Presentation to the Ohio Digital Learning Task Force

Nicole Luthy, Director │Ohio Resource Center December 2, 2011

Distance Learning Clearinghouse• Established in legislation in 2007

• Provides an online repository of educational content (courses and digital resources) for Ohio students in grades K–12

• In 2011, Clearinghouse was awarded to the Ohio Resource Center, located at the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University

• Clearinghouse launched as ilearnOhio in September 2011

The Ohio Resource Center

• Center established by Ohio General Assembly in 1999 to promote best practices in mathematics, science, and reading

• Center provides access to standards-aligned digital content for PreK–post post-secondary educators & teacher education faculty

• Access to over 6,000 digital resources, reviewed and aligned to standards

Responsibilities of the Clearinghouse

• Review the content of each course to assess the course’s alignment to state adopted academic content standards.

• Publish information about the degree of alignment with academic standards.

• Indicate the academic credit students “may reasonably expect to earn” upon successful completion of the course.

Enhancing the Clearinghouse• Redesigning website to enhance navigation and

functionality• Expanding the variety of content available• Developing and implementing review process• Aligning content to Common Core & State Standards• Providing greater customization for users• Developing professional development experiences for

Ohio educators, K-12 & teacher education programs

Policy RecommendationsExpand the tuition waiver program.• Allow students interested in Advanced Placement

courses to apply for 1 tuition waiver per year. Current limit is 1 per student for entire high school experience.

• Provide tuition waivers for online college courses for high school students.

• Permit tuition waivers for content at the K-8 level.

Policy Recommendations

• Encourage all high school students to take 1 online course before graduation.

• Collect and report data on student performance in online courses.

• Encourage and support all schools in providing blended learning opportunities for students.