200-RICR-20-10-5. Virtual Learning in Rhode Island (version Adoption, 08/12/2012 to 08/12/2012)

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND R.I. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in Rhode Island Adopted: July 19, 2012 Effective: August 12, 2012 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 2 Table of Contents 1 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... 2 2 DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 3 3 1.0 AUTHORITY, SCOPE AND PURPOSE ................................................................................... 5 4 2.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................................................... 5 5 2.1 RIDE Responsibilities and Functions.................................................................................................. 5 6 2.2 LEA Responsibilities and Functions .................................................................................................... 6 7 3.0 CUSTOMIZED LEARNING ........................................................................................................ 6 8 3.1 Personalized learning opportunities .......................................................................................... 6 9 3.1.1 Individual Learning Plans .......................................................................................................................... 7 10 3.1.2 Elements of student control ...................................................................................................................... 7 11 3.2 Online delivery models .................................................................................................................... 7 12 3.2.1 Role of teachers .............................................................................................................................................. 7 13 3.2.2 Spectrum of delivery models .................................................................................................................... 7 14 3.3 Access and Opportunity ................................................................................................................... 8 15 3.3.1 Access to quality content, instruction and programming ............................................................ 8 16 3.3.2 24/7 access ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 17 4.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE ............................................................................................................. 8 18 4.1 Content ................................................................................................................................................... 9 19 4.2 Instruction ............................................................................................................................................ 9 20 4.3 Programming .................................................................................................................................... 10 21 5.0 SYSTEMIC SUPPORTS FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING EDUCATION ................................. 10 22 5.1 Statewide policy ............................................................................................................................... 10 23 5.2 Resourcing, support, coordination, and articulation ......................................................... 10 24 25 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 3 26 DEFINITIONS 27 As used in these regulations, the following words and terms have the following meaning, 28 unless the context indicates another or different meaning or intent: 29 (a) Acceptable use policy (AUP) – a policy that outlines the responsibilities of students, 30 teachers, staff and others as they use the computers, software applications, and Internet 31 when using the school or district computers or internet connections. AUPs also outline 32 the consequences for failure to adhere to this policy. 33 (b) Asynchronous learning - communication exchanges that occur in elapsed time 34 between two or more people. Examples are email, online discussion forums, message 35 boards, blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc. 36 (c) Blended learning – learning opportunities in which a student learns, at least in part, at 37 a supervised brick and mortar location away from home and, at least in part, through 38 online delivery with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or 39 pace. 40 (d) Brick and mortar site – the physical location where teachers and students are 41 interacting and the location for some of the computers that students are using to 42 connect to the Internet and online sources. 43 (e) Commissioner – the Rhode Island commissioner of elementary and secondary 44 education. 45 (f) Common Core Standards – standards adopted by a majority of states, including Rhode 46 Island, that are robust and relevant to the real world, reflect the knowledge and skills 47 that young people need for success in college and careers, and provide a consistent, 48 clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. 49 (g) Course – a connected series of lessons and learning experiences that: 50 1. Establish expectations defined by recognized standards, 51 2. Provide students with opportunities to learn and practice skills, and 52 3. Include assessments of student knowledge and skills adequate to determine 53 proficiency at the level of academic rigor required by relevant content standards. 54 (h) Dual Enrollment – the concurrent earning of college credits while enrolled in high 55 school. 56 (i) High speed broadband Internet access – infrastructure that provides reliable 57 connections to the Internet which allows transfer of large quantities of complex digital 58 content at sufficient speeds to ensure fast and reliable delivery of data and content. 59 (j) Individual Learning Plans (ILP) - a planning and monitoring tool that customizes and 60 directs students’ goals and development in three domains: academic, career, and 61 personal/social. 62 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 4 (k) Online (or distance learning) – education in which instruction and content are 63 delivered primarily over the Internet. 64 (l) Online courses – an “online course” is one in which 65 more than half of the content is delivered by a teacher from a different location than 66 that of the student. 67 (m) Online school program – programming delivered by a school district or cooperative 68 of school districts, and provides an online, comprehensive and sequential program of 69 courses or grade-level coursework and instruction in which more than half of the 70 program is delivered online and more than half of the instruction is delivered online by 71 a teacher from a different location than that of the student. 