Planning for Online Learning - Blackboard

Planning for Online Learning

A Guide for Assessing Need, Opportunity, and Direction

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Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................... 1 A Letter from Blackboard K–12 President, Jessie Woolley-Wilson ............................................... 3 Getting Started .............................................................. 4 About the Guide............................................................. 5 Assessment Instrument .................................................. 6 Using the Results ..........................................................12 Next Steps and Funding...............................................15 Implementation ............................................................18 Your Adoption Roadmap ..............................................20 Additional Resources ....................................................22

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Introduction Planning for Online Learning…Planning for Success Working with K–12 educational leaders, Blackboard® has heard these innovative educators speak compellingly about their needs, the opportunities they see for their students, faculty, and staff, and their challenges in crafting a planning process that best addresses their vision for improvement today and transformation tomorrow. Online learning continues to help these education leaders address core challenges and that is the springboard for this guide. The focus goes beyond finding one ‘right’ solution and instead sheds light on helping educators discover the many ways in which online learning can support strategic goals. This Guide has been created to help school and district leaders develop a more effective, more strategic planning process to support their decisions in launching online learning initiatives. The Guide provides opportunities for you and your team to assess your current needs, map those needs to potential online learning implementations, and then look strategically at how you can use online learning to solve challenges and open new avenues for excellence.

The journey begins with this first step… At Blackboard, we believe that online learning in its many and evolving forms helps address a growing spectrum of student and teacher needs. Experiences with diverse K–12 districts and schools continue to show us that online learning can make substantive contributions to improved student achievement, support increases in graduation rates, and directly impact teacher quality and capacity. Our experience also underscores this fundamental fact—a better online learning planning process consistently leads to better program outcomes. That is precisely why Blackboard has developed this online learning planning guide. • Many schools and districts already integrate online learning strategies and components into core and supplemental curriculum programs. If this describes your current status, we congratulate you and your team and we hope this Guide will also be valuable for you as you plan for program growth and evolution. • If you are exploring or planning an initial implementation of online learning to address specific challenges such as the need to personalize instruction, raise graduation rates, or extend your instructional portfolio beyond traditional school hours and boundaries, this Guide will help you identify the best place(s) to start. Some districts may benefit from an online credit recovery program or the introduction of more robust blended learning approaches. Others discover through the assessment process that a virtual school or a move to a more robust online professional development initiative is more appropriate. The assessment process and the collaboration and discussions that contribute to your responses on the assessment all work synergistically to help you uncover how to best use the unique strengths and advantage of online learning.

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Online Learning: Growing Proof of Efficacy

We’ve designed this Guide to be collaborative and interactive—a catalyst for meaningful discussion, debate and decision-making. After you have had the opportunity to review the process, we encourage you to assemble a team of colleagues representing stakeholders from curriculum, technology, administration, and any other constituency whose input will advance the process and take the first steps in evaluating and assessing your needs and the online learning implementations that will best meet your goals and objectives.

In the 2009 Technology Counts issue of Education Week, an article entitled Research Shows Evolving Picture of E-Education, author Debra Viadero states, “Online classes may be a relatively young instructional practice for K–12 schools, but experts already generally agree on one point: Research shows that virtual schooling can be as good as, or better than, classes taught in person in brick-andmortar schools.” The article also noted that, “…some new research also finds that online courses are beginning to score more successes with the lowest achievers—possibly because many are high school students who see the online courses as a last chance to earn enough credits to graduate.” Further, the US Department of Education’s study entitled, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies found that students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction. Further the study revealed that instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction. As these and many other studies point out, online learning is proving to be as, and in some cases, more effective than traditional face-to-face instruction.

