Excerpts from Blended LearningData Accumulation ReportBy Marina Ballantyne Walne, Ph.D. with support from Heather Staker and Mukta Pandit Presented July 2013

“In a new World of Learning, education centers on the

needs of learners, not those of institutions. Teaching is tailored to an individual student’s needs and abilities.”

“2020 Forecast,” KnowledgeWorks 1

Key Findings

Blended learning is early stage; roughly 3.5 million students take part, and 4 overarching models are emerging.

Most key design and implementation factors are the same for any good school; however, a good learning management system is essential.

There is early evidence of cost savings.

Student gains are promising but results are inconclusive.

Blended learning may change teachers roles and help attract, retain, and leverage the best, but it may also reduce the number of teachers needed in a school.

Get into blended learning for the right reasons.2

Key Findings

Blended learning is early stage; roughly 3.5 million students take part, and 4 overarching models are emerging.

Most key design and implementation factors are the same for any good school; however, a good learning management system is essential.

There is early evidence of cost savings.

Student gains are promising but results are inconclusive.

Blended learning may change teachers roles and help attract, retain, and leverage the best, but it may also reduce the number of teachers needed in a school.

Get into blended learning for the right reasons.

3

A formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction, with some element of student control over time, place, path and/or pace

and

at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home.

Definition of Blended Learning

4Source: Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn, “Classifying K-12 blended learning,” Innosight Institute, May 2012

and

the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience ( Clayton Christensen Institute)

5

The traditional “factory” model 50 million in monolithic, one-size-fits-all batches

The “tech-rich” traditional modelOver $60 billion spent on computers in classrooms

Full-time online learningOnly about 250,000 U.S. students are full timers

Blended Learning is NOT …

Source: Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn, “Classifying K-12 blended learning,” Innosight Institute, May 2012

Emerging Blended Learning Models

6

Students rotate on a fixed schedule or at the teacher’s discretion between learning modalities, at least one of which is online learning

Students move on an individually customized, fluid schedule among modalities, and the teacher-of-record is on-site

Students attend physical school plus take 1 or more courses online with off-site teacher of record

Students divide their time between attending a physical campus and learning remotely using online delivery

Definitions of the Big Four

7

Rotation Flex Self-Blend Enriched Virtual

Source: Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn, “Classifying K-12 blended learning,” Innosight Institute, May 2012

Teacher-led Instruction

Collaborative Activities &

Stations

Individualized Online

Instruction T

Station-Rotation Model: KIPP LA, Empower Academy

8Source: Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn, “Classifying K-12 blended learning,” Innosight Institute, May 2012

• KIPP Empower Academy increased class size from 20:1 to 28:1 but offers more small-group instruction

9

Budget and Teacher Shortages are Driving Growth of Blended Learning

• Expert teachers can reach more students

• Miami-Dade Public Schools uses Florida Virtual School (FLVS) online teachers to deliver courses where local content experts are unavailable. Local teachers provide support.

• Class sizes can increase at the same time that teachers get more small-group time

• Students can get more guided practice and tutoring without extra cost

• Hundreds of students get Khan online instruction at night and then face-to-face help at school

classroom

classroom

classroom

classroom

teacher

Station 1 Station 2

Online instruction at home

Face-to-face guided practice

Opportunity Example

Blended learning is early stage; roughly 3.5 million students take part, and 4 overarching models are emerging.

Most key design and implementation factors are the same for any good school; however, a good learning management system is essential.

There is early evidence of cost savings.

Student gains are promising but results are inconclusive.

Blended learning may change teachers roles and help attract, retain, and leverage the best, but it may also reduce the number of teachers needed in a school.

Get into blended learning for the right reasons.

10

Key Findings

Key Factors

1. Data analysis to differentiate instruction

2. School culture

3. Leadership

4. Learning Management System (LMS)

5. Clear instructional design and plan

6. Advocates from within

7. Quality teachers and Professional Development (PD)

8. Engaging digital content for multiple ages

9. Technology infrastructure

Most success factors are the same for blended and traditional schools

A majority of respondents (58%) cited data analysis and the ability to use data to differentiate instruction as the most important design principle for blended schools.

11Source: Based on open ended interviews with 12 leaders in the field.

What is a Learning Management System (LMS)?

12

A Learning Management System is a technology toolkit that can enable more effective teaching and learning.

Source: Safal Partners

One of the critical issues with a learning management system is relying on the quality of information from the courseware vendor. The vendor’s assessment of mastery may not match the level of rigor set by a school. Therefore, the teachers do not trust the data coming from the system. --- Marcia Aaron, KIPP Empower

How does an LMS Enable Blended Learning?

