Distance Education Policy

Effective Date: July 1, 2024, | Date Issued: August 27, 2024 | Last Version: July 1, 2023

Policy Summary

  • Distance education means teaching and learning through non-in-person methods.
  • Local staff must use approved distance education curriculum.
  • Students should have the tools and skills necessary to succeed as a condition of participating in distance education.
  • A student’s distance education hours must be entered into a distance education class in the data system; a student is considered a “distance education” student for reporting if more than 50% of their total program hours is via distance education.
  • Distance education hours can come from “synchronous” or “proxy” activities.
  • Distance education students must take pre-tests and post-tests as described in the Assessment Administration policy.

Revisions Summary

  • Changed “Schoology LMS” to “TDLWD LMS Materials” as approved distance education curriculum.
  • Added Aztec A Tutor for TABE to list of approved curriculum.

Policy

1. Background

According to Federal guidance, Distance Education is defined as a “formal learning activity where students and instructors are separated by geography, time, or both for the majority of the instructional period. Distance learning materials are delivered through a variety of media, including but not limited to, print, audio recording, videotape, broadcasts, computer software, Web based programs, and other online technology. Teachers support distance learners through communication by mail, telephone, e-mail, or online technologies and software.”

2. Distance Learning Curricula

The following distance learning software programs have been approved by TDLWD for local Adult Education (AE) providers to use as part of their distance education plan:

a. Khan Academy

b. Read Theory

c. Spark3000

d. Reading Horizons

e. BurlingtonEnglish

f. Rosetta Stone

g. HiSET Academy

h. Odysseyware

i. Aztec A Tutor for TABE

j. TDLWD LMS Materials (i.e., materials developed or curated by TDLWD staff for distance education purposes)

Local providers wishing to utilize or purchase distance learning software not on this list may do so with written approval from TDLWD staff. The abovementioned distance learning programs must be used in a manner consistent with the computer program’s target student population (e.g., a local provider may not use Rosetta Stone for a NRS Level 4 ABE student).

Local providers can also provide students with hard copy instructional resources that can be utilized outside of traditional face-to-face interactions. Students can acquire contact hours for utilizing these resources. That is, a teacher may assign specific reading passages, worksheets, practice tests, or other activities in packaged “assignments” that students can complete and submit to the teacher. Teachers determine the number of hours of credit associated with each assignment (see Section 5 for additional details).

3. Guidelines for Ensuring Student Success

Any student may be eligible for distance learning programs if local providers have determined the student has 1) a need for such opportunity and 2) the potential to benefit from the opportunity. Local providers should consider that not all students are equally prepared to learn in a distance environment; distance learning requires self-discipline and the means to utilize required curricula and communication tools.

Preferred attributes for students who are provided distance learning software access include:

a. Student is computer literate; if possible, this has been demonstrated via a computer literacy assessment or otherwise.

b. Student has regular access to a computer, tablet, or mobile device capable of delivering the functionality of the computer program he or she is using.

c. Student is willing to commit to consistent, regular use of the distance learning program for the length of the student’s planned period of participation.

Local providers may remove access to any distance learning program from students who become inactive or who do not use the program in a manner consistent with their learning plan.

4. Recording Distance Education Student Hours

Students who participate in distance learning must be enrolled in a “Distance Education” class in the data system. All distance education hours acquired by a student must be entered into this class to adequately report distance education activities and outcomes. A student who participates both in-person and via distance education should be simultaneously enrolled in two classes in the data system. Their instructional hours should be entered in the class where their instruction occurred for a given day and week.

A student who participates in distance learning for a majority of their instructional time (i.e., greater than 50%) will be identified as a Distance Education Student in the data system.1 The system will automatically assign this designation based on the number of attendance hours entered between their classes.

5. Synchronous and Proxy Contact Hours

Synchronous Contact Hours

Synchronous distance education occurs when staff and students interact remotely in real-time. Contact hours for distance learners can be acquired for student-staff interactions via telephone, video, teleconference, or online communication, as long as student identity is verifiable. Local providers must keep a record of the remote activities conducted with students and associated contact hours.

Proxy Contact Hours

For students to acquire hours for working on distance learning curricula outside of synchronous hours, local providers may use three (3) proxy time-tracking models:

(1) Clock Time Model, which assigns instructional hours based on the elapsed time that a learner is engaged in a computer program that tracks time and disconnects after a period of inactivity. Programs that use this model include: HiSET Academy, Khan Academy, Spark3000, Reading Horizons, Rosetta Stone, Burlington English, and Odysseyware.

These programs record the amount of time that each student spends interacting with the program. One hour of time spent in these programs equals one hour of instructional time accumulated for the student. Local providers must maintain access to software reports to verify hours.

(2) Learner Mastery Model, which assigns a fixed number of hours based on the learner passing a test after working through the content of a lesson. A high percentage of correct answers (typically 70%-80%) earns the hours attached to the material. Programs that use this model include: Read Theory.

Students who use Read Theory may acquire 30 minutes of instructional time for completing the pre-test, and 30 minutes for each quiz passed at the end of a lesson.2 Local providers must maintain access to software reports to verify hours.

(3) Teacher Verification Model, which assigns a fixed number of hours of credit for each assignment based on teacher determination of the extent to which a student engaged in, or completed, the assignment. Local providers must keep a record that summarizes each assignment given to students and the associated hours.

6. NRS and Assessment Requirements

As with all students, distance education students must have at least 12 hours of instruction before they can be reported as participants to the NRS, and they should take an approved pre-test as part of the intake process.

Local providers must administer all NRS-approved pre- and post-test assessments (TABE or CASAS) to distance education students in accordance with the requirements outlined in the TDLWD Adult Education Assessment Administration policy.

Governance

Local program directors are responsible for disseminating this policy to their staff members, and for providing staff with associated training, checking for understanding, enforcing compliance, and seeking technical assistance from TDLWD staff as necessary.

To ensure compliance with this policy, TDLWD staff will review student distance education data and records and observe distance learning instruction.

1 Note: The outcomes for these students will be recorded in NRS Reports 4, 4c, and 5a
2 These time allotments are based on a sample of average time spent on Read Theory lessons, as well as needing a simple and standardized method of data collection. A lesson consists of reading a passage, then taking a quiz, including reviewing the explanations for quiz answers.