CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING ONLINE COURSES

• Course is accredited by a nationally- or state-recognized academic accrediting agency
• Course is aligned to originating state’s academic standards and/or to national standards, with realignment to participant’s state standards guaranteed if necessary
• Course reviewed and endorsed by both the Local Education Agency(LEA) and the state Department of Education (DOE)
• Course documentation (credit hours, LEA FTEs, certification renewal) determined by LEA and DOE

• Technical requirements for student access  are documented
• Minimum technology competencies for students are announced and assessed
• Access to learning resources (books, periodicals, etc.) is available equal to traditionally delivered course
• Online and offline activities are available to the student
• Asynchronous and/or synchronous interaction between teacher and student and student-to-student guaranteed
• Teacher credentials are verified and in place
• Teacher is trained in Web-based instruction techniques
• Course has been previously field-tested and revised if necessary
• Monitoring plan for student chat sessions and/or student-to-student interaction is in place
• Teacher workload and compensation is aligned with LEA/DOE standards

• All qualified students are given equal opportunity for course enrollment
• LEA has approved course for credit
• LEA has established policy for tuition/fees and enrollment procedures
• Site facilitator/coordinator is trained and in place
• Just-in-time technical assistance is available to student and facilitator
• Procedures are in place to guarantee security of student work
• Students will be advised/surveyed about the program to determine that they possess the self-motivation and commitment to learn online.
• Provision is made for students with special needs
• Quality control and assessment procedures are in place for both student participation/behavior and course delivery/quality

• Syllabus available for review and is understandable by students and parents
• Course is comparable in rigor, depth, and breadth to traditionally delivered courses
• Instructional goals, objectives, strategies, and evaluation are aligned to state/national standards
• Instructional and learning goals are clearly defined for student
• Course promotes active learning through student interaction with class peers and/or worldwide peers
• Course is organized in coherent, sequential manner
• Course is designed to take advantage of the unique applications for online delivery
• Assignments are clear and understandable to the student and site coordinators.

Teacher Interaction

• Course is taught in such a way as to promote trust and teamwork between teacher and student and among students
• Various levels of teacher control are planned and teacher guides and monitors students in lower control assignments
• Teacher models standards for accountability and appropriate online interaction
• Teacher addresses and supports individual student needs, skills, and knowledge
• Teacher provides timely, specific, and authentic feedback
• Teacher provides criteria for grading and weighting for each assignment.
• Teacher provides private communication to students when appropriate.

Student Evaluation

• Evaluation is timely, fair, and based on local/state/national standards
• Teacher and student sites have monitoring/proctoring policies in place
• Teacher and student sites have verification of student participation/performance procedures in place
• Teacher and student sites have intervention plans for student failure

Teacher Evaluation

• Teacher evaluation is determined and conducted according to state and/or local policies
• Teacher evaluation is based on:
• Course content
• Course design
• Course presentation
• Student performance
• Teacher interaction with students

Course Evaluation

• Course is evaluated on a regular basis and revisions documented
• Instructional materials are reviewed periodically to ensure they continue to meet program standards.
• Course evaluation includes:

• Technical design
• Curriculum alignment
• Rigor, depth, and breadth
• Student performance
• Student participation and interaction