December 2007
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Appendix C
Resources
Advanced Placement Incentive Program
The U.S. Department of Education's Advanced
Placement Incentive Program (API Program)
supports activities to increase the participation
of low-income students in both pre-AP and AP
courses and tests. Its grants support the development,
enhancement, or expansion of AP courses,
including pre-AP courses aligned with AP courses
in mathematics, science, English, and other subject
areas.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/apincent/index.html
College Board
The College Board is a nonprofit membership association
composed of more than 5,000 schools,
colleges, universities, and other education organizations.
The College Board supports students
with major programs, such as Advanced Placement,
which includes both courses and related
examinations. Its Web site provides AP standards,
exam locations, information about laboratory science
standards, as well as other valuable information
and tools for districts considering an AP
program.
http://www.collegeboard.com
International Baccalaureate
Since 1968, the International Baccalaureate (IB),
a nonprofit education foundation, has offered
an internationally oriented curriculum to schools
worldwide. Its two-year diploma program, for
students ages 16 to 19, has begun piloting several
online courses. Its Web site explains the
curriculum and other aspects of the program.
http://www.ibo.org
Keeping Pace with K–12 Online Learning:
A Review of State-Level Policy and Practice
This 146-page report, published by Evergreen
Consulting in 2007, provides an in-depth analysis
of state, district, and full-time online programs
across the nation. Issues include students
served, funding, curriculum, policy, and quality
assurance for both teachers and courses. The
report is available at no cost by downloading it
from the Web site of the North American Council
for Online Learning.
http://www.nacol.org
Maryland Virtual Learning Opportunities' Local
School System Planning, Implementation, and
Evaluation Guide
The Maryland Virtual Learning Opportunities'
Local School System Planning, Implementation,
and Evaluation Guide is a useful resource when
considering program implementation. Planning
considerations are divided into a threepart
checklist of planning, implementation, and
evaluation. Additionally, suggested roles and
responsibilities are provided for both districtand
school-based personnel. The guide can be
found online at the following URL, using the
link on the left-hand side for the "Planning, Implementation,
and Evaluation Guide."
http://mdk12online.org/schools/schoolshome.htm
National School Boards Association's Technology Leadership Network
The National School Boards Association's
(NSBA) Technology Leadership Network is a
district membership program that offers professional
development opportunities regarding the
most current information about education technology,
including how districts can measure the
impact of technology on student achievement.
http://www.nsba.org/site/page_micro.asp?TRACKID=&CID=82&DID=214
North American Council for Online Learning
The North American Council for Online Learning
(NACOL), established in 2003, is an international
K–12 nonprofit organization that strives
to enhance K–12 online learning through the
sharing of knowledge, advocacy, and research.
NACOL research areas include course content,
course management systems, teacher professional
development, virtual education program
administration, and state and federal public policy.
The NACOL Online Learning Clearinghouse
provides a listing of online-learning-related laws
and programs in the U.S. NACOL organizes multiple
conferences each year, such as the Virtual
School Symposium and the Regional Professional
Development Symposium. Additionally,
the organization sponsors a monthly Webinar
series about online learning issues; a current
schedule is on its Web site. Top 10 Myths About
Virtual Schools, provided by NACOL, dispels
common misperceptions about online learning
and courses and how virtual schools fit in the
contemporary education landscape.
http://www.nacol.org
http://www.nacol.org/resources
Southern Regional Education Board/
AT&T Foundation State Virtual Schools Alliance
Southern Regional Education Board/AT&T
Foundation State Virtual Schools Alliance was
created in 2005 to assist SREB's 16 member
states to increase middle- and high-school
students' access to rigorous academic courses
through state-supported virtual schools.
Through AT&T Foundation grant funding, the
alliance facilitates collaboration and information
and resource sharing between states in order
to create and improve state virtual schools.
Valuable resources, including but not limited to
the SREB Standards for Quality Online Courses
and Standards for Quality Online Teaching,
are available, respectively, at the following
Web sites:
http://www.sreb.org/programs/edtech/pubs/2006Pubs/
06T05_Standards_quality_online_courses.pdf
http://www.sreb.org/programs/EdTech/pubs/
PDF/06T02_Standards_Online_Teaching.pdf
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