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Blackboard®K–12

Letter from Our President ...from the desk of Jessie Woolley-Wilson Thank you for your interest in the Blackboard Planning for Online Learning, A Guide for Assessing Need, Direction, and Opportunity. This Guide is designed to provide a pathway through the process of assessing and evaluating your school or district’s readiness to implement an online learning program that is matched to the needs of your students and teachers and your technical capabilities and infrastructure. Whether you are new to the possibilities of online learning or you are now firmly moving in that direction and are strategically evaluating the next best steps, this Guide will help you identify the most critical and productive solution(s) to implement, based on your specific needs, existing environment, and priorities. As you work through the planning process and the steps in the Guide, the outcome is a customized action plan for your school or district— a roadmap that identifies the optimum direction specifically to address your needs. We have worked with hundreds of school districts of all sizes, shaping online learning solutions to address many of the issues that you may very well face currently. Those experiences and the information and context gathered during our consultative work with clients were the impetus for this Guide. Equally important, we’ve also had the benefit of working through a variety of planning processes with our clients and have developed an approach that is both flexible and forward-thinking to serve as the best launching pad for your team’s collaborative planning work. And in fact, this process encourages free flowing collaboration between curriculum and technology, the two essential components for successful online learning initiatives. We’re eager to open a conversation with you about your experiences with the planning process and to support your progress as you establish and expand your online learning programs. Contact us as you progress. Let us know if you need assistance, support, or you simply want to share the progress you’re making. We look forward to talking with you soon and frequently. Best regards,

Jessie Woolley-Wilson President K–12, Blackboard

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Getting Started As you begin this assessment process, you will find everything you need to evaluate your current state of readiness for online learning and to focus on the implementation that best addresses your needs. You’ll also find information to help you in the all-important process of identifying potential funding sources. As with many forms of learning and discovery, the evaluation process is often as valuable as the outcomes it points to. As you work through the process, you will discover more about your specific needs, your capabilities and capacity, and your path to success. Collaborative evaluation by members of the technology and curriculum leadership teams often produces new insights and a more effective implementation plan for your online learning program.

As you work through this planning guide, it helps to have these resources available: Documents • Your district or school technology plan • Any applicable curriculum or vision planning documents • Results from staff, student, and/or community surveys and research Team Members • Representatives of technology, instructional, and school business areas/ departments • Representatives of your administrative/ leadership team • Other stakeholders you want to include such as parent or school board representatives

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Blackboard®K–12

Why Use this Guide? This assessment and evaluation Guide helps you prioritize your most critical student and teacher needs and evaluate the technology infrastructure available to implement a successful online learning program. We’ve created the process as a continuum, beginning with an assessment which leads to the identification or expansion of an online learning program. From there, the process explores potential funding sources to support your implementation vision and plans.

Assessment

Solution Identification

Funding Sources

Implementation Vision & Plans

Completing this process results in a clear path to implementing a program with a greatly improved likelihood of success because it is not a “one size fits all” strategy but rather a “way forward” that is based on your programmatic needs and your institution’s capacity and capabilities. It’s a customized online roadmap, a blueprint for action and next steps. The process may also help you identify specific functions or infrastructure that will be needed as you establish or expand your online learning program. If you need assistance in planning your assessment and evaluation process or you’re interested having a representative from Blackboard work through the process with you, please contact us at 1.800.424.9299, ext. 2427.

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Assessment Tool Assessment


Funding Sources


As you work through this online learning readiness assessment, be sure to complete each section. Many school and district teams find that the most productive approach is to work collaboratively to complete assessment items. You’ll find that many of the assessment questions spark important conversations about your shared visions for online learning. The assessment encompasses the environment, characteristics and needs that, when combined, indicate areas of promising opportunity for online learning. Considering each of these areas will help your working group develop a more comprehensive view of your current situation and identify how an online program can best address challenges and opportunities.

General Instructions for Completing the Five Assessment Components Select all that describe your situation and/or needs. If you and/or your team are representing your district, answer from that perspective. If you are representing an individual school site, answer based on your individual school’s needs. What do the a, b, c, d, e, and f columns represent? Each column (a, b, c, d, e, f) represents a set of characteristics that lead to specific online learning approaches, such as blended learning, credit recovery, virtual school, online professional development, online curriculum management, and solutions for parent and community involvement. By responding, you are providing the input needed to help identify the most appropriate solution or combination of solutions given your needs. Check only the box or boxes indicated in white. If there are several white boxes in a row and the description applies to your situation check all white boxes in that row. When you've finished a section, you'll tally the scores, as shown in the example below.

SAMPLE CHART COMPLETION a

b

c

d

e

f

2

1

0

2

2

1

Technology and Infrastructure All teachers have a computer in their classroom and available for home use. Students have adequate access to computers in labs and the library. District needs a cost-effective hosted system to address student and instructional needs. Wireless or other network is available throughout district.

