Online course application and rubric
In accordance with M.G.L. c.71, §94(q), the Commissioner shall identify and offer
information on online courses which are aligned with state academic standards that
districts may use and shall publish that list on the Department’s website. This
document serves as the application for online course providers to submit to the
Department course descriptions for posting on the digital learning course list page. It
is also designed to assist local school districts and other interested parties in
evaluating digital and blended courses used for instruction, credit recovery, or noncredit personal learning.
May 2014
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
www.doe.mass.edu
This document was prepared by the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, an affirmative action employer, is committed to
ensuring that all of its programs and facilities are accessible to all members of the public.
We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender identity, or sexual
orientation.
Inquiries regarding the Department’s compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws may be directed to the
Human Resources Director, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148-4906. Phone: 781-338-6105.
© 2014 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Permission is hereby granted to copy any or all parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes. Please
credit the “Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.”
This document printed on recycled paper
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
www.doe.mass.edu
Table of Contents
Overview ........................................................................................................................ 1
Legal context ...................................................................................................................... 1
For districts and other interested parties............................................................................. 1
For online course providers ................................................................................................ 1
Domains and criteria .......................................................................................................... 2
Rating scale ....................................................................................................................... 2
Part 1 of 3: Online course description (for providers) ............................................... 3
Provider information ........................................................................................................... 3
Course overview ................................................................................................................ 3
Course information ............................................................................................................. 4
Prior review ........................................................................................................................ 4
Massachusetts curriculum frameworks addressed ............................................................. 5
Part 2 of 3: Online course rubric (for all interested parties) ...................................... 6
Content and standards ....................................................................................................... 6
Instructional design ............................................................................................................ 8
Assessment.......................................................................................................................10
Technology........................................................................................................................10
Policies ..............................................................................................................................11
Summary rating (Department-use only) .............................................................................12
Part 3 of 3: Online course assurance statement (for providers) ............................. 13
Overview
Legal context
M.G.L. c.71, §94(q) states:
“The commissioner shall identify and offer information on online courses which are aligned with state academic
standards that districts may use and shall publish that list on the department’s website. At least 1 of the online
courses listed shall be available at no cost to school districts, provided that such no cost online course is aligned
with state academic standards. The list shall be reviewed and updated annually. Nothing in this subsection shall
preclude school districts from using other courses not identified by the commissioner.”
Accordingly, the online course application and rubric serves two purposes:
1.
For online course providers to submit to the Department course descriptions for posting on the digital
learning course list page; and
2.
To assist local school districts and other interested parties in evaluating digital and blended courses used
for instruction, credit recovery, or non-credit personal learning.
For districts and other interested parties
The course list provides districts with potential options for expanding their course offerings, should they make an
arrangement with the online course provider. The list gives basic information about each course as well as contact
information for the course provider. The list is not all-inclusive, based primarily on applications provided to the
Department from online course providers, and courses may be added or removed at any time at the discretion of
the Department.
At least one course will be available at no cost to districts. However, a district should exercise due diligence in
using the course, as that the Department does not control the content of the course, the content of the course
may change at any time, and only certain courses are eligible for the awarding of academic credit. The online
course rubric is one of several tools districts may use to evaluate the suitability of an online course or in developing
courses of their own.
Listing on the course catalog web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any
trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute
endorsement or recommendation by the Department.
For online course providers
Online course providers must use the rubric to self-assess any course they submit to the Department for review.
Each course requires a separate application. Courses 1 submitted to the Department will be posted to the course
list if the following is met:
1

The provider completes the course description;

The provider completes the rubric, all criteria are scored “Partially meets” or higher, and the Department
agrees with the provider’s assessment;

The provider signs, scans, and submits the assurance statement to the Department with the completed
rubric and description; and

The provider attests to all of the criteria in the assurance statement.
Courses (excluding AP courses) must be made accessible to the Department by the date and for the duration
requested. Demonstration courses are not acceptable. The Department will be provided with the level of access
needed to view the course from the point of view of teachers and students. The provider will be notified when the
review is completed and informed of the results. To comply with student privacy laws, the course must not contain
personally identifiable information. If upon review the Department determines that one or more criteria do not
meet the minimum rating of “Partially meets”, the provider may request a subsequent review after the corrections
have been made and a second, completed application has been sent to the Department.
Submit the completed rubric and course description in Microsoft Word format and the signed and scanned
assurance statement in PDF format via email to [email protected]/. Generally speaking, complete and accurate
course applications will be processed and listed within four weeks of receipt.
Domains and criteria
The rubric contains five domains: (1) content and standards, (2) instructional design, (3) assessment, (4)
technology and (5) policies that together comprise 17 criteria for evaluating the course. The criteria were
developed from a review of online courses rubrics and the Department’s standards for instruction and assessment.

