Keeping Pace 2011 Trend #7: Common Core Standards and OER are taking hold

In preparation for the release of Keeping Pace 2011 on November 8, we are sharing nine trends identified during our research and the writing of the report. To see the list of trends as it grows over these two weeks, please visit: http://kpk12.com/blog/2011/10/keeping-pace-2011-top-trends-in-online-and-blended-learning/. Trend #7: The Common Core State Standards are taking hold, common assessments are next, and open educational resources are an increasingly important element.

The move toward the Common Core means that providers are able to create content for use across dozens of states and by millions of students. That is helping push online and blended learning, and the trend will accelerate as the common assessment consortiums progress. Open educational resources, from sources including Khan Academy and the National Repository of Online Courses, are helping districts add a digital component without investing in developing or acquiring content.