TOTAL: Technology and Infrastructure

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Blackboard®K–12

Student Needs This section helps you evaluate your students’ individual and collective needs, including the impacts of diversity, students’ technology expectations and ability, the need to extend learning beyond the traditional school day and environment, and the many learning styles and requirements students may have, ranging from credit recovery to opportunities for accelerated learning.

a

b

c

d

e

f

Student Needs Students have diverse learning styles that have not been adequately addressed in a face-to-face learning environment. Students are engaged by the use of technology and have demonstrated improved performance when technology is effectively integrated into curriculum. Students need personalized pacing to address specific achievement gaps or to take advantage of accelerated learning abilities. Individual students need in-school additional or alternative learning options (face-to-face, all online, or a combination of models) to reach proficiencies in core curriculum or to meet other credit requirements. Students need to have access to classroom materials after school/at home to meet curriculum and instructional requirements. Students need individualized enhancement, remediation or extra practice based on their performance either in class or on high-stakes assessments. District/school is able to offer all courses needed by students/taught by Highly Qualified Teachers. Students are not able to take all the courses they want because of conflicting schedules or lack of available teaching staff. Individual students are not able to attend school for personal, health or financial reasons. District/school needs to supplement core and AP courses (unable to offer full catalog with Highly Qualified Teachers). Individual students need more learning time outside of school time. District and/or school(s) has a high or growing dropout rate or has been unsuccessful over the past 24–36 months in reversing the trend in dropout rates. Students need alternative opportunities to recover credit in school. Students need out-of-school opportunities to recover credit. Teachers need additional PD in serving the diverse needs of individual students (new instructional strategies). Teachers need additional PD in integrating digital content effectively into their curriculum and lesson plans. Teachers need an asynchronous collaborative workspace to plan/discuss instructional strategies. Teachers need additional PD in serving diverse learners (ELL, Special Ed) effectively to meet standards and to personalize learning. New curriculum needs to be written to meet the diverse needs of students. Teachers need a common standards-based curriculum to meet essential student achievement goals and objectives School needs/wants to engage and involve parents to improve student achievement and school quality. District is challenged to address community security concerns effectively.

SUBTOTAL: Student Needs 7

Technology and Infrastructure This section helps you see the “bigger picture” regarding your current technology capacity, ranging from centralized networking capabilities to technology access for both students and teachers. Your existing technology infrastructure may support certain kinds of online learning more effectively than others and that’s why this analysis is valuable.

Instructions Select all that describe your situation and/or needs. If you and/or your team are representing your district, answer from that perspective. If you are representing an individual school site, answer based on your individual school’s needs. Check only the box that’s indicated in white. If there are several white boxes in a row and the description applies to your situation check all white boxes in that row. The checked boxes will be tallied for each column at the end. See sample chart completion on page 6.

a

Technology and Infrastructure Wireless or other network is available in some schools within the district. Wireless or other network is available throughout district. All teachers have a computer in their classroom and available for home use. Students have adequate access to computers in classrooms. Students have adequate access to computers in labs and the library. Students have access to computers at home. District needs safe/private online environment for students, teachers and parents. District needs a cost-effective hosted system to address student and instructional needs. District portal available for community and parental involvement.

SUBTOTAL: Technology and Infrastructure

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Blackboard®K–12

b

c

d

e

f

Instructional Program Needs This section helps you take a 360° look at the demands on your instructional programs, from the need to personalize instruction to improving alignments between standards and delivered curriculum. Your answers will also help you identify where new opportunities may be found in areas such as school-to-home connections and in improved instructional content management.


a

b

c

d

e

f

Instructional Program Needs To meet the needs of students/deliver a 21st century curriculum, a collaborative and interactive online learning environment is needed. Schools and teachers need to create, manage, and deliver standards-based curriculum. Schools and teachers need to create, manage, and deliver assessment online to address specific testing, reporting, and data analysis needs. District/schools need to develop online courses or combine digital assets into courses to give students experience with taking online courses successfully. School needs to manage, share and reuse content and disaggregated curriculum assets to achieve greater efficiencies in resource purchase and use and to assure equity across the district. School needs a single storage source for all district owned/developed content. School wants to deliver courses virtually to achieve greater curriculum quality, diversity, and to provide students with 21st century learning opportunities. District seeks to provide access for parents to student information/assignments/ results to encourage parent involvement and awareness of student progress.