A Course Developer’s Guide from RMC Research (RMC Research Corporation)

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

International Associations for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL)

Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC)

Quality Matters (QM)

Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB)

Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET)
Rating scale
Meets
Evidence of this criterion is clear, appropriate for this course, and demonstrates best practices in a
manner that models its use.
Partially
meets
Evidence of this criterion is clear and is appropriate for this course. More could possibly be added.
Not met
Not present, but should be, based on course design and content; or present, but not appropriate
for this course.
Part 1 of 3: Online course description (for providers)
Provider information
Name of provider:
Organization code:
Provider website:
Course website (if different):
Provider contact name:
Provider contact email:
Provider contact telephone:
Accrediting organization (if
applicable):
Notes: For Massachusetts school districts, schools, and collaboratives, the organization code is the Department-assigned
8-digit code. Degree institutions should use the 4-digit code assigned to the institution by the College Board which may
be found beginning on page 7 here. All other organizations should use CLBVK12. If the provider is accredited, provide the
name of the accrediting organization.
Course overview
Notes: Please include a brief course description here (max. 100 words). A course listed is expected to include the name
of the course, course goals, major projects and activities and the student audience.
Course information
Course title:
Course subject or discipline:
Subject area course code:
Grade level(s) served:
Course term (length):
Course format (synchronous or
asynchronous):
Course enrollment window (if
applicable):
Course start date (if
applicable):
Course end date (if applicable):
Course difficulty level:
Required texts (if applicable;
list titles and ISBN numbers):
Cost per student:
Notes: For subjects taught in grades K-8, the subject area course code may be found beginning on page 141 here. For
subjects taught in grades 9-12, the subject area course codes begin on page 211. Course difficulty level refers to a
standard course, honors, course, credit recovery course, AP course, or similar designation.
Prior review
Has this course been reviewed
by another educational
organization (e.g., institution of
higher education, state
education agency, etc.)? If
“Yes”, provide the name of the
organization that reviewed the
course:
Massachusetts curriculum frameworks addressed
Notes: The curriculum frameworks are available here. For arts, indicate the strand, standard, and grade level. For English
language arts, indicate the standard number and grade level. For foreign languages, indicate the strand, standard, and
grade level. For comprehensive health, indicate the strand, standard, and grade level. For mathematics, indicate the
standard number and grade level. For history and social science, indicate the standard number and learning standard.
For science and technology/engineering, indicate the topic, grade level, and standard number. For vocational technical
education, indicate the standard and standard number. For WIDA English language development, indicate the standard,
topic, and level. Insert additional rows if necessary. For subjects not covered, reference applicable national or industry-
specific standards.
Part 2 of 3: Online course rubric (for all interested parties)
Content and standards
C1. Syllabus
The course syllabus includes:

title of the course

course description

course goals and objectives

student learning expectations

academic prerequisites

software and technology skills needed

instructor’s communication and response policies

expectations for student/group activities,

assignments, and due dates

course readings, required and recommended

grading rubrics with explanations

course assessment plan

instructional/teaching strategies (lecture, asynchronous discussions, real-time e.g. f2f or teleconference,
independent reading, etc.)

course policies including those for earning academic credit, disability services, attendance and participation,
academic misconduct, and acceptable use of technology.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C2. Learning Outcomes

A clear description of the expected changes in skills, knowledge, attitude and/or behavior that the students
will be able to demonstrate upon completion of the course.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C3. Standards Alignment

Course topics reference specific standards from the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks and the Common
Core State Standards (CCSS). For subjects not covered in the Frameworks or the CCSS, applicable national or
industry-specific standards are referenced.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C4. Cultural Competency

The course content and presentation is designed to avoid perpetuating gender, cultural, ethnic, and racial or
disability stereotypes.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
Instructional design
C5. Representation

Students differ naturally in the ways that they process information (i.e., access, comprehension, retention).
The course content is organized and prioritized around concepts, ideas, principles, or heuristics that focus on
the most important aspects of the subject area. Assignments, activities, and assessments require inductive
reasoning from discrete skills to broader generalizations. The course includes multiple representations of
concepts that are both flexible in terms of their modality and examples (e.g., graphical vs. algebraic
representation of gravity).
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C6. Expression:

