State of Opportunity: The Status and Direction of Blended Learning in Ohio

New report uncovers challenges schools face when implementing blended learning, makes recommendations to support quality and achievement

Cupertino, CA – October 15, 2015 – The Learning Accelerator, a non-profit organization catalyzing the implementation of high-quality blended learning in school districts and states across the U.S., today released a report in collaboration with the Ohio Blended Learning Network and the Clayton Christensen Institute titled State of Opportunity: The Status and Direction Of Blended Learning in Ohio.

In February and March of 2015, the three organizations conducted a statewide survey for the purpose of providing an overview of the blended learning environment in Ohio. Out of the 994 district and charter schools in Ohio, 211 responded to the initial survey, with 122 indicating that they are currently implementing blending learning. They further reported details of implementation, challenges, and lessons learned.

“As blended learning emerges, we need to understand its growth,” said Michael Horn, Co-Founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute. “The data in this report provides perhaps the most thorough picture of blended learning in any state alongside actionable insights to help schools improve how they are using it to serve students.”

School leaders and policy makers can use blended learning to achieve long-awaited goals such as increasing course access, improving student achievement, and shifting to new metrics to focus on the success of each individual child. The new report notes, however, that blended learning is not a goal in and of itself.

“Policy and investment should not necessarily focus on expanding blended learning to the 48% of schools in the state that are not blended,” said Lisa Duty, Partner at The Learning Accelerator. “Leaders should focus on supporting innovations that move the state toward increasing student achievement, improving the metrics used to evaluate blended learning, improving the quality of the current blended-learning programs, and expanding collaboration among innovators.”

The report focuses on four recommendations for public institutions, non-profit organizations, research and support institutions, and private funders who want to continue developing blended learning in Ohio:

1. Create or identify an entity or network(s) to help coordinate blended-learning efforts

2. Train school leaders on iterative innovation processes

3. Make high-quality professional development more available and easy to find

4. Provide more resource support for blended-learning efforts

“Our work is about changing the learning opportunities and lives of kids, and we see blended learning as key to enabling this vision,” said Andy Benson, Founder of the Ohio Blended Learning Network. “Ohio’s students are betting on the power of many organizations and people – including teachers, students, and families – working together to transform education.”

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For more information, contact Lisa Duty, Partner at The Learning Accelerator at lisa.duty@learningaccelerator.org, 614.806.0607

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The Learning Accelerator is the catalyst to transform American K-12 education through blended learning on a national scale. Learn more at www.learningaccelerator.org. What is blended learning? Watch this brief video.

The Clayton Christensen Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to improving the world through disruptive innovation. Its mission is ambitious but clear: work to shape and elevate the conversation surrounding issues such as education through rigorous research and public outreach. Learn more at www.christenseninstitute.org.

The Ohio Blended Learning Network is an affiliation of 60 Ohio schools, districts and support organizations that want to implement high-quality blended learning in their classrooms. Learn more at www.smarterschools.net.