SUBTOTAL: Instructional Program Needs

9

Professional Development This section will help you assess your needs for a variety of professional development programs and strategies, all with critical instructional and achievement goals as priorities.


a

Professional Development Teachers need opportunities to experience and learn best practices in implementing online instructional strategies. Teachers need to showcase “Best Practices” in the use of technology to support personalized learning. Teachers need to develop district/school curriculum materials in a collaborate, yet efficient working environment. School needs to conduct new teacher orientation. School needs a cost and time effective implementation for PD. District/school needs to provide opportunities for advancement and development of Highly Qualified Teachers in a personalized cost-effective manner. School wants to create Communities of Practice/Professional Learning Communities. School needs to train teachers in best online teaching practices to develop a cadre of effective online faculty members.

SUBTOTAL: Professional Development

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Blackboard®K–12

b

c

d

e

f

Curriculum Delivery Needs This section will give you valuable insight into your current and anticipated needs for 21st century solutions to the challenges of content management, distribution and access.


a

b

c

d

e

f

d

e

f

Curriculum Delivery Needs Digital curriculum and course materials need to be delivered to classrooms, labs and the library. Full online courses (foundation/standard/AP) need to be accessible in school and at home. District owns “digital” assets that need to be delivered as lessons/units/courses to individual students/classes. District has created “digital” curriculum assets that need to be delivered as lessons/units/courses to individual students/classes. Credit Recovery courses need to be accessible to students in school and at home, both within and beyond traditional school schedules. Teachers need a collaborative environment for curriculum development. Curriculum and course materials need to be accessible at home.

SUBTOTAL: Curriculum Delivery Needs

Assessment Tool Total Calculation a

b

c

GRAND TOTAL (ALL INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS)

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Using the Results Now that you’ve completed the assessment form, add up all the checks you have in each column. Your results will point you toward the online program or programs that are most appropriate to meet your needs. Your results may point you toward more than one solution. • If you have 18 or more points in column A, consider Blended Learning as your next step in developing your online learning initiatives. • If you have 10 or more points in Column B, investigate an In-school Credit Recovery program to address your current needs and situation. • If you have 9 or more points in Column C, explore the benefits of creating a Virtual School program. • If you have 15 or more points in Column D, think about Online Professional Development to support your goals for improving teachers’ skill and performance levels. • If you have 15 or more points in Column E, a Curriculum Management System will answer your needs for improved access to and delivery of curriculum materials and resources. • If you have 7 or more points in Column F, consider a District Website that focuses on parental involvement to support your goals for improved communication between school and home.

Expanding Your Opportunities for Success… • If you have 7 or more points in Column B and 6 or more in Column C, your online learning direction can encompass a combination of Virtual School, In-school Credit Recovery and Virtual Credit Recovery programs. • If you have 10 or more points in Column D and you decide to initiate programs in Credit Recovery, Blended Learning or Virtual School, then Online Professional Development will help support your programs’ launch and roll-out. • If you initiate a program in Credit Recovery and/or Blended Learning and you introduce a Virtual School, or Online Professional Development initiative, a Curriculum Management System is essential for program continuity, consistency and sustained success. • If you initiate a program in Credit Recovery, Blended Learning, or a Virtual School initiative, then a District Website that is focused on parental involvement is a key element for building support and engagement in your online programs.

Setting Priorities If your scores indicate more than one appropriate online learning option, it’s important to evaluate and set priorities and to determine how best to use your available resources to accomplish your online learning goals. Your Blackboard representative can help you work through your questions and options to determine which program or programs best meet your objectives. 12

Blackboard®K–12

Results and Solutions Assessment


Funding Sources


Based on the needs and opportunities identified from your completed assessment, review the descriptions below and start planning your online program.

Blended Learning Blended learning, as defined by iNACOL, the International Association for K–12 Online Learning, combines the online delivery of instructional content with the best features of classroom interaction and live instruction to personalize learning, allow thoughtful reflection, and differentiate instruction from student-to-student across a diverse group of learners. Blended learning models typically range from traditional classroom instruction that includes some online resources to a fully online curriculum with options for face-to-face instruction.

