Chat Transcript for A Historical Perspective on K-12 Online and Blended

Learning 3/18/2015
Kerry Rice, Susan Lowes, and John Watson
Susan Lowes:Belize???
John Watson:Belize. I slept on a concrete floor in a shack with no windows for a
month
Susan Lowes:Jealous!
John Watson:Yes--it was fun. Despite the housing arrangements
Joe Freidhoff:John's voice sounds low
Susan Lowes:yes, for me too
Kathryn Kennedy:You sound okay, John!
Susan Lowes:John sounds low to me
Susan Lowes:Better
Kathryn Kennedy:haha
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):Needed to increase volume for John -- he's fine now
that I uped the volume. Difference between John's and Justin's
Kathryn Kennedy:kpk12.com
Kathryn Kennedy::)
Kathryn Kennedy:Also the Handbook that John mentioned is located here:
http://press.etc.cmu.edu/files/Handbook-Blended-Learning_Ferdig-Kennedyetal_web.pdf
Kathryn Kennedy:John, Kerry, and Susan are all authors in this Handbook.
Scott Petri:Surprised private schools are moving slower than TPS. Chaminade out
here in CA has a cutting-edge 1:1 program.
Michael Barbour:Laurel Springs School in California was the first K-12 online
program in 1991.
Scott Petri:I've also read a lot of Catholic schools are using blended learning to
become more efficient.
Michael Barbour:And John is actually answering my question before I even get to
type it. Good anticipation!
Tom Clark:John, might you compare and contrast the definitions of digital learning
in your Handbook chapter and KP14?
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):you've missed the whole justification for the state
schools -- KVHS was about increasing access to AP courses
Scott Petri:Curious as to how valid you think the results of the NEPC 2015 annual
report on virtual learning are?
Susan Lowes:Am I right that big charter school states do not generally have state
virtual schools?
Susan Lowes:Just seems striking.
Michael Barbour:Scott, the NEPC report is largely a review of existing literature
and legislation (save Gary Miron's section, which is the third section).
Tom Clark:There is a natural limit on online school enrollment due to parental
supervision needs.

Scott Petri:That is the most interesting section, Michael, the data suggests to me
that we are pushing the wrong students into VL.
Justin Bruno:Scott - similar findings in our own Effectiveness Report:
http://mvlri.org/Publications/ID/21/Study-finds-virtual-learning-enrollments-revealmixed-results
Michael Barbour:Scott, I'd suggest that we are pushing the wrong students into
the wrong models.
Christopher R:y
Joe Freidhoff:great
Justin Bruno:yep!
Kathryn Kennedy:perfect!
Kristin Oostra:Loud and clear
Scott Petri:Yes, I can hear you knw.
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):Scott, what do you mean "pushing" students into
VL
Scott Petri:Thank you, Justin.
Justin Bruno:np, actually realized that was the 12-13 report, the 13-14 one is
found at http://mvlri.org/Publications/ID/79/Over-76000-Michigan-public-schoolstudents-participated-in-online-learning-during-the-past-school-year
Scott Petri:Ray, let's talk offline.
Susan Lowes:I recommend Chris Brown, Making Evidence Matter.
Susan Lowes:On the connections, or lack thereof, between research and policy
John Watson:Tom, back to your question about definitions in the handbook vs in
KP. The main difference is that in KP we defined digital slightly more broadly, in
particular to included "blended" programs that may not meet the Christensen
definition.
Tom Clark:Thanks John!
Tom Clark:Lack of common understanding and vision in U. S. public education
impacts our competitiveness.
John Watson:Tom, I also missed your comment about parents wanting supervision
for kids limiting growth of full-time online schools. Absolutely yes that is the case.
No state has more than abotu 3% of students in FT online schools and the growth
is slowing.
Tom Clark:Yep.
Joe Freidhoff:Kerry, I think I just heard you say that course access has had
devestating effects. Can you say more about that?
Joe Freidhoff:Thanks!
Michael Barbour:How has that looked in the State of LA, as I know it has been
implemented there?
Jered Borup--George Mason University:John and Tom, Given the socio-economic
condition and family structures of most K-12 students, 10 percent is likely the
maximum number of students who could contemplate a home schooled
experience (Staker, 2011, p. 2).
John Watson:Jered, I'm familiar with that number from Heather and Michael. I
think it's way too high, and I think Michael and Heather would agree now.
Jered Borup--George Mason University:It seems that way.
Scott Petri:Great Slide, Kerry, I love the pic.
Scott Petri:Me too.
John Watson:Currently we're at .5% with a slowing growth rate. Seems unlikey
that we'll see more than 1% natioanally any time soon
Susan Lowes:But bigger impact in some states, right?
Jered Borup--George Mason University:AZ is the highest

Kerry
Rice:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1esY6UEZNiA0onbRIurZU09fHunhi9frYt
PZ1wzl0VaQ/edit?usp=sharing
Tom Clark:The NCES survesy support a lower ceiling for homeschool.
Kathryn Kennedy:You can click on the links in the slides since it's a PDF.
John Watson:Michael, LA is a good example. In the transition from a state virtual
school to course choice the number of supplemental online course enrollments
dropped by 61%.
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):Chief State School Officers
Tom Clark:Nice chronology, Kerry!
John Watson:Susan--yes higher in some states, but probably not higher than 3%.
AZ is an outlier with data issues...
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):Council of Chief State School Officers (sorry missed
the first C -- these are the state superintendent types
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):volume Susan...
Kerry Rice:yes
Tom Clark:Evaluators not publishing enough --yes, guilty as charged.
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):Tom: That is in part the project's fault. With VHS
we required the evaluation to be a book.
Kerry Rice:so true!
Scott Petri:Can you be a little more specific about the statistical modeling
techniques in course data?
Kerry Rice:decision tree, clustering, pattern recognition
Christopher R:three great presentations...thank you
Susan Lowes:Do presenters get to vote?
Kerry Rice:lol
Scott Petri:I have 2,200 discussion posts to analyze. What is the best
technique/software? Help.
Justin Bruno:http://survey.mivu.org/opinio/s?s=2912
Tom Clark:Thanks John, Kerry and Susan!
Susan Lowes:Scott--email me.
Stacy Hawthorne:I think this information and the report are valuable to
practioners in the field. Thank you for sharing.
Scott Petri:OK, Thanks, Susan.
Joe Freidhoff:Grad students!
Kerry Rice:thank you all - great webinar
Jered Borup--George Mason University::)
Susan Lowes:ha ha
Joe Freidhoff:;)
John Watson:Thanks for all the great questions and discussion!
Kathryn Kennedy:We'll be sending out a survey for feedback on the iNACOL
Symposium research preconference soon :)
Joe Freidhoff:Thank you to all the presenters!
Scott Petri:Thanks for a great lunch data.
Kathryn Kennedy:Thank you, John, Kerry, and Susan! :)
Joe Freidhoff:John, please check your chat
Susan Lowes:thanks!
Jered Borup--George Mason University:Thank you!
Justin Bruno:thank you everyone!
Ray Rose (Corpus Christi, TX):thank you