Perspectives on Online Education - A Snapshot of State Regulatory Framework Development in Elementary and Secondary Online Education

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Perspectives on Online Education examines how elementary and secondary online learning has expanded in the United States while state law and policy have developed more slowly. The article reviews evidence of growth, public debate over effectiveness and accountability, and remaining inconsistencies in how participation is measured. It then provides a snapshot of current state regulatory frameworks, addressing statutory review, curriculum issues, academic integrity, and instructional practice, and concludes with recommendations for future research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

State Statutory Review

Curriculum Matters

Academic Integrity in an Online Education Environment

Teaching in K-12 Online Education

Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Research

Perspectives on Online Education A Snapshot of State Regulatory Framework Development in Elementary and Secondary Online Education Luke J. Stedrak and Amanda L. Rose Luke J. Stedrakis Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Leadership, Management, and Policy at Seton Hall University. He is a member of the Board of Advisors for the National Education Finance Conference, and his research interests are school finance and virtual education. Amanda L. Rose is a doctoral student in Educational Leadership at Florida Gulf Coast University. Introduction With the advent and growth of elementary and secondary online education in the United States,1 teaching and learning has undergone radical change with heretofore unimagined alternatives to traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Online education is here to stay. According to a 2013 survey by Blackboard:2 • 43% of administrators state that their school districts offer a variety of online courses to meet diverse student needs. • 60% of "flipped learning"3 teachers believe online learning motivates students more. • 89% of parents want their child in a class where mobile devices are used.4 Although pinning down the growth of K-12 online education is challenging because of the use of multiple measures and the limitations of comparability of data across states, Christenson, Horn, and Johnson concluded from their review of the literature that the expansion of online learning is an integral part of elementary and secondary education growth.5 In a look to the future, KnowledgeWorks6 forecasts“the proliferation of neuro-enhancement tools and networks”7 and asserts “learning will be customized, connected, amplified, authentic, relevant, and resilient.”8 Law and policy in some states has lagged behind the emergence of online K-12 education. To that end, the purpose of this article is to provide a snapshot of current state regulatory frameworks related to elementary and secondary online education. The article is divided into the following sections: background information about K-12 online education; state statutory review of K-12 online education policy; curriculum matters; academic integrity in an online education environment; and teaching in K-12 online education. The final section presents conclusions and recommendations for future research. Background As a reference point, distance education is much older than the Internet-based online education seen today.9 Educational Considerations 39 Correspondence, television, and other outreach methods for formal learning have been a part of the K-12 educational landscape for decades. The creation of the WorldWide Web, commonly referred to as the "Web," has the potential to dramatically broaden students access to classes, often in a cost-effective manner.10 Internet-based online education also differs from earlier learning technologies because students have the ability to network and communicate virtually. The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) estimates that 1.5 million students have taken at least one elementary and secondary online course,11 while Ambient Insights, an online learning consulting firm, estimates that over four million students have had at least one virtual learning experience.12 These figures illustrate oneof the challenges in quantifying participation in K-12 online education in a meaningful and consistent manner in that there is no consensus on how best to measure participation. A related example is projection of online course enrollments. For example, iNACOL estimates a growth rate of 30% a year to 15 million students, over a quarter of the K-12 student population, by the year 2020.13 The growth of K-12 online education has not been without controversy. First, despite a significant amount of research,14 research on the effectiveness of K-12 online education is sparse.15 Second, although online education has been hailed as "leveling the playing field" for students, L

FAQs

What is the article’s main purpose regarding K-12 online education?

To provide a snapshot of current state regulatory frameworks related to elementary and secondary online education.

Why is measuring growth in K-12 online education considered challenging?

Because multiple measures are used and data comparability across states is limited, and there is no consensus on how best to measure participation.

What controversies does the article highlight around K-12 online education?

Research on effectiveness is sparse, equity concerns have been raised, some audits questioned academic and fiscal performance, and issues involving teacher licensing and for-profit provider practices have emerged.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag