Online Learning Options for Rural Schools: A Blended Learning Experiment
Abstract: Many educational leaders in southeast Ohio face a major uphill battle to meet the demanding requirements of No Child Left Behind. Well known requirements such as accountability, highly qualified teachers and sub-group reporting have placed ever increasing demands on district leaders for improved student performance on state assessments. District leaders have explored new avenues for student success such as online learning. Many brick-and-mortar school leaders have begun to explore online learning and its effectiveness for reaching at risk students and improving student performance on state assessments. One such school district, Buckeye Local, has created an online hybrid, offering a blended learning environment of both online curriculum and face-to-face required seat time for student/teacher interaction. The popularity of the program has intrigued local law makers, district leaders and residents. Educators are discovering that online learning can be an effective way to reach students