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A H U M A N - C E N T E R E D VI SI O N FO R Q UAL I T Y VI RT UAL L EARNINGEXECUTIVE SUMMARYThere has never been a more critical time to explore the role virtual learning can play in educatingour children. Districts are grappling with a student mental health crisis, learning loss spread unevenlywithin and across schools, and unprecedented burnout among teachers — all while feeling the pressure toprepare students for a rapidly changing and uncertain future.If we know one thing about the future of K-12 education — whether virtual or in person — it’s that people areat the heart of it. The relationships between teacher and student, between student and peer, and betweeneducators are what drive learning. In “A Human-Centered Vision for Quality Virtual Learning,” we identifyand explore three key themes that are central to the vision for quality virtual learning:1It’s AboutPeople,Not Technology2Good InstructionIs Good Instruction,Whatever theModality3A Culture Focusedon the Success ofAll StudentsIs Non-NegotiableThis paper presents a vision of quality virtual learning that’s focused not on technology but rather thelearning experiences and the people vital to them. It defines “virtual learning” and its potential uses inK-12 education, then explores the components of a quality virtual learning program derived from researchand interviews with dozens of experts and practitioners. It acknowledges that not all learning is bestaccomplished virtually, but it also challenges readers to consider experiences where online approaches maybe the best option — or, in some cases, the only equitable one.Of course, the paper itself is not without bias, and it is far from an exhaustive treatment of the topic. It wascommissioned by a provider of virtual and blended learning experiences and produced by a firm that isenthusiastic about the potential for virtual learning in K-12 education. We hope that readers will consider itwithin that context and treat it as an invitation for further discussion and exploration of the topics raised.3Ex ecutive S ummary

A H U M A N - C E N T E R E D VI SI O N FO R Q UAL I T Y VI RT UAL L EARNINGINTRODUCTION:THE VISIONImagine an eighth grader. Let’s call her Maya.Like many of her peers, Maya rides the bus to school,where she checks her learning dashboard on herlaptop and confirms her day’s schedule. Afterhomeroom, she’s off to her first class: math. Becauseshe wants to be an engineer, she’s taking pre-algebraalong with an online program to strengthen the mathskills she hasn’t yet mastered. Instead of attendingpre-algebra with her classmates, though, she worksone-on-one with a tutor, something her learningcoach set up after seeing Maya’s math assessment.Second period is her favorite class: environmentalengineering. After Maya told her learning coach14about her passion for the environment, he arrangedfor her to take Intro to Environmental Science andEngineering online with a local university. Mayaand two other students watch the professor’s videolesson from her school building, where a coachstands by to answer questions. Because 40% to 50%of postsecondary students take at least one classonline, she’s also preparing for college by learningvirtually.1 After that, it’s time for her weekly inperson writing workshop, where she gets feedbackfrom her peers. Maya loves hearing their thoughtsabout her work, but she learns even more bycritiquing other students’ writing, which definitelyis helping in other subjects.“FAST FACTS: Distance Learning.” National Center for Education Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id 80Introduction

