Fourth Annual Survey of School and District Leaders Reveals Leading Success Factors for Online and Blended Learning Programs

  • 01/05/16

Herndon, Va. – A “rigorous and engaging curriculum” is the most important attribute of a successful online or blended learning program, according to 91 percent of participants in the fourth annual Fuel Education™ (FuelEd™) Benchmark Study. The study, conducted by MDR’s EdNET Insight, also sheds light on why districts are turning to online and blended learning programs, their implementation best practices, and how they measure quality of an online program.

In addition to “rigorous and engaging curriculum,” survey participants also agreed that the following attributes are key to successful online and blended programs:

  • presence of student progress tracking and reporting tools;
  • measurement of student progress with initial and ongoing assessments; and
  • instructors who are well-trained in delivering online courses.

The benchmark study reports that blended learning is almost twice as popular as fully online learning models. Of the 81 school leaders surveyed, 63 percent report using a blended learning model while 37 percent are using fully online learning models.

The survey asked participants which factors led them to implement online or blended learning models. The primary reason, receiving 79 percent of responses, was the need to provide an alternative for students who are not succeeding in traditional brick-and-mortar learning environments. The next most-popular factors for implementing these programs were to:

  • provide students with access to courses not available at their schools;
  • give students more flexibility for when and where they can access courses; and
  • provide a personalized learning experience.

Educators also noted two other factors that led them to implement an online or blended learning program: the desire to retain students in the school or district; and the desire to improve graduation rates.

When asked how to effectively measure the overall quality of an online or blended learning program, school leaders cited the following three attributes as most important:

  • an engaging and highly interactive curriculum;
  • demonstration of significant academic progress; and
  • high student attendance and active participation in the course.

For a copy of Fuel Education’s “Benchmark Study 2015: Best Practices for Implementing Successful Online Programs,” click here or visit getfueled.com/resources-and-results.

About MDR’s EdNET Insight
MDR is the leading U.S. provider of education marketing information and services. MDR’s EdNET Insight is the K-12 education industry’s premiere information and consulting services, combining the proven power of research and analysis with recognized industry experts to deliver an insightful, comprehensive view of the trends and influences that are shaping the education market today – and tomorrow. For more information on EdNET Insight, go to www.ednetinsight.com.

About Fuel Education
Fuel Education™ partners with school districts to fuel personalized learning and transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company provides innovative solutions for pre-K through 12th grade that empower districts to implement successful online and blended learning programs. Its open, easy-to-use Personalized Learning Platform, PEAK™, enables teachers to customize courses using their own content, FuelEd courses and titles, third-party content, and open educational resources. Fuel Education offers the industry’s largest catalog of digital curriculum, certified instruction, professional development, and educational services. FuelEd has helped 2,000 school districts to improve student outcomes and better serve diverse student populations. To learn more, visit getfueled.com and Twitter.

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