72 (n) Open enrollment – students may enroll in online content and programming outside of 73 those online opportunities provided by the district of residence. 74 (o) Synchronous learning - Online learning in which the participants interact at the same 75 time and in the same space. 76 (p) Virtual learning – learning opportunities that make use of technology to enhance the 77 teaching and learning experience. 78 79 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 5 80 1.0 AUTHORITY, SCOPE AND PURPOSE 81 The Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education (Board of Regents) 82 pursuant to its delegated statutory authority under the Rhode Island General Law Chapter 83 §16-60, promulgate these Regulations of the Rhode Island Board of Regents Governing 84 Virtual Learning Education (Regulations). 85 The Board of Regents recognizes that a variety of learning options, including online courses 86 and programs, are critical for 21st Century learners. The Board of Regents also recognizes 87 that online learning provides opportunities for students to access curriculum and 88 specialized courses in a flexible learning environment that might not otherwise be available. 89 The purpose of these Regulations is to establish comprehensive and coherent policies 90 governing Virtual Learning Education in Rhode Island. These Virtual Learning Education 91 Regulations promote and support customized learning experiences for all learners through 92 quality and engaging online content and programs and by allowing learners some element 93 of control over the time, place, pace, and path of their learning. 94 These Regulations will help ensure that future technologies and innovative online learning 95 activities can be integrated into existing practices in ways that continue to empower both 96 educators and learners. The Virtual Learning Education Regulations are framed around 97 four regulatory principles: 1) All learners in Rhode Island will have access to high quality, 98 rigorous, and relevant online learning opportunities; 2) virtual learning education in Rhode 99 Island will support all learners in meeting academic and career goals; 3) Rhode Island will 100 support reliable access to the Internet and technology tools necessary for virtual learning; 101 and 4) the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) will coordinate these Virtual 102 Learning Education Regulations with policies developed by higher education institutions 103 and other state agencies. 104 2.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 105 2.1 RIDE Responsibilities and Functions 106 The responsibilities of RIDE include but are not limited to: 107 1) Ensuring that existing and future state policies do not limit or prohibit students 108 from engaging in online learning opportunities; 109 2) Ensuring open enrollment for all learners to provide greater access to quality 110 online content; 111 3) Promoting state policies to support a move to competency-based learning; 112 4) Reviewing and communicating the national standards that will guide the 113 development or purchase of quality online content, instruction and 114 programming; 115 5) Providing information to the educational community relating to online learning 116 content, instruction, programming and other online resources; 117 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 6 6) Promoting flexible student funding that supports access to online learning 118 opportunities; 119 7) Supporting statewide efforts to ensure adequate resources for bandwidth and 120 infrastructure; and 121 8) Supporting opportunities for statewide efficiencies to increase access to 122 technology and online learning. 123 2.2 LEA Responsibilities and Functions 124 LEAs shall support student access and engagement in a variety of online learning 125 opportunities such as online courses or online programs suitable for meeting the unique 126 learning needs of individual students. Responsibilities of LEAs include but are not limited 127 to: 128 1) Ensuring that all online content, regardless of the source, is rigorous, of high 129 quality, and, where appropriate, aligned to adopted state and LEA standards; 130 2) Providing professional development on the utilization and integration of virtual 131 learning opportunities into curriculum and instructional strategies; 132 3) Ensuring appropriate placement of students in online learning programs or 133 courses; 134 4) Communicating the criteria and procedures for enrolling and remaining 135 enrolled in online learning opportunities; 136 5) Communicating to students and parents or guardians acceptable online course 137 work that will meet state and local graduation requirements; 138 6) Clearly identifying online coursework opportunities that meet post-secondary, 139 college, or military enrollment requirements; 140 7) Ensuring the safety of all students in the online environment by adopting and 141 upholding acceptable use and internet safety policies or protocols; and 142 8) Creating and adopting a local virtual learning policy that provides all students 143 with access to online learning and that clearly communicates all of the above 144 and any other LEA procedures related to virtual learning education. 145 Recognition of which virtual learning opportunities fulfill coursework graduation 146 requirements is a local decision and shall be predicated on alignment to state adopted 147 standards and other relevant national and industry standards. Local graduation policies 148 must not limit access or prohibit approved online coursework from fulfilling graduation 149 requirements. 150 3.0 CUSTOMIZED LEARNING 151 3.1 Personalized learning opportunities 152 Technology can address the issues of relevance and engagement by providing a highly 153 personalized learning experience that builds upon learning styles, interests, and abilities 154 and allows students to work at their own pace. LEAs should incorporate online learning 155 opportunities as part of a comprehensive and personalized learning experience to meet 156 student interests, goals, and needs. 157 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 7 3.1.1 Individual Learning Plans 158 The Regents Secondary Regulations, the Basic Education Program, and the Regents Career 159 and Technical Regulations require each student to engage in the development of learning 160 plans that reflect his or her academic and career goals. Individual Learning Plans (ILP) and 161 the ILP process are designed to help each student reach his or her academic and career 162 goals. Quality online learning allows students to meet these goals through a wide variety of 163 courses, instructional strategies, curriculum, and relevant content. LEAs shall utilize 164 appropriate technology and online learning opportunities to help student achieve their 165 goals and prepare them for success in college and careers. Individual Learning Plans 166 should reflect each student’s engagement in virtual learning opportunities. 