FRONT MATTER
executive summary
Indiana
indiana
State virtual school
No
background
Other statewide
programs
notable reports
Virtual Pilot Schools;
several supplemental
programs including
Indiana Virtual
Academy, Indiana
Online Academy
Other significant
online programs
k-12 online learning 2010
Hoosier Academies
is a hybrid charter
program; some
district programs
including Indianapolis
Public Schools
Number of online
students in 200910 school year
Full-time: 200
State-level policy
Issues & trends
Indiana code 20-247-13 established
Virtual Pilot Schools
and directs the
Department of
Education to adopt
rules to govern virtual
charter schools
Indiana has two statewide virtual charter pilot schools, Indiana
Connections Academy Virtual Pilot School and Hoosier Academy–
Virtual Pilot School; several statewide supplemental programs; two
hybrid charter schools; and some district programs. In 2009 Indiana
Code 20-24-7-13 established Indiana Virtual Pilot Schools (IVPS),
and directed the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to select
operators for the virtual pilot schools. This law progresses from a
previous online charter school restriction and multiple efforts to collect
information on the status of virtual learning in 2008.
126
In 2005, legislation was passed that clarified the ability of charter
schools to provide online courses, however it did not authorize
funding for full-time virtual charter schools in the 2007 biennial
budget. One of the charter authorizers, Ball State University,
generated guidelines for authorizing virtual charters that were finalized
in August 2006. Ball State subsequently authorized two fully virtual
charter schools that were excluded from the state school funding
formula. Hoosier Academies submitted new proposals to Ball State
for two hybrid charter schools that would not fall under the state’s
definition of a virtual school and would, therefore, be eligible for state
tuition support. A virtual charter school was defined as “an entity that
provides for the delivery of more than 50% of instruction to students
through virtual distance learning online technologies, or computer
based instruction. With authorization from IVPS, Hoosier Academies
opened two hybrid virtual charter campuses in fall 2008 operating
through separate learning centers in Indianapolis (K-11) and Muncie
(K-8), using the K12 Inc. curriculum.
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128
The legislation denying funding for full-time virtual charter schools
expired in June 2009, and virtual charters are now governed by
Indiana Code 20-24-7-13. The 2009 law directed the IDOE to
establish a pilot program and to fund a statewide total of up to 200
students attending virtual charter schools in the 2009-10 school year,
and 500 students in 2010-11.
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Online programs
outlook & CONCLUSION
Hoosier Academies was the first to open a full-time virtual charter
school pilot program, opening the Hoosier Academy–Virtual Pilot
School in addition to their hybrid program (IVPS). IVPS served 200
students in grades 1-5 in 2009-10, and anticipates serving 220 students
in grades 1-6 in the 2010-11 school year. IVPS utilizes the same curriculum and back office systems
as the Hoosier Academies, but is funded separately. IDOE provides program oversight. In addition,
Rural Community Schools is opening the Indiana Connections Academy Virtual Public School
126
Indiana education code; retrieved July 26, 2010, http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title20/ar24/ch7.html
STATE policy PROFILES
127
HB1001; retrieved July 26, 2010, http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billinfo?year=2005&session=1&request=getBill&docno=1001
128
iNACOL, Blending Learning: The Convergence of Online and Face-to-Face Education; retrieved July 26, 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/
promisingpractices/NACOL_PP-BlendedLearning-lr.pdf
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Indiana Code 20-24-7-13; retrieved July 26, 2010, http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title20/ar24/ch7.html
FRONT MATTER
in fall 2010 to serve students in grades 1-8. They may serve up to 280 students in the 2010-11
school year according to the pilot program guidelines.
130
executive summary
In addition to IVPS and Rural Community Schools, there are several other online programs in
Indiana that are primarily supplemental. The Indiana Virtual Academy is an initiative of the Ripley
County Community Foundation to provide virtual learning opportunities for the four Ripley County
School Corporations and the County Career Center, and serves online students across the state.
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background
Indiana Virtual Academy is a member of a broader consortium of Indiana online programs (the
Indiana Virtual Learning Consortium) that also includes the Indiana Online Academy; the Indiana
University High School; Ivy Tech Community College; and the Indiana Academy for Science,
Mathematics, and Humanities (a program of Ball State University). The Indiana Online Academy
is a supplemental program of the Central Indiana Educational Service Center in Indianapolis.
The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities is an accredited residential high
school with an online outreach program offering online courses in Advanced Placement and other
topics. Indianapolis Public Schools offers an online program, and the Indiana University High
School is a diploma granting program providing online courses.
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notable reports
State policies
In addition to funding, IC 20-24-7-13 includes the following provisions:
• “At least 75% of the students enrolled in virtual charter schools under this section must have
been included in the average daily membership (ADM) count for the previous school year.”
k-12 online learning 2010
• Provided that the funding amount is the virtual charter school’s ADM multiplied by 80% of the
statewide average state tuition support.
• Required the IDOE to adopt rules to govern the operation of virtual charter schools. Those
rules and the application for virtual pilot school programs were released in February 2010.
The state collected information on the status of virtual learning through several mechanisms in
2008 and 2009; findings were reported in Keeping Pace 2009.
Issues & trends
outlook & CONCLUSION
131
Rural Community Schools; retrieved July 27, 2010, http://www.doe.in.gov/news/2009/07-July/VirtualCharterExpansion.html
Indiana Virtual Academy; retrieved July 26, 2010, http://www.indva.org/
132
Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities; retrieved July 26, 2010, http://www.bsu.edu/academy/distance/
KEEPING PACE WITH K – 12 ONLINE LEARNING | WWW.KPK12.COM
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STATE policy PROFILES
130