Title of Study:  K-12 Online Learning:  A 2008 Follow-up of the Survey of U.S. School District Administrators

Author(s): Anthony G. Picciano and Jeff Seaman

Summary:

This follow-up survey updates information about the current practices and attitudes about online learning in school districts across the U.S.

Sponsoring entity(s): The Sloan Consortium

Date conducted: Published 2009, survey conducted 2008

Location of the study: This study can be accessed through the Sloan Consortium website.

Setting(s) addressed:

• Classroom
• Outside of classroom learning

Targeted population(s):

• High school students
• Middle school students
• Elementary students

Primary sources of evidence used in the study or report:

• National survey of school district administrators

Primary Technology Application(s) Addressed:

• Internet

Major education topic(s) addressed:

• Online learning

Major findings/conclusions:

• 75% of districts have students enrolled in online or blended (combining aspects of online and face-to-face instruction) courses, an increase of about 10% over the previous survey two years ago.
  
  
• Over one million students enrolled in online or blended courses in 2007-08, an increase of 47% over the previous two years.
  
  
• More than two thirds of online students are in grades 9-12.
  
  
• Online courses are meeting specific needs of a broad spectrum of students, ranging from those who need extra help and credit recovery to those who want to take Advance Placement and college-level courses not available at their regular schools.
  
  
• Online learning is especially important for rural school districts to provide students with courses not available in their districts due to lack of resources or lack of qualified teachers

Practical implications of the findings:

• More than two thirds of district administrators expect enrollments in online and blended courses to grow in the next two years, and many of these expect enrollments to double or triple within a few years.
  
  
• Two thirds of administrators feel that students need more self-discipline to succeed in online courses than in face-to-face courses.
  
  
• District administrators expressed concern about the quality and price of online courses, and about state and local policies concerning online education.

Reviewer Comments:

Information from this survey substantiates the results of the earlier study and documents the rate of growth in online learning over a two-year period.