National Standards

The North American Council for Online Learning - National Standards of Quality for Online Teaching

1. The teacher meets the professional teaching standards established by a state licensing agency or the teacher has academic credentials in the field in which he or she is teaching.
2. The teacher has the prerequisite technology skills to teach online.
3. The teacher plans, designs and incorporates strategies to encourage active learning, interaction, participation and collaboration in the online environment.
4. The teacher provides online leadership in a manner that promotes student success through regular feedback, prompt response and clear expectations. Score
5. The teacher models, guides and encourages legal, ethical, safe and healthy behavior related to technology use.
6. The teacher has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student.
7. The teacher understands and is responsive to students with special needs in the online classroom.
8. The teacher demonstrates competencies in creating and implementing assessments in online learning environments in ways that assure validity and reliability of instruments and procedures.
9. The teacher develops and delivers assessments, projects, and assignments that meet standards based learning goals and assesses learning progress by measuring student achievement of learning goals.
10. The teacher demonstrates competencies in using data and findings from assessments and other data sources to modify instructional methods and content and to guide student learning.
11. The teacher demonstrates frequent and effective strategies that enable both teacher and students to complete self and pre-assessments.
12. The teacher collaborates with colleagues.
13. The teacher arranges media and content to help students and teachers transfer knowledge most effectively in the online environment.

The North American Council for Online Learning - National Standards of Quality for Online Courses

1. Content Score
   First Indicator: The course goals and objectives are measurable and clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course.

2. Instructional Design Score
   First Indicator: Course design reflects a clear understanding of student needs, and incorporates varied ways to learn and multiple levels of mastery of the curriculum.
3. Student Assessment Score
   First Indicator: Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, representative of the scope of the course and clearly stated.
4. Technology
   First Indicator: The course architecture permits the online teacher to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities.
5. Course Evaluation and Management Score
   First Indicator: The results of peer review and student evaluations of courses are available.
6. 21st Century Skills Score
   First Indicator: The course intentionally emphasizes 21st century skills in the course, including using 21st century skills in the core subjects, 21st century content, learning and thinking skills, ICT literacy, self-directed learning, global awareness, and includes 21st century assessments, as identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.