1. Expanding Student Horizons

2. The Issues Broadband capacity doubles every year, increasingly impacting students’ lives We must ensure that rural schools have every opportunity to be competitive –With access –With quality content –With support

3. Rural Distance Education Survey Policymakers must help increase rural districts’ effective use of distance education This led to Act 1280 of 2013

4. Act 1280 of 2013 The Digital Learning Act

5. The Digital Learning Act Beginning with the entering ninth grade class of the 2014-2015 school year, each high school student shall be required to take at least one (1) digital learning course for credit to graduate.

6. APSRC Plan for Digital Learning Based on research from the National Research Center on Rural Education Support APSRC based all of our planning around addressing these issues: Creation of a comprehensive curriculum The need to address the small numbers of students in specific coursework Fiscal restraints

7. Issues and Outcomes IssueOutcome Policy on Digital LearningAct 1280 of 2013 Creation of a comprehensive curriculum Developing the eResources Digital Learning Portal with over 1500 courses available Need to address the small numbers of students in specific coursework Wide variety of providers and courses Assistance with Remediation and Credit Recovery Digital offerings specifically designed for nontraditional learners Fiscal RestraintsGrant program to assist in paying for course costs initially

8. Final Outcome… eResources Digital Learning Portal

9. Hundreds of teacher-led and teacher-facilitated courses High quality courses from nationally recognized digital providers Available to any student 5 th through 12 th grade courses Meets and exceeds the requirements of Act 1280

10. eResources Digital Course Providers Aventa Brigham Young University Edison Learning Florida Virtual School K12 Northwestern University University of Nebraska

11. How are schools using digital courses? Advanced Placement Courses Enriching local curriculum Remediation Homebound students Homeschooled students Expelled students

12. eResources Digital Learning Portal www.elearning-resources.net

20. Questions? Barbara Hunter Cox Director of Teaching and Learning APSRC bhuntercox@apsrc.net Brook Singletary Instructional Technology Specialist APSRC bsingletary@apsrc.net 501-492-4300