13Source: Safal Partners

TEACHERS• Create, maintain, share and manage the learning experience through

one easy-to-use website • Easily integrate the online and offline learning experience • Use online collaboration tools to create a virtual classroom• Track student performance and deliver targeted feedback and

content• Manage administrative tasks like putting up grades, distributing

materials etc. easily• Get feedback and data on student performance, allowing data-driven

modifications to curriculum

STUDENTS• Access content anytime and anywhere• Learn collaboratively by creating online study groups• Access content tailored to preferred mode of learning

Adaptive Learning through an LMS

14Source: Safal Partners

Initial diagnostics

Content delivery based on diagnostic results

Progress monitoring assessments to assess learning

Content delivery based on assessment

Outcome assessments

Adaptive and interactive

curricula and assessments (mapped to standards)

CONTENT ADAPTIVE LEARNING

Process managed by the LMS

Blended learning is early stage; roughly 3.5 million students take part, and 4 overarching models are emerging.

Most key design and implementation factors are the same for any good school; however, a good learning management system is essential.

There is early evidence of cost savings.

Student gains are promising but results are inconclusive.

Blended learning may change teachers roles and help attract, retain, and leverage the best, but it may also reduce the number of teachers needed in a school.

Get into blended learning for the right reasons.

15

Key Findings

Traditional Model N/A

Blended Model +/-15%

Fully Virtual Model +/-20%

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

Labor

Labor

Labor

Content Acquisition

Content Acquisition

Content Acquisition

School Operations

School Operations

School Operations

Student Support

Student Support

Student SupportTechnology & Infrastructure

Technology & Infrastructure

Estimated Per-Pupil Expenditures

Student Support

School Operations

Technology and Infrastructure

Content Acquisition

Labor

$10.0K

$8.9K

$6.4K

Source: Parthenon

On average, a blended model costs roughly $1.1K less per student than a

traditional model, but the variance

is wide

Comparison of Per-pupil Expenditures by School Type

16

Cost Savings ExamplesSchool Cost Savings

Carpe Diem Cost is $5,300 per student for operations; $6,000 per student including mortgage for facilities

Alliance Each blended school saves about $1 million over a 4-year period of implementation with the 48 to 1 teacher student ratio.

Rocketship Each school saves about $500,000 per year. This is redeployed in the following manner: $200,000 to higher teacher salaries ( 20% more); $100,000 for academic dean; $200,000 management fee for Rocketship to cover leadership development, general growth, and facility improvements. Their buildings have 5,000 square feet less than a traditional school due to fewer classrooms, which also represents a savings. All Rocketship schools operate within ADA.

17

“Carpe Diem is operating as low as $6,000 per pupil including facilities. You could open 10,000 Carpe Diems in rural America at that price point.” - Alex Hernandez, Charter School Growth Fund

Blended learning is early stage; roughly 3.5 million students take part, and 4 overarching models are emerging.

Most key design and implementation factors are the same for any good school; however, a good learning management system is essential.

There is early evidence of cost savings.

Student gains are promising but results are inconclusive.

Blended learning may change teachers roles and help attract, retain, and leverage the best, but it may also reduce the number of teachers needed in a school.

Get into blended learning for the right reasons.

18

Key Findings

Summary of Data from National Study of Online Learning

Meta-analysis of 176 experimental or quasi-experimental studies found that, on average, students in online learning performed modestly better that those receiving face-to-face instruction.

Differences were larger in those studies that blended online with face-to-face versus online alone.

Only 7 studies involved K-12 students; number of studies was too small to warrant much confidence in the mean effects.

19

Sources: Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, U.S. DOE

2012 or 2013 Sample Results

In 2012, 82% of Rocketship students scored proficient or advanced in math, on par with affluent districts at 87%

Summit Prep is ranked 36th for AP results among the 23,000 public high schools in the U.S.

In 2013, second grade students at KIPP Empower, LA, scored 991 out of a possible 1,000 points on the CA Academic Performance Index (API). Only 9% of these students were developmentally ready on a literacy screen in grade K.

Carpe Diem’s middle school students in Indiana showed an average of 3 years of academic growth in 2012-2013.

20

CA API Results

*Nearby districts include aggregate average of elementary schools in Alum Rock Unified, San Jose Unified and Franklin –McKinley school districts..

2011 Rocketship Results

21

500

600

700

800

900863

803 808

859

773758

860

769 756

Overall Low-Income English Learners

Source: Rocketship Presentation

22

2011 Carpe Diem, AZ Results

% EconomicallyDisadvantag

ed

% Proficien

t

% Proficien

t

% Advanced

% Advanced

Reading Math Reading Math

Carpe Diem

55% 93% 87% 24% 48%

Comparison

~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

Region 68% 54% 36% 3% 9%

State 51% 57% 32% 6% 11%

Yuma HS 66% 54% 40% 4% 5%

Crane MS 70% 76% 62% 10% 24%

Source: Arizona State Accountability

Student Outcomes: Non-Academic

Increased student engagement

Increased motivation

Decrease in behavioral issues because students feel trusted

No significant differences in student social skills and interactions

23Sources: Interviews with school operators

With our digital content, each kid knows what he or she needs to do to complete the agenda. They average 90 minutes of self-imposed homework a day.-- Mickie Tubbs, ATAMS

The attitude of the kids is different. They say that the school day flies by. In their previous schools, sitting in a class for an hour was painful.-- Frank Baxter, Alliance Schools

Blended learning is early stage; roughly 3.5 million students take part, and 4 overarching models are emerging.

