State policies that mandate or encourage students to take online courses and state initiatives that endorse courses, along with the interest in raising student engagement and providing students with more options, are benefitting online course providers.
“In virtual education, state policies are driving adoption andabsorption—ornot,”KevinSweeney,vicepresidentof virtual learning sales at Pearson North America (London/ New York), told EER. He gave the example of Texas where the adoption of new instructional materials for career and technical education for classroom use beginning fall 2017 is likely to spur the market for online courses.
Other examples have been percolating across the country for some time with large states like California and Florida in the forefront. Alabama has been promoting distance education since it launched its Access program in 2004 and Michigan in 2006 became the first state to require that all high school students enroll in some form of online instruction before graduating.
In April, the New York State Education Department launched a statewide virtual learning initiative, which includes a virtual learning network that will provide blended and online opportunities. The initiative includes a virtual advanced placement program, funded through a federal Race to the Top grant, which seeks to increase par- ticipation by low-income students in online AP courses.
Dave Adams, chief academic officer at Edmentum (Bloomington, MN) told EER the market for Plato Courseware is great, in large part because courses have won approvals on state lists across the country. Edmentum formed a government relations team that works to win course approvals at the state level. The com- pany can build custom courses, if that is necessary to win approval, but most of the time courses align with what the state is looking for, Adams said.
Kevin Viau, founder and CEO of eDynamic Learning (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada) agreed that state policies are forcing school districts to look at other options, as is interest in continuing to offer students elec- tive choices even after budget cuts may have eliminated faculty positions in elective areas. Viau also sees par- ents becoming more savvy in looking for career-related opportunities for their children.
eDynamic Learning Offers Elective & Career Courses
Viau was a high school teacher frustrated by the quality of online content and the lack of options when he started eDynamic Learning six years ago. “I found 10 different companies offering the same algebra course, but no interesting elective courses,” he said.