Digital Learning Department

Online Courses

An online course is one where:

• More than half of the course content is delivered electronically using the internet or other computer-based methods.
• More than half of the teaching is conducted from a remote location through an online course learning management system or other online or electronic tools.

Additionally:

• A course can be taught synchronously, asynchronously, or both.
• The role of the teacher is to ensure student learning and success. This role may be accomplished through a variety of teaching methods, including but not limited to: direct instruction; review of assignments; assessment, testing and other progress monitoring; and educational facilitation.
• A remote location is any location where there is no "face-to-face" student-teacher interaction.

The following types of courses do not meet the definition of an "online course":

• A "hybrid" course is one where at least some content is delivered online and at least some of the instruction is delivered online. Hybrid courses can contain some in-person content delivery and/or some in-person instruction. (If both content and instruction are more than half online, then it is considered an "online" course, not a "hybrid".)
• A "web-enhanced" course is one where the instruction takes place in-person, but at least some of the content is delivered online.

Online Course Provider

Definition

Online course providers offer individual "online courses" and have the following characteristics:

• More than half of the course content is delivered electronically using the internet or other computer-based methods.
• More than half of the teaching in the course is conducted from a remote location through an online course learning management system or other online or electronic tools.
• Online course providers must supply all of the following: course content, access to a learning management system, and online teachers.
• Online courses can be delivered to students at school as part of the regularly scheduled school day.
• Online courses can be delivered to students, in whole or in part, independently from a regular classroom schedule and must comply with RCW 28A.150.262 to qualify for state basic education funding as an ALE.

Multidistrict Online Course Provider

A multidistrict online course provider is:

• A private or nonprofit organization that enters into a contract with a school district to provide online courses to K-12 students from more than one school district, or
• A private or nonprofit organization that enters into contracts with multiple school districts to provide online courses to K-12 students from those districts.

Multidistrict online course providers are subject to the OSPI approval process. Learn more about the approval process.

Exempt Online Course Providers

An exempt online course provider serves only a single school district, and that district only serves resident students. If an exempt provider contracts with another district to provide courses to that district's students, the provider becomes a multidistrict online provider and is no longer exempt.

Online School Programs

Definition

An online school program is defined as a school or program that offers:

• Courses or grade-level coursework that are delivered primarily electronically using the internet or other computer-based methods. The program must have a component that features online lessons and tools for student and data management.
• Courses or grade-level coursework that are taught by a teacher primarily from a remote location using online or other electronic tools. Note that access to the teacher may be synchronous or asynchronous.
• A sequential program – a set of courses or coursework that may be taken in a single school term or throughout the school year in a manner that could provide a full-time basic education program if so desired by the student. Students may enroll in the program as part-time or full-time students.

Multidistrict Online School Program

A multidistrict online school program is one where a school district provides an online school program to students who reside outside the geographic boundaries of the school district. Multidistrict online school programs serve 10% or more non-resident students (students from other districts enrolled under the interdistrict student transfer provisions of RCW 28A.225.225).

Multidistrict online school programs are subject to the OSPI approval process. Learn more about the approval process.

Calculating the 10% non-resident students: If, at the end of a school year, the annual average headcount (for that school year) of students who reside outside the geographic boundaries of the school district and who are enrolled in the district's online program increases to ten percent or more of the total program enrollment headcount, the program must apply as a multidistrict online provider in the next approval cycle. The program can continue operating the year of the required approval review, but not the following school year unless approved as a multidistrict online provider.

Single District (Exempt) Online School Program

A single district, or exempt, online school program is one that serves less than 10% non-resident students (students from other districts enrolled under the interdistrict student transfer provisions of RCW 28A.225.225). See the "calculating the 10% non-resident students" explanation above for more information.

Exempt online school programs also include regional online learning programs that are jointly developed and implemented by two or more school districts or an educational service district through an interdistrict cooperative program agreement. These interdistrict cooperative program agreements must address, at minimum, how the districts share student full-time equivalency for state basic education funding purposes and how categorical education programs, including special education, are provided to eligible students. If, at the end of a school year, the annual average headcount for that school year of students who reside outside the geographic boundaries of those school districts and are enrolled in the regional on-line program increases to ten percent or more of the total program enrollment headcount, the program shall be required to apply as a multidistrict online provider in the next approval cycle. The program can continue operating the year of the required approval review, but not the following school year unless approved as a multidistrict online provider.

Online School Program Provider

Definition

An online school program provider is a private or non-profit organization, or a school district, that contracts with a school district to provide a sequential online school program.

• In order to qualify as an online school program provider, the program provider must supply a program that offers:
  • Courses or grade-level coursework delivered primarily electronically using the internet or other computer-based methods. The program must have a component that features online lessons and tools for student and data management.
  • Courses or grade-level coursework taught by a teacher primarily from a remote location using online or other electronic tools. Note that access to the teacher may be synchronous or asynchronous.
  • A sequential program – a set of courses or coursework that may be taken in a single school term or throughout the school year in a manner that could provide a full-time basic education program if so desired by the student. Students may enroll in the program as part-time or full-time students.
• Online school program providers must supply all of the following: course content, access to a learning management system, and online teachers.
• Either the contracting district or the program provider may provide administration.
• The program provided may be part-time, full–time, or both.
• The program may be delivered to students at school as part of the regularly scheduled school day.
• The program may be delivered to students, in whole or in part, independently from a regular classroom schedule and must comply with RCW 28A.150.262 to qualify for state basic education funding as an ALE.

Multidistrict Online School Program Provider

A multidistrict online school program provider is:

• A private or non-profit organization or school district that enters into a contract with a school district to provide online school programs to K-12 students from more than one school district, or
• A private or non-profit organization or school district that enters into contracts with multiple school districts to provide online school programs to K-12 students from those districts.

Multidistrict online school program providers are subject to the OSPI approval process. Learn more about the approval process.

Exempt Online School Program Provider

An exempt online school program provider is one that enters into a contract with a single school district to provide an online school program to K-12 students from only that district.

Resident and Non-Resident Districts

"Resident/home district" means the school district in which the student's residence is located. See WAC 392-137-120.

"Non-resident/serving district" means the district in which the student is enrolled or is seeking entrance and in which the student's residence is not located. See WAC 392-137-125.

Completion and passing rates

Completion rate is the percentage of total enrollments where the student did not drop or withdraw from the course and did receive a grade for the course. It is calculated based on the provider's Washington state enrollments for a given school year. If Washington-specific figures are not available, national statistics for the provider will be used.

Pass rate is the percentage of total completions where the student received a 70% or higher grade (A, B, C, or Pass) in a course. It is calculated based on the provider's Washington state enrollments for a given school year. If Washington-specific figures are not available, national statistics for the provider will be used.

Teacher-to-student ratio

Teacher-to-student ratio is the number of students per instructional staff member for a given school year. It is calculated using full-time equivalency measures for both students and staff:

• Students: full-time is 1.0. If a student is less than full-time, divide the number of courses actually taken by the number of courses expected to be taken by a full-time student. For example, if a student took 3 courses, and a full-time load would be 5 per semester, the student is 3/5 = 0.6.
• Staff: full-time is 1.0, or each course taught is 0.2. If a teacher's maximum load is different than 5 courses per term, adjust the per-course rate to 1.0 divided by the number of courses in order to calculate part-time teachers. Staff includes instructional staff only. Staff should not include support staff, librarians, counselors, or administrators.

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