Most key design and implementation factors are the same for any good school; however, a good learning management system is essential.

There is early evidence of cost savings.

Student gains are promising but results are inconclusive.

Blended learning may change teachers roles and help attract, retain, and leverage the best, but it may also reduce the number of teachers needed in a school.

Get into blended learning for the right reasons.

24

Key Findings

Attract, retain and leverage the best: potentially higher salaries; reduction in menial tasks; better student achievement results; best teachers leveraged to “boundless classrooms” and can become specialized experts.

Boost average teacher’s effectiveness: smart-ware delivers much of instruction, allowing more time for teachers’ strategic intervention; can get real time data and lesson planning advice.

Higher student-teacher ratios may decrease the number of classroom teachers needed.

Diversify instructional delivery by adding new professional roles: technology experts, lab facilitators, interventionists, tutors, etc.

25

Potential Impact on Teachers

“ Teachers should not be grading worksheets. In a hospital, you don’t have the person who is operating on someone then go in and change their linens and file insurance papers. If it takes 180 hours to practice math concepts to achieve mastery, the most efficient path is a learning lab with an aide to supervise kids. “

– Rebecca Tomassi, Alvo Institute

Teacher Satisfaction

KIPP Foundation conducts a national survey and the KIPP Empower School received the second highest teacher satisfaction rating among 102 schools in the KIPP network.

Matchbook Learning surveyed its teachers at L.A. Holmes in Detroit and 100% said they would not go back to the time before the school was blended. This was a turnaround school that retained all of its existing teachers.

26

KIPP Empower

Matchbook Learning

Teacher and Leadership Training

School Developed Leadership Training

(Rocketship)

School Developed Teacher Training

(Alliance, Rocketship)

Content and LMS Vendor Training

Consultant created Professional

Development on Blended Learning(Alvo Institute)

University Training – Emerging

Partnerships

27

Try not to cram all PD into the school opening – make it iterative. - Anthony Kim

Blended learning is early stage; roughly 3 million students take part, and 4 overarching models are emerging.

Most key design and implementation factors are the same for any good school; however, a good learning management system is essential.

There is early evidence of cost savings.

Student gains are promising but results are inconclusive.

Blended learning may change teachers roles and help attract, retain, and leverage the best, but it may also reduce the number of teachers needed in a school.

Get into blended learning for the right reasons.

28

Key Findings

Key Takeaways from Vendors, Funders and Board Members

Funder or Vendor

Key Lessons Learned

Alex Hernandez, Charter School Fund

“We need to realize that technology won’t make up for poor human capital – that is still an essential part of the equation.”

Rebecca Tomassi,Alvo Institute

“We are big believers that attitudes and perceptions around technology and data tools are very important – we are looking for a collective, collaborative approach to instruction.”

Anthony Kim, Ed Elements

“Leadership is important – but it is critical in any school. Leaders need to realize that what you are doing in a conversion to blended learning is change management.”

Frank Baxter, Chair of Alliance

“I came to the realization that although we were quite successful as a CMO, what we were doing was neither scalable nor could lead to rapid growth. We went to blended learning for the economics – more productivity; for the principle that you never want a person to do a job a machine can do; and to reach our goal of every student in the nation having a great education.”

29Source: Interviews vendors, board members, and funders

Lessons Learned from Current Blended Learning Operators

Blended Learning School

Key Lessons Learned

KIPP Empower “Our biggest “Aha” was about the program – we did not think about the back end (data aggregation piece) – we thought about the front end – curricula and programs.”

Carpe Diem “Culture, culture, culture is the key to success.”

Alliance ATAMS “You need to believe that this is the best thing for kids and keep the core values and mastery learning as a focus.”

A. L. Holmes School, Matchbox

“We are using technology to help mediocre teachers become high performing. That’s our fundamental thesis.”

Rocketship “Some people when they get into this space just focus on technology. This is a big mistake. Blended learning is about taking kids from where they are and figuring out what they need to do to learn. Technology is an efficient way to do that.”

30Source: Interviews school operators

The Power of Learning Lab

IndividualizedLearning

Introduce Concepts

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

Extend

Assess

Intervene

1

4

3

2

5 In class, teachers introduce new topics and conduct guided discussions

In Learning Lab, students strengthen basic skills via computer programs

Frequent assessments give early, actionable insights into students’ strengths & weaknesses

Response to Intervention RTI: tutors provide intensive, focused remedial work with students

In class, teachers focus on critical skills

Source: Rocketship Education

The Big Aha

Blended Learning is PROMISING because it can

Deliver CONSISTENT, ENGAGING quality digital content through the learning management system

Completely INDIVIDUALIZE a student’s instructional experience in a way one teacher with 25 to 30 students never could

And if teachers are paid 20% more due to cost savings and relieved of burdensome tasks, it has the potential to

Attract, retain and leverage the best and brightest teachers

32