Credit Recovery Credit recovery, as defined by iNACOL, encompasses passing and receiving credit for a course in which a student was previously unsuccessful in earning academic credit toward graduation. In this definition, “credit” is distinguished from “first time credit” in that students have already satisfied seat time requirements for the course in which they were initially unsuccessful and instead can focus on earning credit based on competency as defined by content standards. Typically, the goals of credit recovery programs focus on helping students stay in school and graduate on time.

Virtual School A virtual school typically delivers courses completely via online instruction. In the K–12 environment, most accredited virtual schools offer a range of credit-granting courses. Several K–12 public school districts and states operate virtual academies as a part of their regular instructional programs. Several instructional models can be used in the virtual school environment, ranging from fully online, self-paced courses to courses that are teacher-facilitated.

Results and Solutions continued on page 14

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Results and Solutions continued Professional Development Professional development encompasses all of the training and career learning provided for teachers, administrators, and staff. This includes teaching educators about new teaching and instructional techniques and strategies, new curriculum programs, and/or the uses of new technologies and other programs in their professional capacities. Professional development programs often include options for earning professional development points and re-certification credits.

Curriculum Management Curriculum management encompasses the development, organization, and delivery of curriculum assets and resources for teachers, students and administrators. It can also include assessment and reporting components. Curriculum management solutions range from very simple archiving of content to highly sophisticated tools for delivering personalized instruction to students based on student performance and assessment.

Parent/Community Involvement For the purposes of this Online Readiness Assessment instrument, Parent/Community Involvement is defined as an online “hub” for connecting educators, students, and parents and providing information that is critical to student success and parent involvement. This can include simple informational services such as school, sports, and transportation schedules, and activity information, and can often expand to provide access to student progress information and facilitate direct school-to-home and home-to-school communications.

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Blackboard®K–12

Next Steps Assessment


Funding Sources


Now that you have identified where you would like to start your online learning program, the next step is to determine how to implement the solutions that you have selected. This review of potential funding sources helps you move your vision to reality and implementation.

Funding Streams The funding streams identified here provide a starting point for further research and discussion as you develop your online solution development and implementation plans. For additional information about funding opportunities, please contact your Blackboard representative at 1.800.424.9299, ext. 2427.

School District General Funds Depending on an individual state’s budgeting guidelines and rules, a school district’s General Fund supports expenses relating to the programs and operations of a school district including teaching, instructional materials and community communication. The funding formulae for these programs are primarily based on student enrollment.

Title I, Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged Title I funds must be used to improve teaching and learning for disadvantaged students. NCLB requires that districts use at least 5% of Title I, Part A funds for professional development and encourages districts to use technology to increase parental involvement. Blackboard technology helps districts meet Title I goals to: Increase access to quality education for all students by expanding course offerings and resources online • Extend the school day with after-school, weekend and summer accessibility to instructional materials and resources • Empower educators with tools to monitor and assess academic progress • Provide personalized learning paths (acceleration and remediation) to ensure all students meet or exceed standards • Offer flexible and personalized credit recovery options

Next Steps continued on page 16

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Next Steps continued Title IIA, Teacher Quality Title IIA funds must be used for teacher professional development, teacher recruitment, and teacher retention. Title IIA establishes the “highly qualified teacher” requirements. Blackboard solutions support Title II goals by helping districts to: Train Highly Qualified Teachers: • Offer just-in-time and flexible professional development to improve teachers’ subject area knowledge and teaching skills • Encourage educator collaboration in professional learning communities • Provide cost-effective and easily accessible professional development, including strategies such as peer networks and distance learning • Ensure relevance with up-to-date content that can be centrally controlled • Employ tools to track teachers progress toward meeting licensure requirements and to measure the impact on student learning Recruit Highly Qualified Teachers: • Implement a transcendent platform that aligns pre-service and in-service training between local universities and school districts • Offer a 21st century professional experience and give applicants access to district curriculum and expectations as well as opportunities to collaborate Retain Highly Qualified Teachers: • Facilitate professional learning communities that empower teachers with opportunities to collaborate and share best practices • Provide flexible mentoring and coaching opportunities • Encourage teacher collaboration to work with and learn from their peers • Empower teachers to conveniently contribute to school and district planning

