By Jeff Simmons, IDLA Superintendant
This fall, we had the opportunity to collaborate with some of our peers at the 2024 VLLA Conference. The Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA) is an organization of 20 state virtual schools. We work together, share best practices, and build capacity in each other. IDLA is an original group member and a leader within this group.
Arkansas hosted the event this year. Our group was welcomed to Arkansas by Stacy Smith, Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education of the Arkansas Department of Education. Stacy shared her story of how education made a difference in her life. She also challenged us to provide students with opportunities to learn online, but with fidelity.
According to Google, “fidelity” means “faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.” Translated into the context of this conversation, offering online learning with fidelity means not compromising on any of the pieces students need to receive a quality experience. Students can learn online just as well as they can learn in person, and those of us offering online courses can meet that level of success without having to water down our programs.
We have the technology and research-supported teaching practices to offer students an authentic online learning experience. Online curricula should be written to the same standards and cover those standards at the same depth as what is taught at brick-and-mortar schools. Online students should be assessed at the same level using the same assessments whenever possible. Online teachers should be held to the same standards and expectations as those in a brick-and-mortar school.
I’m proud to say we strive to meet this standard in each of our courses and programs at IDLA. IDLA has a strong Content Team composed of former classroom teachers who use tools to build engaging courses that meet Idaho Content Standards. Students are taught the same content at the same depth in our program as at their face-to-face school.
IDLA strives to measure student learning using the same assessments as the schools and districts we serve. Students in our Launchpad program use iStation, the same software used for reading intervention in Idaho school districts. Our Launchpad students are assessed using the ISIP, and our data shows that student growth in our Launchpad program is equal to and sometimes greater than student growth in brick-and-mortar schools.
IDLA teachers are each evaluated by a trained IDLA principal. The primary role of the IDLA principal is to ensure students are being taught at a level that engages and challenges them. IDLA uses an evaluation rubric aligned with the Danielson Framework for Teaching. IDLA teachers are evaluated on the same components and to the same level of quality that our brick-and-mortar teachers are evaluated.
Stacy Smith is correct in saying that online education should be offered to students at the same level of quality as face-to-face education. This is a standard we intend to hit in every course at IDLA. We will continue to collaborate with our peers, innovate, and advance our program to ensure this remains our standard for years to come.
