Online students brace for new rules in Colorado

For example, Colorado’s online learning unit mandates that schools submit reports on ”annual budgeting and finance practices” and ”staff development plans,” but doesn’t require more detail.

”I’m not convinced that that office is accomplishing what the Legislature intended,” Steadman said.

Other lawmakers have proposed a bill requiring the state education department to study ”the extent to which current school accountability measures are appropriate and sufficient to measure the performance of online students.”

That bill has cleared the House and is pending in the Senate.

Republican Sen. Keith King has suggested a bill to increase the number of ”count days” for state funding. The bill would address the problem of paying online schools for pupils who vanish after Oct. 1.

King runs an El Paso County charter school and says not many kids who leave online schools go back to brick-and-mortar schools. He says his bill will reassure lawmakers that online pupils stay in school.

For more news about online learning, see:

Online learning provider K12 faces class-action lawsuit

Some see blended learning as future of education

Virtual schools booming as states mull warnings

Lawmakers may consider another funding change: Paying online schools only for courses students complete, not for which they’re enrolled. That change has the backing of the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families.

Expect fireworks when the legislative debate hits on the effectiveness of online schools.

Talking to several hundred online students and their parents recently, Republican Sen. Jean White promised the GOP would look askance at any measure deemed too draconian toward online schools.

”I believe strongly in online education and know it’s a great option for a lot of people,” White said to cheers.

Steadman insisted that online K-12 schools are here to stay. ”It’s the 21st century,” he said.

But there’s a decided nervousness among online school parents who fear online schools could see deep funding cuts, too much additional regulation, or even elimination.

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