A H U M A N - C E N T E R E D VI SI O N FO R Q UAL I T Y VI RT UAL L EARNINGWhile this vision is hypothetical, it’s not sciencefiction. Maya’s experience is a composite of real-lifescenarios happening in schools across the country,including some highlighted in this report. And highereducation has been incorporating virtual learningfor years, with nearly “three-quarters of the nation’scollege students enrolled in an education programoffered at least partially online in 2020.”2Yet some educators may find this vision speculativeor out of reach in the K-12 ecosystem. For starters,the structure of Maya’s day differs drastically fromwhat most people think of as virtual learning: achaotic Zoom classroom during the pandemic,or an isolated and disengaged student clickingthrough an online course. Maya’s experiences aresteeped in human relationships and focused onhigh-quality instruction. And, importantly, thestructure of her school day prioritizes what shelearns over how and where she learns it — inperson or virtual, in a traditional classroom or witha tutor, led by a teacher or led by students.All of that is possible because COVID-19 changedK-12 education, perhaps permanently. Schoolsare awash in technology thanks to the singlelargest influx of cash by the federal governmentto expedite remote learning. District leaders areleveraging that windfall to invest in more virtual“The future of learning is hybridand ubiquitous. Kids can learnanytime and everywhere.”– D’Andre Weaver, Chief Digital Equity Officer, DigitalPromise; Former Superintendent, DeSoto IndependentSchool District, Texas2programs, with over 70% planning to introducenew courses or expand what they offer.3The pandemic has redefined “school” and“learning” much like it did the 9-to-5 workday.They’re no longer confined to one desk in onebuilding during specific hours. Sal Khan, founderof Khan Academy, has long argued that “learningshould not be bound by time or space,”4 and hisvision is finally taking shape. Thanks to thesetechnological advancements, along with theinexhaustible creativity of teachers, the ways inwhich K-12 students can learn are now boundless.“The future of learning is hybrid and ubiquitous,”said D’Andre Weaver, Chief Digital Equity Officerat Digital Promise and former superintendent ofDeSoto Independent School District in Texas. “Kidscan learn anytime and everywhere.”There has never been a more critical time to explorethe role virtual learning can play in educating ourchildren. Districts are grappling with a studentmental health crisis, learning loss spread unevenlywithin schools and unprecedented burnout amongteachers — all while feeling the pressure to preparestudents for a rapidly changing and uncertainfuture. Those challenges require solutions that, toparaphrase Khan, are unbound by time and space.This report presents a vision of quality virtuallearning that’s focused not on technology butrather the learning experiences and the peoplevital to them. It defines “virtual learning” and itspotential uses in K-12 education, then explores thecomponents of a quality virtual learning programderived from research and interviews with dozensof experts and practitioners. It acknowledges thatnot all learning is best accomplished virtually, butit also challenges readers to consider experienceswhere online approaches may be the best option— or, in some cases, the only equitable one.“ Higher Education: Education Needs to Strengthen Its Approach to Monitoring Colleges’ Arrangements with Online Program Managers.” U.S. Government Accountability Office,April 5, 2022. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-1044633   NCES, Tyton Partners K-12 COVID Trends Survey 20204   Patel, Nilay and Sophie Erickson. “Remote Learning is Here to Stay. Can We Make It Better?” The Verge Podcast, November 17, 2020. han -academy-interview-decoder-podcast5Introduction

A H U M A N - C E N T E R E D VI SI O N FO R Q UAL I T Y VI RT UAL L EARNINGvir·tu·al learn·ing/́v rCH(OO) l l rniNG/Using technology as a medium to deliver instruction,including self-directed learning and teacher-facilitatedinstruction (where there is some distance in geographyand/or time between the teacher and student). It’snot to be confused with the broader category ofdigital learning, which encompasses the generaluse of technology to support teaching and learning.What Is Virtual Learning? ChangingPerceptions and Usesday classroom instruction that is the primary focusof district and school leaders.”Over the years, K-12 educators have defined“virtual learning” in a variety of ways, reflectingthe fluid nature of the mode itself. Before thepandemic, it was viewed as a practice with limitedapplicability to a small number of students. Theterm “e-learning” came about in 1999, but only ahandful of K-12 students — as few as 5% in 2019, byone estimate5 — experienced any of its benefitsbefore COVID-19.While the educators working with these pioneeringstudents have been talking about quality virtuallearning for more than two decades, it’s a newconversation to people outside those circles.For some, it’s also a futile discussion, reflectingnegative stereotypes about virtual learning thatwere reinforced by the generally unsatisfactory“emergency remote” experience of the pandemic.Families were largely displeased with theexperience, with only 30% finding it satisfactory.6“While virtual programming grew significantlyduring the first two decades of the century, thatgrowth still reflects a small percentage of thetotal K-12 student population,” said Michael Horn,co-author of Disrupting Class and Blended, “and thevirtual programs that districts did adopt — forhomebound or homeschooled students and thosein alternative programs or who needed to recovercredits — were often far removed from the day-to-At the same time, families have continued toindicate that virtual learning can be effective ifdone well. A 2020 survey revealed that 90% believehigh-quality virtual instruction is possible withthe right resources and training.7 Reflecting thissentiment, more than 65% of families in the Districtof Columbia said that the district should offer bothin-person and online instruction and that parentsshould be able to choose between the modes.85 2.7 million K-12 students were involved in some aspect of virtual learning.(Schroeder, Bernhard. “Disrupting Education. The Rise of K-12 Online And The Entrepreneurial Opportunities.”Forbes, August 14, 2019. ne-and-the-entrepreneurial-opportunities/.) According to the U.S. Census, K-12 enrollment was 53 million. (“Census Bureau Reports Nearly 77 Million Students Enrolled in U.S. Schools.” Census.gov, October 8, 2021. 9/school-enrollment.html.)6 Horowitz, Juliana Menasce and Ruth Igielnik. “Most Parents of K-12 Students Learning Online Worry About Them Falling Behind.” Pew Research Center, October 29, 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/ nd/7 “Parents Want Data to Understand the Impact of School Closures and Support Recovery.” Data Quality Campaign, June 2020. /2020/06/DQC-Parent-Poll-06192020.pdf8 Stein, Perry and Scott Clement. “Most D.C. parents satisfied with schools during pandemic, Post poll finds.” The Washington Post, February 23, 2022. 3/dc-schools-pandemic-poll/6Introduction

