MYTH: Charter schools drain money from public schools and should not be expanded during tight economic times.

REALITY: When public charter schools are funded, no public education money is lost, because the money stays with the student. When students transfer to charters, the traditional school still gets 99% of its prior year actual Average Daily Attendance (ADA), state funding based on student attendance—a safety net while making adjustments. Charters receive ADA, but do not receive any local funds that traditional schools receive, like facility, emergency, and supplemental levies.

MYTH: Charter schools just accept “cream of the crop” students.

REALITY: Charters are open to all students and are neither private nor exclusive. When enrollment requests exceed capacity, charters hold a public lottery to determine who will attend. The same laws governing traditional public schools govern charters. Like traditional public schools, charters must provide in-school special education services.

MYTH: Charter schools are not held accountable for their performance.

REALITY: Charters are given wide latitude to create their own curriculum and instructional models, but are held to the same accountability standards as traditional schools. Charters go through a stringent approval process, undergo annual audits, and those that don’t succeed don’t survive.

MYTH: Charter schools are an experiment.

REALITY: If charters are an experiment, then the experiment is working, because charters continue to outperform their traditional counterparts. Last year, 78.6% of charters met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), compared to 54.8% of non-charter schools. Charters have also received regional and national recognition. Coeur d’Alene Charter, for example, was the only Idaho high school to make US News and World Report’s “Top 100 America’s Best High Schools” list in 2009.

For an alphabetic listing of Idaho Charter Schools, click here: http://www.chartercommission.id.gov/documents/Data_Sheets_Alph.pdf

Or click here for an online directory of all public K-12 schools in Idaho.

The Idaho Charter School Commission is the state-run organization for charter school alternative authorization. On the commission’s web site, you will find answers to frequently asked questions and information about how charters are started and authorized in Idaho.

Another source of facts and news about school choice in Idaho is the State Department of Education’s web site page on School Choice. There, you will find information for parents, charter school developers, and charter school leaders. The site also contains information about the laws governing charter schools in Idaho, research, reports, national resources, and dissemination grants that help traditional and charter schools share and promote best practices.

Why do students choose online courses?
There are a variety of reasons that students select online learning:

• They prefer the online environment to seat time in a face-to-face classroom
• They have a comfort level with technology, using programs like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and iTunes
• They want the convenience and flexibility that online learning affords, being able to complete assignments online and avoiding scheduling conflicts
• They want to be able to go at their own pace, to catch up or to get ahead in coursework
• They want time and cost savings on gas, parking, baby sitting, etc.

Is online learning for everyone?
No, not by a long shot.  Here are characteristics of a successful online learner:

• Self-motivated
• Enjoy reading and writing
• Good organizational and time management skills
• Not a procrastinator
• Have access to or own a reliable computer and high speed Internet connection
• Technical skills necessary to access course information, submit assignments, and communicate with the instructor or participate in online discussions with other class members

What are some of the most common misconceptions about online learning?

• All online courses are created equal – online courses can vary from school to school, subject matter to subject matter, and teacher to teacher
• Online courses are easy
• Online courses require less work and time commitment
• There are no due dates in online courses
• Online courses never meet during specific times/dates
• Just because you are pretty good at using the Internet, you will automatically do well in an online course
• You communicate with your teacher the same way as you communicate online with your FB/IM buddies – ur teacher is not ur bff

How to be successful in online courses/programs

• If you are looking at completing a college degree online, make sure you choose a college that is accredited by an regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  You can start your search here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/  Not all colleges are accredited and not all accrediting agencies are recognized by the Dept. of Ed.  Beware of diploma mills!
• Contact your teacher early on
• Ask questions when you don’t understand something, need clarification, or need assistance
• Read the syllabus and assignment instructions carefully
• Follow instructions
• Know the due dates
• Do not procrastinate
• Realize that technology sometimes fails, so don’t leave anything to the very last minute

Dr. Edit Szanto, Vice President of Student Services, Planning and Grants Development at the College of Southern Idaho

The fact is that Idaho charter schools are accountable for teaching and testing the same state curriculum standards as traditional public schools. Charter schools do not offer a less rigid curriculum simply because they are operated by their own school board. In fact, many charter schools in the state offer advanced, college prep, or even professional technical curriculums IN ADDITION to addressing the same state standards as traditional public schools.

The fact that charters are operated by their own board often gives them flexibility with scheduling, staffing, and resource allocation as well as the ability to be more responsive and nimble. At the end of the year, students in charter schools take the same state standards-based tests as those in traditional public schools and if the level of rigor in the charter school is low, so too, will be the students’ performance on these tests. This holds true for traditional public schools, business and aspects of everyday life as well. Less rigor in the input = less quality in the output. It is not a charter school issue or an issue that is in any way related to charter schools being operated by their own board.

Let’s stop perpetuating myths about Idaho public charter schools– there are plenty of accurate resources available from the Idaho Charter School Network or the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools– free for the “Google-ing”.

