1. EDCI 551 Summer 2003 Dennis Sulser

2. Principal Instructional Leadership Online Role of principal is not known Case Study –Two Instructors –Billings West High School What are best instructional practices? Is there a best model for instructional leadership?

3. High School Online Schools VHS Hudson, Massachusetts Cyber Charters (100 – 3000) Students NDIS Converted 73 semester courses online Sylvan’s virtual school—seeks charter Billings West High School—2 courses –Am. History –Statistics –Health Enhance

4. Two Major Studies Comparison VHS Hudson Mass Concorde Consortium 12 courses studied 3 year study 8 Key Components Quality on the Line Several High Ed Inst 7 Areas 24 Benchmarks

5. Seven Similarities of the Studies 1)Teacher Presence 2)Student engagement 3)Timelines and syllabus 4)Expectations 5)Prerequisites—ie. Tech skills 6)Understanding resources 7)Critical Thinking

6. Research Process Survey – Pre-Course Questionnaire – 4 weeks into course Interviews – 5 weeks into course

7. Results No correlation between grades and pre-course survey—Small sample, Continue study Students want instructor response Interactions necessary Organization, think ahead Writing is encouraged H.O.T. Technology requirements Training and Development Stay connected

8. Conclusions 1.Teacher feedback interaction 2.Student response is valued 3.Clear timelines and expectations 4.Minimum competency defined 5.Prerequisites for tech skills clarified ahead of time 6.Access and evaluation of resources 7.Higher Order Thinking Designed

9. Implications Further study is imperative Principals must have framework Themes reoccur Will continue to change evolve Improve all instruction