Book Shelf

The Book Shelf is our directory of top studies and articles concerning virtual K–12 education.

Reports

Keeping Pace with K–12 Online Learning 2007: A Review of State-Level Policy and Practice, by John Watson and Jennifer Ryan, Evergreen Consulting Associates, October 2007.

"A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning," by John F. Watson, Evergreen Consulting Associates, April 2007.

"A Primer on Virtual Charter Schools: Mapping the Electronic Frontier (Issue Brief 10)," by Gregg Vanourek, National Association of Charter School Authorizers, August 2006.

"Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools: Rules of the Road on the Digital Highway (Issue Brief 11)," by Gregg Vanourek, National Association of Charter School Authorizers, September 2006.

A Synthesis of New Research on K–12 Online Learning, by Drs. Rosina Smith, Tom Clark, and Robert Blomeyer, Learning Point Associates/North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, November 2005.

Online Teaching and Classroom Change: The Impact of Virtual High School on Its Teachers and Their Schools (Susan Lowes, Columbia University, 2005)

Toward a Deeper Understanding of Student Performance in Virtual High School Courses: Using Quantitative Analyses and Data Visualization to Inform Decision Making by W. Patrick Dickson, Michigan Virtual University, 2005.

Staff Development and Student Perception of the Learning Environment in Virtual and Traditional Secondary Schools by John Hughes, Scott McLeod, Rachel A. Brown, Yukiko Maeda, Jiyoung Choi, University of Minnesota, 2005.

Succeeding at the Gateway: Secondary Algebra Learning in the Virtual School by Cathy Cavanaugh, University of North Florida, 2005.

Toward a new golden age in American education: How the Internet, the law and today's students are revolutionizing expectations, National Education Technology Plan, 2004. (U.S. Department of Education, 2004.)

The Effects of Technology on Reading Performance in the Middle-School Grades: A Meta-Analysis With Recommendations for Policy by David Pearson, Richard Ferdig, Robert L. Blomeyer, Juan Moran, Learning Point Associates, 2005.

Virtual Schools: Planning for Success, Zane L. Berge and Tom Clark, Editors. A wide-ranging update to the authors' previous work on virtual schooling, with chapters by leading practitioners across the country. Teachers College Press, New York, 2005.

Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students: 2002–03, National Center for Education Statistics (US Department of Education), March 2005. This major study of student and district participation in distance learning confirms that virtual schooling more than a passing trend.

Providing Quality Choice Options in Education, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota, August 2005. Virtual schools are included along with charters, magnet schools, and dual enrollment programs as options for state policy-makers to consider.

National Education Technology Plan: Toward A New Golden Age in American Education, U.S. Department of Education, January 2005. Don't miss the important section, "The Explosion in E-Learning and Virtual Schools."

The Effects of Distance Education on K–12 Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis, Learning Point Associates, October 2004.

Any Time, Any Place, Any Path, Any Pace: Taking the Lead on e-Learning Policy, National Association of State Boards of Education, October 2001. This report examines the needs for and barriers to effective, coordinated virtual education.

Technology Counts 2002: E-Defining Education. This Education Week special report provides a thorough overview of the current state of virtual education, including a chart and map of state e-learning initiatives and restrictions.

Essential Principles of High-Quality Online Teaching. (Southern Regional Education Board, 2003.)

The California Virtual School Report. (University of California College Preparatory Initiative, 2003.)

Guide to Online High School Courses. (National Education Association, 2003.)

Cyber and Home School Charter Schools: How States are Defining New Forms of Public Schooling (National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education, 2004.)

Cyber Schools. State Notes: Technology. (Arika Long, Education Commission of the States, 2004)

Public School Choice: Draft Non-Regulatory Guidance. (U.S. Department of Education, 2004)

Articles

"Virtual Schools, Real Innovation," by Andrew Rotherham, originally published in The New York Times, April 7, 2006.

"The Virtual Revolution," by Randall Greenway and Gregg Vanourek, Education Next, Spring 2006.

"K–8 Virtual Schools: A Glimpse into the Future," by Mickey Revenaugh, Educational Leadership, Dec. 2005-Jan. 2006.

"The Virtual Administrator, Advice for Managing Schools Online and Off," techLEARNING, 2004–05. (Subscription is required.)

"Cyber Charter Schools: A New Breed in the Education Corral." (National Association of State Boards of Education, 2003.)