Online education in both K12 and postsecondary education is growing rapidly and is the fastest growing segment in education (http://www.usdla.org/ ).  According to a recent report approximately 12 million post-secondary students currently take online courses and it is estimated that in five years, there will be more than 22 million students taking some or all of their coursework online (http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2009/10/28/Most-College-Students-To-Take-Classes-Online-by-2014.aspx?Page=1) .  Here in Idaho, there is a similar growth.  Boise State University served over 15,000 enrollments online, awarded over 40,000 credits, and offered 5 degrees wholly online in 2008 (http://www.boisestate.edu/distance/snapshot2009.shtml)! Since it is likely that students will take an online course in their postsecondary studies, what role should K12 education do in preparing our students for college in the 21^st century?

K12 and Online Learning

According to the International Council for Online Learning (www.inacol.org), it is estimated that there are 2 million students in K12 taking online courses.  Currently three states (Michigan, Alabama, and New Mexico) require online learning as a high school graduation requirement and recognize that students will experience online education in college.  Florida now requires that every K12 school district must offer a virtual school online learning option (http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/) .

Idaho Digital Learning Academy

In 2002, the Idaho legislature established the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) to create online options for students and recognized that technology impacts “all facets of life, including the education of students of school age and adult learners” (http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title33/T33CH55.htm ).  IDLA received startup funds for Year 1 from the JA and Kathryn Albertson Foundation.  From Fall 2002 through Fall 2009, IDLA served over 34,000 enrollments and experienced an average growth rate of over 50% per year!  IDLA is currently ranked #9 in the country for the number of enrollments for a state virtual school program (http://www.kpk12.com/).  These 34,000 enrollments equate to approximately 25,000 unique Idaho students better prepared for an online learning course in college or in industry due to the support and adoption of online learning by Idaho school administrators and school boards.  Last year, 98% of Idaho school districts enrolled students in IDLA offering students additional choices to alleviate scheduling conflicts, providing opportunities for early graduation, advanced placement and dual credit, and offering courses unavailable at the local school district such as Chinese, Digital Photography, Astronomy, and Calculus (www.idahodigitallearning.org) .

Online Education and Academic Performance

Not only are students enrolling in online courses, their performance is high.  The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory concluded that “on average, students seem to perform equally well or better academically in online learning” (http://www.ncrel.org/tech/synthesis/synthesis.pdf).    One reason for high academic performance is the quality of online teachers.  The teaching faculty at the Idaho Digital Learning Academy are master teachers in their content area, meet highly qualified status, and are innovative, student-centered teachers.  Due to the geographic neutrality of online learning, IDLA has the ability to attract high quality teachers from all over Idaho.

Online Education and the Digital Generation

Another reason for high academic performance is the ability of online learning to engage the digital learner.  Today’s student is the first generation to spend more time on the Internet than TV, think email is for old people, and want the ability to customize their learning (http://pewinternet.org/topics/Education.aspx ) .   Online learning offers the ability to do this.  Courses at the Idaho Digital Learning Academy incorporate blogs, wikis, podcasts, social networking, online community, simulations, animations, and other electronic media to engage the learner.  Courses offer multiple opportunities to learn content and to interact with their peers and teachers in an electronically-mediated learning environment.

Final Thoughts

Several Idaho school districts and policymakers recognize that online learning is a 21^st century skill and are considering graduation requirements.  However, regardless of the outcome, parents and students have a choice in Idaho school districts to take an online course as a means of preparing for postsecondary studies and the 21^st century.  With the addition of high speed bandwidth that the Idaho Education Network provides, access for all Idaho students and districts will increase.  Online learning has proven itself as a high quality, academic option that complements and expands existing K12 programs, meets the needs of the digital generation, and prepares students for the 21^st century.

The truth is that state funding for all public schools, traditional or charter is determined by the state funding formula. It is based on three factors: teacher experience, program size and grades served. A public charter school and a traditional public school with the same variables in each of the three categories would receive the exact same amount of state funding. Smaller schools (traditional or charter) with a student population of under 200 can take advantage of the small school funding formula offered by the State of Idaho, which offers a slightly higher funding per pupil.

The truth is that there ARE discrepancies in funding among charter and traditional public schools when it comes to raising money for facilities and additional operational expenses. Public charter schools, unlike traditional public schools are not allowed to levy bonds for facilities or operational expenses. They must pay all of their expenses on their state allowance alone. When charters schools are located in districts that are passing facilities and maintenance bonds, charter schools are not included in the receipt of these funds and therefore cost tax payers substantially less money to operate than their traditional public school counterparts. In districts where bonds are not being passed, state funding for traditional public schools is exactly the same as it is for public charter schools.

Historically, Idaho public charter schools have benefited from a federal Charter School Programs grant which provides monies for start up expenses—books, chairs, desks, etc.  These funds have been made available to Idaho through a competitive grant process and are not guaranteed to continue. Recent awards have been in the amount of approximately $175,000 per school per year for the first three years of operation. While the potential receipt of these funds might make starting charter schools an attractive option, one should consider that these funds are available for the first three years of operation and only IF Idaho continues to write winning proposals to the Federal Department of Education for these monies.

Historically, Idaho has won these monies, but the feds have indicated that in order to be funded, states must show that they are not limiting the number of charter schools. The cap of six charter schools per year as imposed by Idaho statute and the increased demand for charter schools will no doubt hinder Dobbs’ and others’ plan for expansion of choice for Idaho kids—at least choice that is provided through charter schools. If we want to be serious about expanding choice through charter schools and we want to continue to receive federal dollars to assist in the start up of these schools, we need to get serious about removing or increasing the cap imposed on charter school growth in Idaho. Idaho is one of the few states in the country that still has caps on charter school growth.

Of course, districts have several other options to consider when planning for choice in education such as open enrollment, magnet schools or academies, or even by offering choice within a single school by creating “schools within schools” whereby parents could choose the different track they want for their child. There are several options available especially in a district that already has facilities for the schools.

The Idaho Charter School Network commends Mr. Dobbs for his exploration of choice for his already high performing district, and we look forward to working with the district as they explore the options available for providing choice.

Dual credit coursework is by definition a college course taken by a high school student for which the student earns both college and high school credit. At completion, high school students earning dual credit will have the course added to a college transcript as well as their local high school transcript.  At the College of Southern Idaho and our sister institutions across the state, dual credit can be delivered in a number of ways, such as:

• Face-to-face using a high school instructor
• Face-to-face using a college instructor
• Via the internet using a local Black Board system
• Via the internet through a partnership with IDLA
• In real time using a video conference system, such as the Idaho Education Network (IEN).

Programs of this type are successful because they offer something for everyone involved. Dual credit programs enable students to make substantial progress toward college degrees before they finish high school. Students who begin taking courses in their junior year can earn 30 or more college credits by the time they graduate from high school if they also take summer classes at the college. College-bound students can earn sophomore status even before they set foot on campus.

In addition to the obvious financial benefits of dual credit, accelerated learning programs, of which dual credit is just one example, also help high school students make the transition from high school to college. For one thing, students can learn what college professors expect in dual credit courses while still in their familiar high school surroundings. When a student matriculates into a college system, they will have already acquired the confidence to succeed academically. Then too, dual credit courses enable high schools to offer students more options than are available in a regular high school curriculum.

Generally speaking, college credits earned by high school students have good portability (they will transfer almost anywhere).  Here are some things to consider when it comes to transferability and dual credit: Private schools often have different transfer criteria than do public institutions, and out-of-state institutions will have differing transfer criteria than will in-state institutions.

Finally, dual credit coursework will almost always transfer as elective credits, but may or may not always transfer into a college program of study.  When a student or parent inquires about transferability of dual credits to a college or university, they are encouraged to contact the college/university registrar directly for information about transfer policies and limitations.  Each of the public colleges and universities in Idaho, as well as Northwest Nazarene University, maintain web-sites affiliated with dual credit and accelerated learning opportunities in order to offer additional learning opportunities for high schools, students and parents.

While some Idaho schools and public libraries currently operate with adequate high speed internet connectivity (T1 connections or more), others operate with little or no high speed internet access. This disparity affects individual students, as those without access also must learn without modern learning tools. It also affects the state system, keeping it from implementing statewide improvement tools such as online assessments and other collective investments as they are forced to lower standards to include the lowest level capabilities. In Idaho, there is agreement on the need to improve broadband access at the school, district and state level in K-12 education, as evidenced by the recent introduction and passing by the Idaho Legislature of House Bill No. 543-Idaho Education Network. The legislative directives stipulated in this bill emphasize the urgency of making improvements to statewide virtual connectivity. One of the priorities of the IEN is to ensure that this “umbrella of connectivity” allows for the expansion of dual credit enrollment opportunities which allow students to take college courses while still in high school, particularly in rural areas of Idaho.

The major focus of the IEN in the first phase of its implementation plan is to connect to sufficient high-speed broad band capabilities every high school in Idaho over the course of the next three years. In the second and third phases of the project, the IEN will work to connect middle schools, elementary schools and libraries to sufficient high-speed broad band capabilities as well. In addition, this statewide network connection will open doors for schools and communities to access educational opportunities from around the state, nation and world.

In practical terms, just what does this mean for high school students in Idaho? As the Idaho Education Network develops and expands its network of service and opportunities across the state in phase one, high school students will:

• Have access to basic core and advanced courses transmitted from other Idaho high schools they currently cannot access due to limitations in personnel, space, and resources
• Participate in dual credit coursework transmitted in “real time” fashion from one of Idaho’s public or private colleges and universities who provide dual credit opportunities
• Experience the wonder of visiting faraway places, both on our earth and beyond, through the technology of “virtual tours.”

For more information, stop by your local high school or visit the Idaho Education Network’s website at http://www.ien.idaho.gov/index.htm.