Columbus City Schools have developed a number of credit flexibility implementation supports that are available on its website.

Information on the website includes:
- Program Overview**
- Credit Flexibility Application**
- FAQ: Questions & Answers**
- CCS Course Descriptions**
- Columbus Virtual HS

(**Available in PDF form at http://sharedwork.org/16798/files/1809)

Visit the Columbus City Schools website [http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/website.nsf/(ccs_pages)/ParentsAndStudents?opendocument]
to learn more and to get ideas on the type of information and resources your school or district may want to provide.

If you have a Promising Practice to share, post links to your information under the “Share Promising Practices” discussion (http://sharedwork.org/16798/weblog/574.html) or upload your examples in the Files section.

Friday, July 9, 2010: Offering High School Credit Through Expanded Learning Opportunities

This forum will highlight the New Hampshire Extended Learning Opportunities (NH ELO) Initiative that seeks to offer credit to high school students for opportunities pursued outside of the traditional classroom setting. Developed by Plus Time New Hampshire and the state department of education, NH ELO allows students to design and carry out a standards-aligned ELO in exchange for course credit; students develop their plan of learning with a highly qualified teacher and demonstrate mastery through a competency-based assessment. Presenters include Paul Leather, Deputy Commissioner of Education, New Hampshire Department of Education (NH); Janice Hastings, VP of Program & Resource Development, Plus Time New Hampshire (NH); and Michael O’Malley, Principal, Newfound High School (NH).

For more information, visit: http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2010/fb070910.htm

Online Learning: Addressing Challenges, Seizing Opportunities

Thursday, July 8, 2010
WEBINAR: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST
LIVE WEBCHAT: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST

Participants
Allison Powell, PhD, Vice President, International Association for K–12 Online Learning
Lori Westhoff, Principal, Humboldt High School (Humboldt, Iowa)
Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education

America’s K–12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a more innovative, effective, and efficient education system.

Every day, creative educators are using technology better to meet the needs of students and teachers. Technology can no longer be considered an “add-on” tool in education but rather one that is integral. Embracing online-learning opportunities for students and teachers will strengthen the supply and quality of teachers, improve efficiency, and increase students’ college and career readiness.

The Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance) recently published two documents to help education leaders and policymakers understand these issues better. “The Online Learning Imperative: A Solution to Three Looming Crises in Education” is a brief that describes the three crises confronting the nation and suggests ways that online learning can lead the U.S. education system out of them. The “Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities” state profiles present state-specific information about the three crises in each state, online-learning opportunities in that state, the presence of state policies that support online learning, and how federal policy supports online learning in that state.

On July 8, 2010, the Alliance will host a webinar to release these publications and facilitate a conversation among experts using questions submitted by participants from the around the country. Following the webinar, panelists will participate in a live online chat.

Register and submit questions for the webinar online at http://newmediamill.com/webcasts/all4ed/register/.
Registration deadline is July 6.

Click on the links below to see the above-mentioned brief and state profiles.

Brief: The Online Learning Imperative: A Solution to Three Looming Crises in Education (http://www.all4ed.org/files/OnlineLearning.pdf)

State Profiles: Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities (http://www.all4ed.org/publication_material/OnlineLearningStateProfiles)

Questions concerning the webinar should be directed to all4ed@all4ed.org.