Idaho Digital Learning Academy sees 400 percent increase in students

The Idaho Digital Learning Academy has experienced a 400 percent increase in its enrollment as parents across the state look for educational opportunities that best suit their kids during the coronavirus pandemic.

Administrators from IDLA briefed the Idaho State Board of Education on Monday about how they’ve ramped up their program to serve an increasing number of students who opted for a remote way to learn.

Jacob Smith, director of operations for IDLA, said the online school has been consistently hiring new teachers to meet the increased demand.

“We’re bringing on teachers as quickly as possible, and we’re still pulling a lot of good quality applications from those looking for online positions,” Smith said. “That is great news for us and for the students of Idaho, so that we can share those great teachers across the state.”

Will Goodman, director of district programs for IDLA, said that while the hiring process has continued on a weekly basis, some part-time teachers are taking on twice as many classes as normal.

Work has also begun to clear a “waiting list” of students who tried to enroll in the program. If a section or subject area is full, IDLA hires more teachers in that arena so more students can be admitted.

So far, students have for the most part been cleared from the waiting list in less than a week.

According to IDLA Superintendent Cheryl Charlton, about 35,000 students are enrolled in the program, although she expects those numbers to rise.

“No one anticipated us to be at this level and volume,” Charlton said.

Enrollment numbers have increased faster in areas that have more COVID-19 cases.

IDLA recently launched programs that serve kindergarten through sixth grade students. The elementary level includes four courses focused on English language arts and math.

“We will be building out additional content areas for elementary,” Charlton said.

In other news, the State Board of Education received an update on a statewide “digital campus” currently being referred to as Idaho Online. The new digital-learning consortium will take courses and degrees from the state’s eight public higher education institutions and consolidate them into an “online course-sharing marketplace.”

The board approved an initial implementation plan for the program at a meeting in July.

The goal is to create a model that delivers low-cost, high-quality postsecondary education online.

Since the July meeting, a steering committee has been formed and a set of key outcomes for development of the project has been established.

By the end of the year, the board plans to establish a long-term governance structure, a staffing model and plans to launch professional development programs.

Jonathan Lashley, the associate chief academic officer for the office of the State Board of Education, said the new program is intended to be a “one-stop shop (for people) to understand what online learning opportunities are available in the state of Idaho.”

The new online program should be operational for the spring quarter.

Justyna Tomtas may be contacted at jtomtas@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2294. Follow her on Twitter @jtomtas.