A H U M A N - C E N T E R E D VI SI O N FO R Q UAL I T Y VI RT UAL L EARNING“The pandemic has definitely shifted thediscussion around virtual learning as somethingnot just for other students,” said Horn. “While mostpeople didn’t enjoy remote learning, some studentsactually thrived and many came to appreciateopportunities for online learning, in particularparents who valued the transparency it providedinto their students’ learning.”Not all parents change their perspectives on virtuallearning on their own. Nicholas Wohlgemuth,Director of Secondary Schools for GadsdenIndependent School District in Gadsden, NewMexico, said the district had to work hard to helpfamilies understand that the fully virtual programwas different this year — “that during [emergency]remote learning, kids were just sitting and not gettingquality instruction. What we’re doing now in offeringa virtual program is a whole new idea,” he said.TAXONOMY OFVIRTUAL LEARNING DISTANCELEARNINGR EMOTELEARNINGDIGITALLEARNINGBroad term for anyuse of technology ineducation, encompassingvirtual learning as wellas use of any digital ortechnological tools (e.g.,a student using an appfor 15 minutes during atraditional class period)ONLINELEARNINGTerms that frame virtuallearning based on theuse of technology; whilethey functionally areinterchangeable withvirtual learning, they aresomewhat anachronisticBut perceptions are changing, evident from thegrowth of virtual programs.In fact, 73% of districts nationwide plan to expandtheir virtual offerings, with some envisioning morethan 10% of kids participating.9 Fulton County Schoolsin Georgia, for example, opened a virtual school in fall2020 that now has 1,500 full-time students in grades 3through 11, with no plans to slow down.105%of -1973% 90%of districtsnationwideplanto expandtheirvirtualofferings9 NCES, Tyton Partners K-12 COVID Trends Survey 2020107of familiesbelieve highquality virtualinstructionis possiblewith the rightresourcesand trainingTerms that frame virtuallearning based on thephysical location ofthe students vis-a-visthe schoolE-LEARNINGBLENDEDLEARNINGHYBRID EMERGENCYREMOTELEARNING(ERL)Terms that refer toinstructional modelsthat combine virtualand traditional inperson learningTerm that exclusivelyrefers to the suddenmove of K-12 education toa virtual setting in March2020 (though could beused in the future foradditional pandemictype scenarios)From conversation with district staff.Introduction

