Electronic Course Program

The Electronic Course Program (eCP) provides full-time virtual educational programmes to grades 3-10 public school students, located in the US state of Texas. Founded in 2006, it is administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Through the eCP, districts and open-enrollment charter schools selected to participate in the program are given the opportunity to provide online learning options to Grades 3-10 public school students who are not required to be physically present on campus during instruction.

Participating schools (all using private partners) are:

• Texas Connections Academy @ Houston
• IQ Academy Texas
• Texas Virtual Academy @ Southwest

eCP participants began serving students in the spring of 2006. Currently there are two charter schools and one independent school district participating in the program for the 2010-2011 year.

The Electronic Course Program web site is at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=4826&menu_id=2147483665

More Details

The program allows participating public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to earn state funding based on successful completion for Grades 3-10 public school students enrolled in full-time virtual educational programmes.

eCP plans call for the addition of Grade 11 in the 2011-2012 school year and Grade 12 in the 2012-2013 school year.

ECP builds on lessons learned from the 2001-2003 Texas Virtual School Pilot (VSP) and the Investigating the Quality of Online Courses (IQ Pilot). ECP is being carefully monitored by the state.

References

• "A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning", iNACOL, October 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf
• Electronic Course Program web site, http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=4826&menu_id=2147483665
• "Keeping Pace With Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice", Evergreen Education Group, 2010, http://kpk12.com/reports/

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> Texas
> United States
> Virtual schools