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The National Forum on Education Statistics in the US has created a guide to elementary and secondary virtual education data. In the US, the term “virtual education” includes, but is not limited to, digital learning, distributed learning, open learning, online learning, computer-based learning, distance learning, blended learning, and other similar terms. In the document, a Virtual Education Working Group provides recommendations for collecting accurate, comparable, and useful data about virtual education. The guide also provides real-world examples and common practices implemented by state departments, local districts, and schools to modify their data systems and add elements that better reflect the needs unique to virtual education.
The guide was developed to assist state and local education agencies and other education stakeholders, such as policymakers and researchers, as they
consider the impact of virtual education on established data elements and methods of data collection; and
address the scope of changes, the rapid pace of new technology development, and the proliferation of resources in virtual education.
Source: Forum Guide to Elementary/Secondary Virtual Education Data (2016), National Forum on Education Statistics.