Students differ naturally in the ways that they can effectively demonstrate knowledge about concepts or
processes. Assignments, activities, and assessments let students interact and practice with content in multiple
ways and on multiple levels of cognition (e.g., comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, and
synthesis).
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C7. Engagement:

Students differ naturally in the ways that they engage with content and concepts, and the level (and type) of
challenge that they need for optimal learning. The instructional design is tailored to account for learner
variability, background knowledge, and technology skills. Assignments, activities, and assessments include
multiple avenues that effectively capture interest, as well as sustain deep, meaningful interactions with core
material.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C8. Learning process:

The course is grounded in an understanding of the learning process. Learning activities are grounded or
contextualized within real situations, provide connections between the learner's prior knowledge and the
course content, and offer opportunities for practice and feedback.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C9. Variety

The course uses a variety of evaluations to aid in determining student mastery of concepts/skills and the need
for additional support. Evaluations are formative and summative, contain clear instructions, enable student
self-monitoring, and, whenever possible, provide students with multiple options for demonstrating mastery.
Where appropriate, pre and post evaluations are implemented in order to ascertain the level of
understanding.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C10. Rubrics

Rubrics are provided for major assessments help students understand the performance criteria by which their
work will be evaluated.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
Assessment
C11. End-of-course assessment

Students take an end-of-course assessment in a setting that is proctored and/or requires proper legal
identification or parent/guardian accompaniment.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
Technology
C12. Accessibility, navigation, and support

Navigation features are explicit and consistent throughout the course and program; all course elements
comply with U.S. Section 504, related Federal and State accessibility laws, W3Cs Web Accessibility Guidelines.
All technology requirements and technical support procedures are clearly provided.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C13. Varied media

Media elements promote and support student engagement and reflection, access to research, presents key
concepts, activities and interactions. A variety of media elements are used appropriately (e.g. video,
interactive elements, etc.) for instruction and for students to demonstrate learning. All media allows for easy
navigations and user control. Links to external sites should show “good faith” to limit commercial exposure to
advertising.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C14. Copyright

All course elements meet one or more of the following conditions: the course provider is the copyright owner
of the material; the material is made available by linking rather than copying; the copyright owner of the
material grants permission; the material is in the public domain; the use is within “fair use” under the law; or
the use is within the TEACH Act. The course notifies participants of material that is copyrighted and institutes
measures for limiting copyright violations.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
Policies
C15. Student confidentiality

The course has a policy statement regarding student confidentiality pertaining to federal law, including
compliance with student information under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and disclosure
of disability.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C16. Course facilitator competency

The course facilitator (instructor) possesses demonstrable online teaching experience, is knowledgeable
regarding online teaching pedagogy, and/or holds a valid online teaching credential. The course facilitator is
supported in effective use of the learning environment and digital tools.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
C17. Course evaluation

The course provides an anonymous student and parent/guardian survey to gauge the level of satisfaction with
the course presentation, technology, facilitator effectiveness and overall course experience.
Provider
rating
Meets
Partially meets
Department
rating
Not met
Provider
comments
Meets
Partially meets
Not met
Department
comments
Summary rating (Department-use only)
Course is recommended
Course is not recommended at this time
Additional
comments
This work is licensed by the MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Educations under the Creative Commons
Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Educators may use, adapt, and/or share. Not for
commercial use. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Part 3 of 3: Online course assurance statement (for providers)
Providers seeking to add an online course to the Department’s web site must attest to the below criteria. A signed
and scanned copy of this statement must be provided with the online course application and online course details.
I assure that my organization complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
I assure that the online course is aligned to the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks or, if the subject is not
covered by the frameworks, applicable national or industry-specific standards.
I assure that the online course complies with Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA).
I assure that the online course is compliant with WCAG 2.0 accessibility guidelines.
I assure that the Department may access the course to perform an audit, if requested.
I assure, to the best of my knowledge and belief, that the information in the application is true and correct and
that the filing of the application has been duly authorized. Furthermore, I assure that the applicant is in compliance
with the required assurances at the time of submission.
Printed name of authorized representative:
Title of authorized representative:
Email address of authorized representative:
Telephone number of authorized representative:
Signature of authorized representative:
Date:
Notes: Submit the completed rubric and course description in Microsoft Word format and the signed and scanned
assurance statement in PDF format via email to [email protected]/. Generally speaking, complete and accurate
course applications will be processed and listed within four weeks of receipt.