167 3.1.2 Elements of student control 168 All learners should be given the opportunity to choose a learning experience that supports 169 their learning style and allows them to progress at their own pace. Technology and online 170 learning programs provide students with some control over their learning because they 171 can engage in online content anytime, anywhere and can progress through the content at 172 their own rate. LEA virtual learning policies shall provide some level of flexibility for 173 student choice and shall allow for students to demonstrate achievement in self-paced 174 online coursework based on proficiency level rather than seat time. 175 3.2 Online delivery models 176 Digital learning programs can be offered synchronously and/or asynchronously to 177 customize the learning environment that meets learner needs and learning styles. The level 178 of teacher involvement in these programs varies as well; with teachers playing supporting 179 roles in some courses and taking more direct instructional roles in others. 180 3.2.1 Role of teachers 181 The role of teachers and the level of teacher involvement with their students vary 182 depending on the delivery model in use. In the blended learning classroom, the roles of 183 teachers and students are often quite similar to their roles in a traditional classroom. As 184 learning becomes more student-centered, the roles of teachers and students often change 185 and teachers become facilitators of learning and students gain some control and choice 186 over their learning experiences. Instructional technologies and quality online content 187 enable educators to develop customized learning experiences for students. 188 3.2.2 Spectrum of delivery models 189 There are several models for delivery of online learning ranging from blended learning 190 models that integrate online learning with face-to-face instruction in a brick and mortar 191 school to fully online learning experiences. These regulations do not limit the use of other 192 models for online learning. LEAs retain the flexibility to choose appropriate online delivery 193 models. 194 195 Blended learning occurs in a variety of venues and models and may incorporate online 196 content in the form of a lesson, a single course, or an entire curriculum. A blended 197 classroom or course provides flexibility and availability of programming that expands 198 learning beyond the day or school year. In a blended learning environment, teachers 199 facilitate students’ learning with direct instruction. 200 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 8 201 Virtual charter schools represent a more extensive online learning experience where 202 students may complete most of their course work online at locations other than a school 203 building. Virtual charter schools may also allow students to complete all required 204 coursework online. Virtual charter schools must adhere to the Board of Regents 205 Regulations Governing Rhode Island Public Charter Schools. 206 207 The intent of these Regulations is to ensure that all students have access to quality online 208 learning opportunities and to support LEAs in their role of identifying the online learning 209 activities that best meets each student’s needs and goals. 210 3.3 Access and Opportunity 211 The advent of digital learning requires investments in computer hardware, communication 212 networks, and technical support services. Decisions regarding spending on infrastructure 213 and quality content at both the state and LEA level shall be made with these needs in mind, 214 ensuring access to quality online learning for all learners. 215 3.3.1 Access to quality content, instruction and programming 216 LEAs shall have flexibility to make decisions regarding the development, adoption or 217 purchase of quality online content and programming based on local data and information 218 about student needs. Section 4.0 contains details regarding quality assurance for content, 219 instruction and programming. 220 3.3.2 24/7 access 221 Online learning opportunities provide the flexibility necessary for instruction and learning 222 to occur anytime and anywhere. Providing anytime, anywhere access to online coursework 223 will meet the needs of students who, for a variety of reasons, may not be able to “fit” their 224 learning into a traditional school schedule. Local policy shall not prevent student access to 225 quality online learning that occurs both within and outside of the traditional school setting. 226 4.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE 227 Learners in Rhode Island are assured access to quality instruction and learning 228 opportunities through these Virtual Learning Education Regulations as well as, the Rhode 229 Island Basic Education Program, the Regents Secondary Regulations, Regulations of the 230 Board of Regents Governing Career and Technical Education in Rhode Island, the Rhode 231 Island Teaching Standards and the Education Evaluation Program. The Regents Regulations 232 for Virtual Learning Education will complement and enhance existing regulations by 233 promoting students access to quality online learning opportunities as part of each student’s 234 pathway. 235 Nationally recognized, research-based standards and best policy and practices will form 236 the basis of RIDE developed guidance to LEAs and other educational organizations to 237 ensure the quality of online content, instruction and programming. 238 RIDE shall regularly review and revise guidance documents as necessary to reflect 239 promising practices and technology advances and innovations. 240 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 9 4.1 Content 241 Online content is the high quality academic material delivered through technology. It is 242 what students learn and ranges from new engaging, interactive software to classic 243 literature delivered through video lectures and games. 