Idaho Digital Learning Landscape
The Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, a DLC State Affiliate, was instrumental in conducting the research for this profile.
| State virtual school? | YES |
| Multi-district fully online schools? | YES |
| Online learning requirement for graduation? | NO |
| State approval process for online providers? | NO |
| State approval process for online courses? | NO |
Idaho has a large and active state virtual school, Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA), a number of multi-district fully online schools, district programs, and a state distance education academy. IDLA had 43,972 course enrollments in SY 2021-22 SY after serving 26,140 students and 61,579 course enrollments in SY 2020-21.
The number of multi-district online schools in Idaho grew from seven during the 2019-20 SY to 14 schools in both SY 2020-21 and 2021-22. The number of full-time students served increased from 3,894 in SY 2019-20 to 8,955 for the 2020-21 SY. Full-time student enrollments fell to 5,331 during the 2021-22 SY. Idaho uses the same funding formula for virtual and brick-and-mortar charter schools. Qualifying virtual charters receive transportation funding and all are eligible for facilities funding.
At the request of the State Board of Education, IDLA launched a part-time online program for elementary students during the summer of 2020. The program had 2,126 course enrollments in SY 2021-22 after serving 4,867 course enrollments in SY 2020-21. Elementary courses and credit recovery both require synchronous sessions.
IDLA offers several supplemental online course formats. The Cohort model is a traditional supplemental online course offered on a 12- or 16-week schedule with predetermined start and end dates. IDLA launched a Credit Recovery model in SY 2021-22 that follows the same structure as the Cohort model and also establishes behavioral expectations with daily attendance requirements. Flex courses are self-paced and allow students to be exempted from specific content if they can demonstrate mastery through a unit pre-test. IDLA Hybrid online courses offer synchronous lectures and lessons to students via video conference as an opportunity for additional instruction and assessment in combination with the asynchronous course. All four online course options include the support of an IDLA online teacher.
IDLA has established a career pathways program in partnership with Idaho CTE program and state universities and colleges. Students now can complete a degree or certificate in Nursing, Web Development, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Education, and General Ed Transfer Certificates online while in high school.
IDLA acts as the state affiliate for the National Rural Education Association, working with the Idaho Rural Education Association to expand educational opportunities in Idaho rural schools. IDLA is embarking on a new collaboration targeting rural districts and helping to bring economies of scale to the rural corners of Idaho. The program helps coordinate services that are challenging to acquire in remote areas with lower enrollment numbers.
District online programs, particularly in larger districts include:
Bonneville Online High School offers online courses for grades 7-12 and dual enrollment courses.
Vallivue School District’s Vallivue Academy is a small alternative online school.
Emmett Remote Academy (ERA), part of the Emmett Independent School District, is an open enrollment online school originally created in 2020 to provide an option for parents uncomfortable sending their students to a classroom environment due to the pandemic has been designed to continue even after the COVID crisis ends.
West Ada Virtual School House offers online options for middle and high school students. Students take three courses per quarter and may take up to two additional courses from IDLA.
Boise Online School is a program of the Boise School District serving district students in grades K-12.
Meridian Public School District’s offers an online learning program for K-12 students.
Idaho Falls School District’s D91 Online Academy uses district teachers with courses from a provider for grades K-6 and content and instruction from a second provider for grades 7-12.
Twin Falls School District’s Virtual School House offers online courses through a provider that aggregates content from several national online course providers.
State Policies
No major legislation impacting online and/or blended learning was passed January through August 2022.