Title IID, Enhancing Education Through Technology Districts can use Title IID funds for any technology purpose but must reserve 25% for professional development. Title IID also requires 8th grade technological literacy. Blackboard technology helps districts meet Title IID goals to: Integrate Learning Technology to Help Students Reach Academic Standards • Transform teaching/learning into an active learning environment • Encourage student collaboration both within the classroom, across subject areas, and for extracurricular activities • Increase student engagement with interactive technologies • Promote parental involvement with an easy-to-access online parent portal • Ensure reliability and security with a managed hosted solution

E-Rate E-Rate provides discounts between 20% and 90% to public and private schools and public libraries for telecommunications services, Internet access and internal connections. Blackboard Managed HostingSM is 71% eligible for E-Rate Funding. 16

Blackboard®K–12

The following charts identify funding alignments for online learning approaches. Blended Learning School District General Funds

School district general funds support expenses relating to programs and operation, including teaching, instructional materials, and community communication.

Title I

Provide personalized learning paths (acceleration and remediation) to ensure all students meet or exceed standards. Transform teaching/learning into an active learning environment.

Title IID

Encourage student collaboration both within the classroom, across subject areas, and for extracurricular activities.

Credit Recovery School District General Funds Title I

School district general funds support expenses relating to programs and operation, including teaching, instructional materials, and community communication. Extend the school day with after-school, weekend and summer accessibility to instructional materials and resources. Offer flexible and personalized credit recovery options.

Title IID

Transform teaching/learning into an active learning environment.

Virtual Schools School District General Funds Title IID E-Rate

School district general funds support expenses relating to programs and operation, including teaching, instructional materials, and community communication. Transform teaching/learning into an active learning environment. Increase student engagement with interactive technologies. Blackboard Managed HostingSM is 71% eligible for E-Rate Funding.

Next Steps continued on page 18

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Next Steps continued Online Professional Development School District General Funds

School district general funds support expenses relating to programs and operation, including teaching, instructional materials, and community communication. Expand access to high-quality, ongoing, and flexible professional development.

Title I

Address teachers needs with just-in-time and flexible professional development. Form professional learning communities to connect teachers around student data, curriculum, and resources. Offer just-in-time and flexible professional development to improve teachers’ subject area knowledge and teaching skills.

Title IIA

Offer a 21st century professional experience and give applicants access to district curriculum and expectations as well as opportunities to collaborate. Facilitate professional learning communities that empower teachers with opportunities to collaborate and share best practices.

Title IID

Encourage technology integration in the classroom with relevant, ongoing professional development opportunities.

Curriculum Management School District General Funds


Title I

Provide personalized learning paths (acceleration and remediation) to ensure all students meet or exceed standards.

Title IID

Increase student engagement with interactive technologies.

Community Engagement

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School District General Funds


Title I

Empower parents to partner with the school community.

Title IID

Promote parental involvement with an easy-to-access online parent portal.

Blackboard®K–12

Implementation Assessment


Funding Sources

Sharing Best Practices EXPLORATORY

TARGETED USE

EXPANSION

DISTRICT IMPERATIVE

District Benefits

t en em g ga En

tal ent ren em Pa d nag n a a y mM nit ulu mu rric ble u m C rda e Co Affo pment tiv d a n r o e a evelo ctiv llab D Co Effe sional s e f ol Pro Scho irtual ide V -w t ic Distr ry Recove Credit


As a district or school adopts any new educational or instructional strategy, the typical adoption path starts with exploratory or “pilot” use and progresses through deeper/ broader implementation (targeted use). This is typically followed by program expansion until the district imperative or goal has been achieved.