244 All content whether online or in print must be aligned to common state standards, national 245 and/or technical standards and reflect the guaranteed and viable curriculum available for 246 all students. Online content shall also reflect the scope, rigor, and depth of quality content 247 available through more traditional means. Online content shall be evaluated for 248 effectiveness and LEAs seeking to adopt online content should require data on the 249 effectiveness of that content including information such as student completion and 250 achievement. Locally developed content must be aligned to state adopted standards and 251 should follow nationally recognized standards for quality online content. 252 4.2 Instruction 253 To ensure that learners have access to quality online instruction, teachers or instructors 254 who teach directly in online courses, as well as those who support students in a blended 255 learning environment, shall be appropriately trained and/or certified as described in this 256 section. 257 4.2.1 Certification 258 In order to ensure that appropriately qualified or certified instructors are providing online 259 credit-bearing coursework, instructors shall meet one of the following requirements: 260 a) K-12 teachers providing online instruction directly to students in an online 261 environment shall be content certified in the state from which they are providing 262 the online content; or 263 b) K-12 site-based teachers who are responsible for supervising students participating 264 in credit-bearing online coursework that is not provided directly by an online 265 instructor shall have appropriate Rhode Island content certification; or 266 c) Instructors providing instruction for dual enrollment courses, which are identified 267 as credit-bearing courses, shall be appropriately qualified from an accredited post- 268 secondary institution. 269 Supplemental online materials adopted as part of LEA or school curricula or course 270 materials do not require special certification or qualifications for the teacher or instructor 271 using such online instructional material. Teachers using such supplemental materials, as 272 one of many sources of materials or activities to support their curricula, shall be 273 appropriately content certified for all Rhode Island site-based teachers. 274 4.2.2 Training 275 To ensure that teachers are effective in supporting student success in online learning 276 opportunities, whether through a blended learning model or a completely online model, 277 teachers must be knowledgeable in online instructional strategies and pedagogy. 278 Technology and online resources provide tools to support teachers in developing engaging, 279 relevant and customized learning opportunities. Training and professional development 280 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 10 opportunities focused on effective online instructional strategies and pedagogy through a 281 coordinated K-12 and higher education effort are critical to better prepare teachers to 282 support students in online learning environments. 283 Virtual Learning Education guidance documents will provide educators and administrators 284 with national models of teacher training and preparation programs that are effective in 285 preparing teachers for online learning. 286 4.3 Programming 287 It is expected that LEAs will embrace new technologies and virtual learning opportunities 288 to develop innovative blended learning models. As LEAs develop online learning programs, 289 they shall utilize nationally recognized best practices such as those included in RIDE Virtual 290 Learning Education guidance. Development of effective programs will include at a 291 minimum descriptions of online program leadership, instruction, content, student support 292 services and evaluation for effectiveness. Program design considerations must be made to 293 ensure equity and access. 294 5.0 SYSTEMIC SUPPORTS FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING EDUCATION 295 These Regulations seek to promote collaboration with higher education and state agencies 296 to establish connected and coherent statewide policies. Higher education, cross agency and 297 business partnerships can more effectively secure sufficient resources to ensure necessary 298 technology infrastructure and to promote virtual learning opportunities for all learners in 299 Rhode Island. 300 5.1 Statewide policy 301 Building a high quality education system is an investment in the future of all Rhode Island 302 students and in the future of Rhode Island’s economy. Virtual Learning Education is a long- 303 term strategy that will support a quality education system, preparing students for post 304 secondary education and successful entry into the workforce. The development of a 305 coherent statewide system for online learning will require a coordinated statewide effort 306 with higher education and other state agencies. 307 These Regulations authorize the Commissioner to coordinate RIDE’s efforts with higher 308 education and other state agencies to ensure the establishment of coherent statewide 309 virtual learning policies and to promote collaborations that result in efficiencies of scale 310 that support those policies. 311 5.2 Resourcing, support, coordination, and articulation 312 The potential and inevitable impact of online learning across K-12, adult education, higher 313 education, and workforce development necessitates that resources and supports be 314 coordinated across the state. 315 The Commissioner shall ensure that RIDE continues to seek new and innovative funding 316 solutions to ensure all learners have access to quality online content. 317 2012 Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing Virtual Learning Education in RI 11 The Commissioner shall ensure that RIDE participates in statewide efforts to support 318 Virtual Learning Education with a focus on ensuring all students have access to quality 319 online learning opportunities and ensuring efficiencies gained by coordinating resources. 320 Coordinated statewide efforts can ensure purchasing power to maintain necessary 321 infrastructure and acquire regular upgrades and negotiated lower costs for devices and 322 online content and programming. 323 Publicly available information regarding quality providers will support educators, 324 administrators, families and students to make informed judgments about online content 325 and programs. This information must be coordinated between RIDE and higher education 326 to ensure that families and students are aware of acceptable course work that meets both 327 graduation requirements and higher education acceptance and dual enrollment credit 328 recognition. 329 The Commissioner shall ensure that RIDE coordinates its efforts with higher education, the 330 legislature, and other key stakeholders to ensure the development of a comprehensive 331 statewide policy framework and to coordinate resources focused on providing all learners 332 access to quality online learning opportunities. 333