IDEAL-NM

The IDEAL-NM (Innovative Digital Education and Learning New Mexico) is located in the US state of New Mexico. It was created by the 2007 State-wide Cyber Academy Act, to expand the curricula offered by local schools, resolve scheduling conflicts, and meet a wide variety of schools and students needs.

IDEAL-NM had approximately 2,063 course enrollments in 2009-10, a 36% increase over 2008-09 enrollments.

While not a school per se, IDEAL-NM provides e-learning services to PreK-12 schools, higher education institutions, and government agencies. It seeks to "reduce geographic and other barriers to educational opportunity while increasing the digital literacy skills youth and adult learners need to participate in a global economy". IDEAL also helps schools and others create their own learning portals. Its virtual courses are provided through the Blackboard system. School districts may use the LMS to create their own online courses, or use the content developed by IDEAL-NM to teach their own courses

In the IDEAL-NM model, the school registers the student and then assigns the student to a specific period and location during the day to access a course taught from a distance by a highly-qualified New Mexico eTeacher. A site coordinator works in conjunction with IDEAL-NM staff to monitor progress and ensure success.

Public, private and homeschools may take advantage of IDEAL-NM offerings. Any core IDEAL-NM course may be taken for credit recovery.

The IDEAL-NM web site is at http://www.ideal-nm.org/

References

• "A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning", iNACOL, October 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf
• IDEAL-NM web site, http://www.ideal-nm.org/
• "Keeping Pace With Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice", Evergreen Education Group, 2010, http://kpk12.com/reports/

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> New Mexico
> United States
> Virtual schools