States should promote distance learning programs toincrease educational opportunities for residents. With ubiquitous high-speed Internetaccess, students from any geographic location and income level can takeadvantage of otherwise unattainable educational and job trainingopportunities. One strong modelwas in Idaho where HB 543 [1]was enacted in part to promote a statewide coordinated andfunded high-bandwidth education network. Legislators hope, among other things, that the "Idaho EducationNetwork" (IEN) can be a coordinated, statewide telecommunicationsdistribution system for distance learning in each public school, includingtwo-way interactive video, data, internet access and other telecommunicationsservices [2] . Further, the Idaho DigitalLearning Academy [3] (IDLA), a state sponsored, accredited, on-line virtualschool created through the Idaho state legislature, is designed to increaseeducational opportunities and choices to all Idaho students regardless oflearning ability, income, or geographic location. IDLA provides a high qualitypublic school education, aligned with state achievement standards, utilizingthe Internet and innovative educational methods of delivery.
Resources:
United States General AccountingOffice, Distance Education - Growth in DistanceEducation Programs and Implications for Federal Education Policy [4]
Idaho DigitalLearning Academy [3]