Supporting Effective Teaching in Tennessee: Executive Summary | Page 32

While districts across the state contract with several different distance and e-learning course providers, there are two statewide course providers, although both are still in the early stages of creating a truly meaningful statewide presence. The first provider is Senator Bill Frist visits a computer lab at Orchard Knob Elementary School in e4TN, which was created in 2005 with a Chattanooga, TN with Hamilton County Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales and three-year federal grant. The grant, which is Orchard Knob Assistant Principal Barbara Shepherd on May 4, 2009. run by the Hamilton County Department of Education, funded the development of Weakley County in West Tennessee. All e-learning sites will distance learning and e-learning courses in eight districts: have access to the necessary technology hardware and teacher Bradley County, Bedford County, Dickson County, Hamilton professional development to successfully offer the twenty County, Kingsport City, Lake County, Tipton County and approved courses. Wilson County. Once courses are beta tested in these eight districts, they are made available to students across the state. Although both of these statewide online learning platforms have Although the federal grant focused on developing high school been developed, every student in the state still does not have courses, e4TN has also developed several courses for eighth access to these opportunities for a mix of logistical and financial graders, such as Computer Literacy, Algebra 1, and Geometry, reasons. The challenge for Tennessee is ensuring it continues and special courses for students with autism and other special developing high-quality online learning opportunities and educational needs. E4TN also contracts with vendors to offer expanding the availability of such opportunities statewide. additional e-learning opportunities, such as AP courses. The e4TN courses that have been developed to date are recognized as high-quality, having received national recognition from the governor’s Schools United States Distance Learning Association in April 2009 as Tennessee Governor’s Schools offer academic opportunities a best practice in online learning.55 Not surprisingly, demand for gifted and talented high school students. At Governor’s for e4TN courses has risen rapidly, increasing by 900 percent schools, students participate in a four- or five-week summer between 2006 and 2009.56 program with the option to earn college credit. Programs occur on university campuses and are offered in twelve The second major statewide provider of distance learning and disciplines: agricultural services, arts, computational physics, e-learning courses is a partnership between Tennessee High emerging technologies, engineering, humanities, informational School in Bristol and the Niswonger Foundation. To date, technology, international studies, prospective teachers, sciences, Tennessee High has developed twenty state-approved online scientific exploration of Tennessee’s heritage, and scientific courses. The Niswonger Foundation is working to make these models and data analyses.57 courses available statewide by funding the creation of e-learning sites in each of Tennessee’s three grand divisions including Hamblen County and Blount County in East Tennessee, Bedford County in Middle Tennessee, and Hardeman and 31 Courtesy of Chris Walker online technology. The individual teaching the course must be a certified teacher, and a certified teacher or teaching assistant must be present in the actual classroom with the students. E-learning refers to courses that students take online but where there is not a live teacher on the other end. Students can take e-Learning courses from almost anywhere, including their home. However, if e-learning courses are taken at a school site, a certified teacher or teaching assistant must be present.54