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On October 12, 2011, iNACOL released the National Standards for Quality Online Courses, version 2.
The standards selected are based on the original standards, the results of a research review and survey of online course quality criteria. These quality standards were evaluated and assembled into an easy to use document for evaluating online courses with common benchmarks.
"Standards help ensure the quality and consistency of online learning in K-12," said Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL. "The National Standards for Quality Online Courses offers an important measuring tool to help policy leaders, schools, and parents across the nation evaluate course quality and implement best practices."
Since the original standards were released, other organizations have released quality standards for online courses. iNACOL organized a team of experts in the area of course development, instructional design, professional development, research, education, and administration to review these new standards and new literature around the topic and determined there was a need to refresh version one of the iNACOL standards. The same process was used in developing version two of the standards in addition to having version one as a starting point in the development of the new version.
As a proven, practical method to enhance the critical learning experience, K-12 online learning is growing rapidly. Online learning levels the playing field for all students to access high quality courses and teachers.
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iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Teaching
On October 20, 2011, iNACOL released the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, version 2. The standards selected are based on the original standards, the results of a research review and survey of online teaching quality criteria. These quality standards were evaluated and assembled into an easy to use document for evaluating online teachers with common benchmarks.
"The new standards focus on providing teachers with a set of criteria for effective online learning and aim to guarantee that the teachers are better able to understand the technology, new teaching methods and digital course content in an effort to foster an personalized online learning environment for every student," said Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL.
iNACOL organized a team of experts consisting of online teachers, professional developers, instructional designers, researchers, course developers, and administrators to review these new standards and the new literature on the topic. They determined that there was a need to refresh Version 1 of the iNACOL standards. The same process was used in developing Version 2 of the standards, in addition to having Version 1 as a starting point in the development of the new version.
"Our overall goal is to ensure that every student has access to the highest quality education available today. Online teaching standards help ensure the quality and consistency of instruction in K-12 online education," said Patrick. "The National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, Version 2 offers an important tool to help teachers, schools, and parents across the nation evaluate quality and implement best practices."
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iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Programs
The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) announces the release of ground-breaking quality standards for K-12 online learning titled, National Standards for Quality Online Programs. This publication is designed to provide states, districts, online programs, accreditation agencies and other organizations with a set of over-arching quality guidelines for online programs in several categories: leadership, instruction, content, support services and evaluation.
This document completes the triad of iNACOL’s online education quality standards, including the National Standards of Quality for Online Courses and National Standards for Quality Online Teaching. These standards provide the encompassing and broad set of standards program leaders need to assure quality.
“Our overall goal is to ensure that every student has access to the highest quality education available today. This is the first publication of K-12 online learning program quality standards to help evaluate and ensure effective oversight. Online program quality standards will help underscore how important effective management, administration, quality content and instruction, student and faculty support, and academic rigor are for K-12 online education,” says Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL.
K-12 online learning is growing at 30% annually. Thirty-four states have state-led virtual school programs, eighteen states offer full-time online learning programs, while 70% of school districts offer at least one online course to students. Online learning is expanding access to high quality educational opportunities for students, leveling the playing field for accessing highly-qualified teachers and helping to keep students on track for graduating on-time and college-ready.