Online courses and other technology-based programs will play a key role in helping educators meet new requirements for supplemental services under the No Child Left Behind Act, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) told school leaders during a nationwide conference June 13-14. But while many administrators were satisfied by ED's guidance, others said the department left questions unanswered.

The ED-sponsored event, "Serving all Schoolchildren and Increasing Options for Parents," brought more than 300 school decision-makers together in the nation's capital to listen, share suggestions, and ask questions about the Bush administration policy, which now holds all schools accountable for ensuring that students achieve "adequate yearly progress" (AYP).

Beginning this fall, schools that do not meet proposed standards for progress for two consecutive years will be required to provide transfer options and state-approved supplemental services to low-income students—determined by students' poverty status on Census reports—until such strides are made, according to department officials.

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in several work sessions and panel discussions, including "Using Technology to Expand Opportunities for Supplemental Service." The hour-long presentation served as a precursor to an address by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and provided several examples of how schools should look to the internet for federally acceptable supplemental service providers.

Julie Young, executive director of the Florida Virtual School, told attendees that online services are ideal as supplemental programs because they promote parental integration and allow easy access to information, which can be used to track the progress and achievement of children.

According to Young, the Florida program lets parents read progress reports, view work, check up on assignments, and monitor learning by way of online profiles.

"Imagine, if you will, every parent can be in every classroom everyday," Young said.

The Florida Virtual School offers online classes to students in grades 8-12 and is free to students throughout the state. The school projects it will enroll more than 8,000 kids in the upcoming year. While students cannot earn a diploma, they can take part in more than 66 classes taught by 70 different state-certified teachers, Young said.

What's more, technology-based supplemental service programs allow for increased database management and tend to yield quicker results, the presenters said.

Mike Williamson, chief academic officer for HOSTS Learning, said technology and database management systems are critical as schools move toward greater accountability, because supplemental services must accomplish a lot in what amounts to no more than 16 hours of instruction.

"You need to reduce the amount of time it takes to aggregate, sort, and analyze data quickly. We need to get through the data challenge so that each teacher can teach each child," he said.