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Statewide Cybersolutions: OREGON

In 1999, the Oregon legislature directed $50 million in Senate Bill 622 toward creating the Oregon Access Network, a statewide interactive telecommunications network. It was one of the first statewide Internet-based video networks in the nation and one of the largest of its kind. Every school building in the state was to be connected to local area networks and high-speed Internet access.

That goal is very near, and the network's videoconferencing functions have been heavily used for professional development and staff meetings, saving the state millions in staff travel expenses, says Camille Cole of the Oregon Department of Education. Cole is project manager for Oregon Access Network.

But the network is increasingly used as a conduit to deliver online courses to students. School districts and educational service districts have tapped the network to launch online schools that deliver courses to public school students in rural towns and big cities across the state. While online schooling is seen by some states as a school-choice matter, Oregon sees it is a matter of access. The focus in Oregon is on giving all students equal access to all courses by offering the courses online.

"All students have a right to access [courses to fulfill] their educational requirements and their educational desires and dreams," says Cole. "So, if they want to take Japanese, they darn well should be able to access it."

Online education is also a way to help schools "fill in the blanks that are necessary requirements to meet NCLB standards, both for students and for teachers," says Cole. While students need access to remedial and advanced courses, teachers need access to professional development to ensure that they meet the teacher qualifications required by NCLB, she says.

Moreover, dual-credit courses through colleges and universities can give students a leg-up when it comes to applying for college, she says. "It's not just about K-12 education. As we come on board with e-learning, we want to look at how we can make use of that technology to make a seamless P-16 system for the students of Oregon."

Philosophically, the state favors online education, but its funding policies are hampering progress, says Cole. (See "The Search for Funding.") In October, the Oregon Department of Education presented a draft policy brief to the State Board of Education on the condition of online education in Oregon. The report urged state leaders to create policies and guidelines to support innovations in "virtual learning" courses and programs.

Cole says these issues are likely to come up in the next legislative session in January.

— Denise Jarrett Weeks