A H U M A N - C E N T E R E D VI SI O N FO R Q UAL I T Y VI RT UAL L EARNINGCASE STUDYNational Ed Equity LabLaunched in 2019, the National Ed Equity Lab seeks toadvance economic mobility in historically underservedcommunities by empowering students to advance anddemonstrate college readiness to admissions offices —and themselves. They do that by offering and supportingcollege credit-bearing courses from top colleges anduniversities in teacher-led high school classrooms acrossthe country, at no cost to students. The consortium ofcolleges and universities partnering with the Ed EquityLab includes ASU, Brown, Barnard/Columbia, Cornell,Georgetown, Howard, Princeton, Stanford, Spelman,Wesleyan, Wharton, University of Pennsylvania andothers; together they are currently providing access tostudents in over 90 districts and 180 Title I high schools,and are on track to reach 10,000 students by the end of2022. More than half of Ed Equity Lab high schools nowoffer multiple college courses. More than 80% of studentswho have taken a course have passed and earned widelytransferable college credits, a success rate that owes muchto the structures put in place to support each student.“We knew that students often struggle in fully selfdirected environments where they may be learningin isolation,” said Alexandra Slack, Chief OperatingOfficer at the National Ed Equity Lab, a former teacherand nonprofit leader. “So our model is based onleveraging community and scalable supports to ensurethat students are set up for success, which often goesbeyond learning the content to things like aspiration andexposure to goal-setting and time-management.”The Lab’s instructional model combines the best ofvirtual and in-person learning in replicating the collegeexperience. Students receive instruction asynchronouslyfrom a professor at the university in their high schoolclassrooms, then get additional support via a weeklyZoom call from a university teaching fellow (undergrador graduate student), who also does the grading. The8Lab also hosts virtual study halls, special career andcollege nights, and celebrations with families, all tocreate a supportive college-going community.The classroom co-teacher also plays a critical role.Teachers do not have to be subject matter experts;instead, they’re tasked with supporting student successand learning along with their students.“Our teachers have been enthusiastic partners acrossschools," says Slack. “Many teachers have reported thatthis opportunity has reengaged them and remindedthem why they went into the teaching profession.” That’sconsistent with the results of the Lab’s latest surveyswith Johns Hopkins University. Over 90% of all teacherssurveyed indicated that this was a positive or verypositive experience, and 95% would recommend it toother teachers. In Miami-Dade County Public Schools,one of the nation’s largest school districts, the districtteam reported that a number of teachers said thatparticipating in this program was the highlight of theiryear and energized them to keep going.“We’re hearing from principals and district leaders inmany of our districts that participation is viewed asa retention strategy for teachers; they feel supportedand impactful,” Slack shared. “That’s a very excitingfinding, and we’re exploring how to make that teachersupport even greater next year.”Chief Impact and Academic Officer Ariel MurphyBedford, a former New York City teacher and chief ofstaff to Louisiana State Superintendent John White,says, “Our goal is to show students what they arecapable of, to shift mindsets, and to help give themthe skills and credentials to get into the best matchedcollege for them. Our hope is that this creates newpathways into mobility engine colleges for studentswho have historically been denied that opportunity.”Introduction

A H U M A N - C E N T E R E D VI SI O N FO R Q UAL I T Y VI RT UAL L EARNINGPercentage of educators who say their schoolsoffered devices to students at a one-to-one ratioBEFORE THE PANDEMICElementarySchools:SecondarySchools:Akron Public Schools established a new onlineschool for the 2021-22 school year and is educatingmore than 1,000 K-12 students in a full-time virtualprogram. “Before COVID, we had maybe 20 to 40kids who wanted to take charge of their educationwith an online option,” said Tamiko Hatcher, thedistrict’s Director of Speciality Schools. “Then allof a sudden, we had 20,000 kids online in March2020. This is the equivalent of the comet hitting theearth, causing extinction of the dinosaurs. This is“When designed well, with studentsand their individual needs andlearning contexts in mind, virtuallearning holds the potential toempower students and mitigateeducational inequities often rooted ingeography and socio-economics.”– Phyllis Lockett, CEO of LEAP InnovationsBY SPRING 202145% 84%65% 90%Darwinism meets education. Those districts thatfail to evolve will become extinct.”The expanded use of technology in 2020 alsoopened doors for addressing learning loss andother pandemic-related challenges through virtuallearning. The 129 billion from the federal AmericanRescue Plan Act of 2021 fueled the growth ofschools providing a device to every student. Before

One key foundation for a successful virtual learning program for young learners is to properly engage parents and caregivers. "We're not just teaching students, we are teaching the family . . . Particularly in K-2, the family learning guide serves as a 'teaching assistant' to provide immediate help to the student in navigating the platform