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iNACOL Releases A Parents' Guide to Choosing the Right Online Program, Sixth Promising Practices in K-12 Online Learning Report

VIENNA, Va., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) announces the release of a new report, A Parents' Guide to Choosing the Right Online Program, the sixth in the iNACOL Promising Practices in Online Learning series.

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Online learning is a solution for expanding educational opportunities for students. This guide is designed to help explain these new learning opportunities. It is written primarily for parents contemplating a full-time online school for their children, although many of the issues discussed are appropriate considerations for supplemental online courses as well. It describes key elements of online education programs and how they may vary from school to school, and provides checklists to compare online schools side-by-side as parents search for the best options.

Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL, states, "E-learning is providing a revolution across the globe for students to access the best teachers and courses using online learning. It provides the very best educational opportunities to all students, regardless of their zip code, with highly qualified teachers delivering instruction using the Internet using a vast array of digital resources and content. This guide helps parents understand the new options for today's students."

According to author John Watson, of Evergreen Education Group, "Online learning offers the advantage of personalization, allowing individualized attention and support when students need it most. Twenty-five states are offering full-time virtual school options for students and more than half of all states provide state virtual schools. Through this guide, we are sharing the promising practices in K-12 online learning, and help parents understand the rich educational opportunities made available using online learning."

iNACOL's Promising Practices in Online Learning Series is supported by K12 Inc., Apex Learning, Connections Academy, and Florida Virtual School. This report is located online at: http://www.inacol.org/research/promisingpractices/index.php.

About iNACOL

iNACOL is the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a non-profit 501(c)(3) membership association based in the Washington, DC area with more than 3,400 members. iNACOL is unique in that its members represent a diverse cross-section of K-12 education from school districts, charter schools, state education agencies, non-profit organizations, colleges, universities and research institutions, corporate entities and other content and technology providers (www.inacol.org). iNACOL hosts the annual Virtual School Symposium (VSS). VSS 2010 is being held Nov. 14 - 16, 2010 in Glendale, AZ (www.virtualschoolsymposium.org).

SOURCE International Association for K-12 Online Learning