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iNACOL Releases Report on Management and Operations of Online Programs: Fourth in Promising Practices in Online Learning Series

WASHINGTON, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) announces the release of a new report, Management and Operations of Online Programs: Ensuring Quality and Accountability, the fourth report in the iNACOL Promising Practices in Online Learning series.

Online learning is a solution for expanding educational opportunities for students, within and outside school walls. There are a number of new areas of management for ensuring high-quality, successful online programs: from reviewing online courses, training and managing online teachers, supporting students in different modalities, to evaluating online programs. This report covers new topics emerging in K-12 education management and leadership around the innovation of online learning.

Susan Patrick, President of iNACOL, states, "Online learning is expanding solutions for students across K-12 schools. From keeping students in school and on-track through online credit recovery to accelerating a student's college readiness by earning college credits in the local high school through online dual enrollment, schools are finding new, innovative ways to help students re-engage in academics and learn critical technology literacy skills at the same time. School leaders need to understand program models for management and how to operate these online solutions. This guide provides the best practices and successes in operating online learning programs from the experts across K-12 education."

According to author John Watson, of Evergreen Consulting Associates, "Online learning promises cost-effective solutions to the challenges education leaders face in many areas, particularly in difficult economic times. States and districts are increasingly turning to online programs to expand educational opportunity, equity, and access while individualizing learning options for students. This growth in online learning requires that school managers be able to effectively operate and assess their programs."

iNACOL's Promising Practices in Online Learning Series is supported by K12 Inc., Apex Learning, Connections Academy, and Florida Virtual School.

About iNACOL

iNACOL is the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a non-profit association that believes online learning is a powerful innovation that expands education opportunities (www.inacol.org). iNACOL supports access to high-quality online learning for all students. iNACOL hosts the annual Virtual School Symposium (VSS); VSS 2009 will be held Nov. 15 - 17, 2009 inAustin, TX (www.virtualschoolsymposium.org).

SOURCE International Association for K-12 Online Learning