Introduction: Over the past year we have had numerous meetingsi [0], discussions and web site visits with most of the Arizona governance, business, infrastructure and education groups and organizations. I have also perused a host of reports, studies and documents on eLearningi [0] and itsi [0] current adoption strategies and benefits. The following is our recommendation for legislationi [0] in 2009 – 2010 to support the innovation of eLearning to transform Arizona’s K-12 education system.

 

These recommendations are for legislative actions provide a pathway and intellectual infrastructure for current eLearning disruptive innovation modes: online, hybrid, 1:1 computer interfaces per student classrooms and virtual learning environments. It also supports the sustaining innovations of traditional education such as data driven decision support systems and multiple course sources for high school students.

 

Assumptions: The critical assumption is that eLearning will reach a tipping point within several years. This point is determined when 5% of K-12 learning takes place with eLearning support. When this happens there will be rapid (over a decade) K-12 education transition to more effective and efficient eLearning. The state who has prepared their infrastructure and legislated rules and administrative system for this eventi [0] will be the first to benefit.

 

Recommendations: Legislation is needed for systemic rule changes within Title 15 and for seed funding for study and design, and ongoing implementation of critical intellectual infrastructure (data driven decision support systems and Integrated Data to Enhance Arizona’s Learning (IDEAL) for educator professional development and digital curriculum acquisition support) and physical infrastructure of broadbandi [0] connectivityi [0].

 

1. Regulatory and administrative system enhancements that support funding for mastery of subjects as an alternative to seat time.

@     As learning is individualized with eLearning, students learns at own pace, maintain motivation, minimize boredom and avoid dropping out. Individualization removes inefficiency from legacy K-12 system, most students graduates sooner, and there are  significant long range cost savings.

 

1. Regulatory and administrative system enhancements that free the school and student from the standard school year calendar to support self-paced learning and accelerated course completion with personal learning plans.

@     Student self paced eLearning, especially online and virtual learning must be contorted to fit into the calendar year. The standard school year puts a drag on potential cost savings and accelerated student learning.

 

1. Regulatory and administrative system enhancements that support funding multiple sources of courses for an individual student at the same time. (home, online, virtual school, charter school, legacy school, college, …)

@     There are many offerings outside of the traditional classroom structure that offer better, faster, cheaper education with increased flexibility and that enrich individual student education. The current single source funding system places major challenges to this flexibility opportunity.

 

1. Regulatory and administrative system enhancements that support a significant increase in the discretionary funds allocation to school administrators to enable investment in local disruptive innovation within districts, schools and classrooms to both increase student learning and retention and reduce costs.

@     Sustained innovation within organizations needs three critical elements: the champion, a sponsor in administration and funding allocation. We have champions and visionary administrators. What is missing is adequate funding level for effective adoption of sustaining innovations within an transformational eLearning system redesign.

 

1. Regulatory and administrative system enhancements that support acceleration of the creation, training for use and bringing to sustained operation a sophisticated data-driven decision support system. The summative system at Arizona Department of Education is the data warehouse and  Student Accountability Information System (SAIS). This system must be extensible so that over the next decade it can be evolved to a granularity level that facilitates accessibility, student individualization, real time formative assessmenti [0] and learning support for the teacher-student learning nexus. At the same time the system must assure privacy, tight accounting controls and rational decision making at the administrative and state levels. Funding is needed in 2009 to continue the process to implement the data warehouse with enhanced SAIS.

@     The high level system of data warehouse and SAIS is will underway with policy input from the P20 council’s data committee and the Data Policy Institute’s multistate Data Quality Campaign. This system must be completed and brought to effective operation to provide the foundation for extension from summative assessments driving decisions at school, district and state levels to formative assessments in the teacher-student-parent nexus of eLearning.

 

1. Statewide initiative integrated with regulatory and administrative system enhancements that establish access to online teacher education and professional development for all educators. The goal is to significantly accelerate their capability to be highly effective eLearning teachers in eLearning classrooms and online, hybrid and virtual environments. Concept includes significant enhancement of IDEAL; adequate funding for teacher professional development; transformationi [0] of our colleges of education and their college/university ecology; and eLearning equipped teacher classrooms and teaching environments. What is needed now is funding to be used by ADEi [0] and Advanced Learning Technology Institute (ALT^I) within ASU that implements IDEAL. To enhance IDEAL current service as well as create plans and a roadmap to serve all educators.

@     This assessment-planning process would specify costs, means; innovation path and time table to assure all 60,000 Arizona educators will be eLearning savvy in their practice within the next decade.

 

1. Statewide initiative, and regulatory and administrative system enhancements to establish the intellectual infrastructure that functions as a conduit between the world of accessible digital curriculum and the teacher-student in the classroom or online eLearning environment. Concept would include IDEAL as the portal content provider to supplement the district’s efforts to adopt effective digital curriculum and be the extension agent to assure teachers receive support needed to effectively use digital curriculum. Funding is needed for ADE and ALT^I within ASU to enhance IDEAL and to create plans and roadmap to support all teacher-student eLearning activitiesi [0] with the most appropriate digital curriculum.

@     There is a large body of digital curriculum that has been developed over past 20 years. It ranges from free open source course units to full K-12 curriculums from commercial vendors. It can be supplementary to legacy education or deliver the entire learning process. Sophistication and functionally range from simple content to high level simulations, realistic avatars and real time formative assessments. It can be sourced from a learning management system in a school district or via Internet to a virtual learning environment in New Zealand. Teachers and school districts do not have the expertise or funding to sort through this universe of curriculum. A state level function is needed to develop and operated an effective and efficient conduit to support districts and educators.  

 

1. Statewide study to support and regulatory and administrative system enhancement decisions that would drive rapid deployment of adequate and cost effective bandwidth connectivity to support learning, health care and economic development in all schools and communities. Funding is needed for Government Information and Telecommunication Agency (GITA) to conduct statewide survey using school district geographic areas to assess the current state of accessibility of broadband connectivity.

@     Broadband connectivity is required for effective delivery of the prior eLearning recommendations in both students’ homes and to their schools. Comprehensive data on availability of cable, satellite or telephone DSL broadband whether wired or wireless must be accessed much sooner than later. With this data in hand Arizona governance and public/private telecom enterprises can determine the most effective means to deliver these vital utility to each communityi [0] and to the schools, hospitals and homes within that community.  

 

The last four recommendations require seed funding from the Arizona Legislature (rough estimates) during the 2009 session. The strategy is to continue the progress on developing the basic systems needed to be ready to implement the eLearning transformation when the economy turns upward.

 

5. Data system development: $3 million – ADE budget

 

6. Teacher Professional Development system development $1 million

 

7. Digital Curriculum system Development  $1 million

 

8: Broadband Telecommunications study $500,000