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  Feds take on dropout crisis
  The Bush administration on April 1 announced that it will require states and school systems to report high school graduation rates in a uniform way, instead of using a variety of methods that critics say are often based on unreliable information. [ Read More ]

   

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  Reports reveal online learning's successes, needs
  Online learning continues to grow at a rapid pace, with 30 states—six more than last year—now offering state-led programs or initiatives, according to the latest report presented by the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL). But the group warns that more oversight of online learning programs is needed if this growth is to continue, and it urges administrators to make sure their online courses are equally accessible to all students. [ Read More ]

   

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  High school dropouts face steep costs in U.S.
  Dropping out of high school has its costs around the globe, but nowhere steeper than in the United States. [ Read More ]

   

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  Panel seeks level field for disadvantaged kids
  Raising expectations, recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, encouraging the most talented teachers to work in the neediest schools, and focusing on early childhood education are all ways that educators can work to ensure minority and low-income students are receiving a good education, speakers at a recent conference said. [ Read More ]

   

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  Feds issue new guide to evaluating online learning programs
  The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement has released its latest guide in a series of publications highlighting innovations in education. Titled "Evaluating Online Learning: Challenges and Strategies for Success," the new guide is designed as a resource for leaders and evaluators of K-12 online learning programs. [ Read More ]

   

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  NACOL issues new guidance for online learning
  The North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) has released a new resource titled "Using Online Learning for At-Risk Students and Credit Recovery," MarketWatch reports. [ Read More ]

   

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  AT&T launches $100M effort to stem dropouts
  AT&T unveiled a $100 million initiative April 17 designed to curb the country's high school dropout rate, which has reached critical levels in recent years, according to education experts. [ Read More ]

   

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  Panelists: Online learning can help minority students
  As online learning becomes more of a strategic resource for K-12 and higher-education institutions to supplement traditional courses, education leaders are starting to discuss how online learning can help support minority students’ instructional needs. [ Read More ]

   

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  'Hybrid' courses show promise
  “Hybrid courses,” or courses that deliver part of their instruction in a traditional lecture manner and part in an online environment, are becoming increasingly popular among schools and colleges. Proponents of the concept say it capitalizes on the benefits that both face-to-face and online learning can provide—and now, there is some evidence to suggest that hybrid courses can help students learn more effectively. [ Read More ]

   

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  Report sees online schools as models for reform
  The growing popularity and success of online learning is an important but "largely unnoticed" trend that reform-minded educators and policy makers could use to much greater advantage as they seek to improve public education in general, says a new report from Education Sector, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. [ Read More ]

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  Free online instruction for hospitalized kids
  Long-term patients at three major children's hospitals will have free access to online courses this year through the Virtual High School (VHS), a national nonprofit provider of virtual instruction. [ Read More ]

   

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