2002-2003 Webcasts

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Virtual Schools: Policies and Issues
January 29, 2003

Presented in partnership with:

Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium (MAR*TEC)

ULiveandLearn.com

Virtual learning, whether part of a traditional school day or as an alternative to on-site education, offers a rich array of courses and learning opportunities to students that enhance both their experiences and potential. Whether a school is just starting out, or effectively operating an online program, they face several key policy, funding and political issues. This Webcast will present these challenges and panelists will discuss effective ways to address key questions including:

• How teachers are certified, trained and evaluated for an online environment and for services that span more than one geographic location?
  
  
• Does on line learning result in increased levels of achievement and how are NCLB regulations for high-stakes testing impacted across state lines?
  
  
• What are the financial models for virtual schools/on line courses and what's the impact (positive and negative) on funds for schools that are based on attendance if students are schooled online but at home?
  
  
• How can the quality of online courses be ensured/evaluated especially when students are taking them from teachers in other states or countries?
  
  
• How are students admitted/selected for on line courses and virtual schools? What can districts do to provide support to students enrolled in on line courses / virtual schools?
  
  

Moderator

• Irene Spero, Vice President, CoSN

Presenters

• Karen Middleton, Senior Project Coordinator, Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET)
• Liz Pape, Chief Executive Officer, Virtual High School, Inc.

Presenter Biographies

Irene Spero heads The Spero Group, Education Consultancy, specializing in advocacy, representation, communications and management services. She is currently working with NetDay, an organization dedicated to expanding the technology opportunities of students; the Consortium of School Networking, an association working to advance K-12 technology leadership; and SchoolTone Alliance, a global consortium of education technology and service provider companies. Prior to establishing The Spero Group, Ms Spero served as Director of External Relations at the congressionally chartered Web-based Education Commission which submitted its report, The Power of the Internet for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice, to Congress and the President in December 2000. Ms Spero served for 16 years as Executive Director for Federal and State Relations at the College Board where she directed its comprehensive government relations program . Ms. Spero received a BA degree cum laude with honors in political science from Bryn Mawr College and an MA in Public Law from Columbia University.

Karen Middleton is the senior project coordinator for WCET, managing two projects, "The EduTools Project" which is a web-based resource for higher education, and the creation of a new organization to serve K-12 Online Teaching and Learning. The latter is a new project, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, Ms. Middleton directed eCollege's Center for Internet Technology in Education (CiTE), that hosted the first national Virtual High School Symposium.

Liz Pape is the CEO of the Virtual High School (VHS, Inc), a non-profit collaborative of high schools offering full-semester courses over the Internet. Ms. Pape has presented to the National Education Summit, the American Association of School Administrators, the Association of Supervisors and Curriculum Developers and the National School Board Association. VHS has received the Magna2000 School Award for outstanding programs that advance student learning and the Stockholm Challenge Award 2001 for innovative use of technology in education.