Goals that districts set for themselves (or District Imperatives) are the end-state that is desired. In the Exploratory phase of an adoption, Primary many districts start with a single or Focus Blended Learning primary focus area; many start with a pilot project. For example, in the case of a virtual school, they might start with a limited number of courses or students. With success in the pilot phrase, districts move on to Targeted Use, where insights and experiences from the pilot projects are communicated and successful programs are implemented with a broader targeted audience or purpose. Finally, in the Expansion phase, the initiatives are extended to include all appropriate programs, students, educators and administrators and are established as a District Imperative. We invite you to use the Adoption Roadmap (page 21) to document your current situation and plan your next implementation. There is not a one-size-fits-all adoption path, but rather a guide to help you customize your adoption processes to address your specific district and/or school needs. At each stage along the adoption path, there are three key factors to successful implementation. These include: (1) Readiness. Readiness incorporates everything that a district must do to prepare for a successful implementation such as training and defining expectations. (2) Usage. Usage implies everything a district should do during the implementation such as gathering feedback and providing support. (3) Success factors. Success factors encompass all of the critical activities a district must consider and accomplish to succeed and expand their usage into another phase of adoption. Determining these factors is critical to the success of the project. Implementation continued on page 20

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Implementation continued Considering each of the key factors mentioned previously at each stage of adoption will help ensure that you have made the right choices and that your implementation is successful. Additional activities/elements that help ensure that your online implementation is successful are: • Team Communication

• Stakeholder communications to ensure buy-in and ongoing support

• Professional Development

• Appropriate budget and staff tied to clear timelines

• Vision and commitment

• Detailed Launch and Roll-Out Planning

Your Adoption Roadmap This chart provides a launching pad for developing your implementation vision and process.

SAMPLE CHART COMPLETION

Blended Learning

Credit Recovery

Exploratory

Targeted Use

Expansion

District Imperative

All HS students have an online component to their courses

24/7 access for 25% of all MS and HS courses

24/7 access for 50% of all elementary, MS, and HS courses

Goal: Every student has 24/7 access to 100% of their courses

All HS offer online credit recovery

MS students are offered the opportunity to pick up key credit in Algebra and other key courses

Goal: All students will have access to alternative paths to HS graduation

350 students expected to enroll in fully online courses

Goal: Every student has the opportunity to experience an online course

Alternative HS pilots online credit recovery

Virtual School

Professional Development

Pilot online professional development course

Core HS curriculum is digital and available online

Curriculum Management


20

Target Professional Learning Communities (PLC) for each teacher group

First cadre of teachers post student assignments to district portal

Blackboard®K–12

75% of all teachers involved in a PLC

Core MS and Elementary curriculum is digital and available online

Goal: Every teacher is actively involved in their online PLC

Goal: All curriculum is digital Goal: Parents have access to student records and current assignments through district portal

Your Adoption Roadmap Exploratory

Targeted Use

Expansion

District Imperative

Blended Learning

Credit Recovery

Virtual School

Professional Development

Curriculum Management


In Closing... Congratulations for undertaking this evaluation and review process. We hope it’s been a catalyst for taking the next appropriate steps in planning and implementing your online learning programs. We look forward to talking with you, answering any questions you might have, and working closely with you in the months and years ahead as you tap the power and potential of online learning.

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Resources for Additional Information Type/Media

Product Information

Blended Learning Blackboard LEARN™

http://www.blackboard.com/learnfork12

Blackboard School Central™

http://www.blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/K-12/ Learn-for-K12/Learn-Product-K12/School-Central.aspx

Individualized Learning and Collaborative Teaching to Increase Graduation Rates

Case Study

Littleton Public Schools

http://blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/K-12/ Learn-for-K12/Case-Studies.aspx

From 0 to 8,664 in 12 months

Case Study

eduview

Clear Creek Independent School District

http://blackboard.com/resources/k12/Bb_K12_ CaseStudy_ClearCreek.pdf

Blended Learning: Where Online and Face-to-Face Instruction Intersect for 21st Century Teaching and Learning

http://www.k12perspectives.com/blendedlearning

Type/Media

Product Information

Credit Recovery Blackboard LEARN™




Individualized Learning and Collaborative Teaching to Increase Graduation Rates

Case Study

eduview

Littleton Public Schools

http://www.blackboard.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx? guid=0a1aad6b-c0a1-4b96-8f1c-1135412dfec2

Credit Recovery: Exploring Answers to a National Priority

http://www.k12perspectives.com/creditrecovery

Type/Media

Product Information

Thought Leadership 22

Virtual School Blackboard LEARN™



http://www.blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/K-12/Learn-for-K12/ Learn-Product-K12/School-Central.aspx

Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report on Online Learning

Blackboard®K–12

http://www.blackboard.com/getdoc/be9b81e38e34-4ca9-9382-9353aeeb5524/Learning-in-the21st-Century-Form.aspx

