Guest Commentary: Inspecting the Inspectprate--Why Not Start with Online Schools

In his "The Quick & The Ed" blog, Education Sector Managing Editor Bill Tucker launched a debate about reviving the traditional of physical visits to school campuses as a part of an accountability program.
It's done in England, Tucker says, but he wonders, would in work in the United States?
Needless to say, this concept has stirred up some dust.
"The problem with big new ideas is often the very thing that makes them appealing: they are disruptive towards the status quo, making them extremely difficult to either imagine or implement. And, in the context of state accountability systems, school inspection is a big idea," Tucker wrote.
"Nowhere are our current oversight and school accountability systems more lacking than when it comes to assessing the performance of online and other alternative schools. While test score data and measures such as adequate yearly progress (AYP) have limitations for all schools — particularly those serving disadvantaged students — they are even more problematic for virtual schools operating on competency-based and other alternative educational models," he continued.
Tucker understands that it is impossible to physically visit an online school, but he does have some ideas on how to "balance accountability with innovation. Click here to find out more.

Guest Commentary: Brian Bridges of California Learning Resource Network Asks 'Does Online Learning Work?'

“Just because online learning can work does not mean that online learning will work.” (Keeping Pace, 2011)
That's how Brian Bridges, executive director of the Californina Learning Resource Network, which provides resources to help California educators identify and acquire digital learning tools, starts his most recent post.
Yes, this is another volley being fired in the war of words and policy over accountability issues in K-12 virtual education community.
 According to Bridges, the line from the 2011 edition of Keeping Pace is spot on. " But you wouldn’t know it from the variety of recent reports and blogs about online learning. To summarize them, online learning is either all bad, consisting of for-profit companies churning out students who are far below grade level, or that they are all good and that eLearning is transforming teaching and learning," Bridges writes.
"The truth, I’m afraid, is somewhere in the middle and I’m somewhat disappointed that many eLearning advocates, those who believe in the promise and potential of online learning, are not more forthcoming about acknowledging some of the problems that do exist in virtual schools."
Click here to read Bridges' complete post on an issue that will surely continue to be debated in 2012.