New study describes how digital learning tools improve learning for children

Yesterday Washington Policy Center released a new paper, "Review of Digital Learning in Private Schools and Public Charter Schools." This paper reviews 6 case studies of schools using new digital learning tools to ease teaching burdens, improve the management of school budgets, and most importantly, improve learning for students.
 

Four of these case studies describe public charter schools in California, New Jersey and Arizona. One case study describes how Khan Academy instructional videos have improved the study habits of disadvantaged students attending a charter high school in East Oakland, California. The sixth case study examines how leaders at a private Catholic school in Seattle used digital technology to save their school from closing.

It is instructive these ground-breaking schools have not emerged from within the traditional public school system, but from public charter schools and the private sector.

Public charter schools have proven to be a fertile ground for innovation in public education. Unlike traditional district-controlled schools, teachers and principals in public charter schools have the freedom and flexibility to try new ideas and to improve the education of children.

Last Friday twenty-two parent and community groups filed applications with theWashington State Charter School Commission and Spokane Public Schools, in hopes of obtaining one of the 8 charter contracts allowed by Initiative 1240, the charter school law approved by voters. Eight of these applications show they intend to employ digital learning tools, known by educators as "blended learning," in their school program. 

Next fall, charter schools will be bringing new ideas and approaches to Washington's public schools. Some of these new charter schools might even bring innovations in technology, like the six case studies described in our new paper, to classrooms and students in Washington state.

This report of part of Washington Policy Center's Initiative 1240 Follow-up Project.