It’s been quite a year for the California Learning Resource Network. After investing a year to create the standards and review process for online courses, CLRN began reviewing English-language arts and mathematics courses last summer, spending much of last year training our reviewers and norming the process to ensure consistency. Last spring, we added history-social science, science, and visual and performing arts courses and plans are under way to add world language reviews this winter.
During 2011/12, CLRN reviewed 55 online courses from seven publishers: Accelerate, Aventa, Education2020, K12, Inc, Pearson Digital Learning, Plato Learning, and Thesys International. Our 2012/13 review queue currently holds 88 course submissions, including many from Advanced Academics, Apex Learning, Cambium Education, National University High School, and Odysseyware. Still, many of our customers have asked us about course approval for the University of California’s A-G requirements, since A-G approval is required for courses students take for admission to the University of California. We now have an answer.
CLRN is proud to announce our partnership with the University of California. By agreement with UC’s Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS), online courses must now be CLRN reviewed and CLRN-Certified® before UC will accept them for their final review and approval for A-G.
To achieve CLRN-Certified® status, online courses must address at least 80% of the course’s content standards (Common Core or California State Standards) and 80% of iNACOL’s Standards for Quality Online Programs. Fifteen online “Power Standards” must be among those verified by CLRN. These Power Standards include: Content: A3, A9 & A13; Instructional Design: B3, B4, B5 & B10; Student Assessment: C2, C3 & C4; Technology: D4, D10 & D11; and Course Evaluation and Support: E3 & E10. Course publishers may utilize the CLRN-Certified® term and logo in association with their certified products.
By request of the University of California, CLRN reviews will now include the “Not Met” content standards within posted reviews. Also displayed on CLRN’s browse page and within each course review, will be the percentage of content and online standards met. CLRN-Certified® courses will include both a reference to its CLRN-Certified® status and the new CLRN-Certified® badge.