Type/Media

Product Information

Curriculum Management Blackboard LEARN™




From 1-D to 3-D

Case Study

Amarillo Independent School District

Type/Media

Product Information

http://blackboard.com/resources/k12/Amarillo_ casestudy5.pdf

Professional Development Blackboard LEARN™


Blackboard Educator Central™

http://www.blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/K-12/Learn-forK12/Learn-Product-K12/Educator-Central.aspx

Jeffco Teachers Cross the Digital Divide

Case Study

Jeffco Public Schools

http://blackboard.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid= 43019600-7d42-44c7-91cc-ce01ff15ecf9

Keep the teachers, keep the learning

Case Study

Cobb County School District

http://blackboard.com/resources/k12/Bb%20_Casestudy_LS_ Cobb%20County.pdf

More Effective Instruction for Less

Case Study

Polk County Public Schools

http://www.blackboard.com/resources/k12/K12_Casestudy_ Polk%20County.pdf

Virtual University, Actual Success

Case Study

eduview

Broward County http://blackboard.com/resources/k12/Bb_K12_Casestudy%20_ Public School System %20Broward.pdf Teaching in the 21st Century: A Review of the Issues and Changing Models in the Teaching Profession

http://www.k12perspectives.com/ teaching_21century.asp

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Resources for Additional Information Type/Media Product Information

Community/Parent Involvement Blackboard Connect for K–12™

http://www.blackboard.com/ConnectforK12

Attendance Notification: See how two leading California school districts are improving attendance and boosting parental involvement.

Case Study

Blackboard Connect™ http://www.blackboard.com/resources/Connect/Bb_Connect_ and LaMesa—Spring CaseStudy_LaMesa.pdf Valley School District Time-Sensitive Notification: Learn how the Blackboard Connect service was used to notify a school community during Hurricane Katrina.

Case Study Lessons Learned: Informing the Public

http://www.blackboard.com/resources/Connect/Lessons_ Learned_StCharles.pdf

Community Outreach: Read how when flooding threatened Fargo’s schools, they kept their community informed.

Case Study

Blackboard Connect and Fargo School District

http://www.blackboard.com/resources/Connect/Bb_Connect_ CaseStudy_Fargo.pdf

Spread the Love

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Case Study

Sycamore Community Schools

http://www.blackboard.com/resources/k12/Bb_ Casestudy_Sycamore.pdf

Thought Leadership

Immediate and Effective School Communications

http://www.blackboard.com/resources/Connect/ Bb_Connect_Caselettes.pdf

Thought Leadership

Learning in the 21st Century: Parents' Perspectives, Parents' Priorities

http://www.blackboard.com/k12/education21c

Blackboard®K–12

Type/Media

General Information about Blended Learning, Credit Recovery, Professional Development, Virtual Schools, Curriculum Management, and Community/Parent Involvement Creating Courses, Sharing Content and Improving Communication

Case Study

Calcasieu Parish Public Schools


Five Ways for School Districts to Save

Case Study

State and Local school systems everywhere are facing budgetary pressures and the possibility of significant reduction

http://blackboard.com/Solutions-byMarket/K-12/Learn-for-K12/ Case-Studies.aspx

Put your money to work

Case Study

Alexandria City Public Schools


eduview

Doing More with Less: Strategies for Success

http://www.k12perspectives.com/domore

eduview

Expanding Learning Opportunities: Ensuring Student Success in the 21st Century

http://www.k12perspectives.com/expand

Thought Leadership

Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update (Released July 2009)


Thought Leadership

Leadership in the 21st Century: The New Visionary Administrator (Released October 2008)


Thought Leadership

Learning in the 21st Century: A Trends Update (Released July 2008)


Thought Leadership

Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report of Online Learning (Released October 2007)


Planning for Online Learning

Blackboard Inc. is a global leader in education technology that transforms the experience of millions of students and teachers every day. Blackboard works with states, K–12 districts and virtual schools to expand educational opportunities, create collaborative learning communities and increase engagement for students, teachers, parents and administrators. With Blackboard, educators are closing the gap between the way students live and the way they learn through personalized, connected learning experiences that meet the needs of the K–12 classroom and the 21st century. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at http://www.blackboard.com/k12.

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