knox (kknox@k12.com) and Katie Swistowicz (kswistowicz@freemont21.k12.wy.us)

What if my region or state doesn’t have a committee? How can I start one? • To start a regional or state committee, it’s as easy as contacting iNACOL. • iNACOL will then help you send out information via email or the iNACOL website to see if others in your state or region are interested in starting a committee. • iNACOL will help provide tools to conduct your meetings, such as the use of Elluminate or Phone conferencing. • Another great source of information is to contact existing committees to see how they got started.

Course Reviews • A full review of your online courses • Ensure alignment with iNACOL’s National Standards of Quality for Online Courses and state academic standards specific to the state(s) in which the courses are offered. • Schools and providers use this review to ensure they have created high quality online courses and to make informed decisions about how to improve courses that are not aligned with state and national standards.

Publishing • 2 Books Published to date • 2 Books in the works • Send us ideas • Call for Authors/Editors • We have in house publisher and print on demand

http://www.inacol.org • Allison Powell – apowell@inacol.org • Marcel Kielkucki – mkielku@kirkwood.edu • Bruce Friend – Bruce.Friend@sas.com

iNACOL Programs and Services