Vermont Digital Learning Landscape
| State virtual school? | YES |
| Multi-district fully online schools? | NO |
| Online learning requirement for graduation? | NO |
| State approval process for online providers? | NO |
| State approval process for online courses? | NO |
The Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative (VTVLC) is the state virtual school; there are no major district online programs and no multi-district fully online schools.
VTVLC is run by the Vermont Agency of Education and is a consortium of schools across Vermont. Approximately 2,200 students took at least one online course through VTVLC in SY 2021-22 across all programs, generating 9,590 course enrollments. During the height of the pandemic, course enrollments reached 43,983 for the 2020-21 SY. VTVLC also provides schools with courses and/or professional development to support blended classrooms. The VTVLC K-8 full-time program launched for Fall 2022 with VTVLC teachers providing instruction.
The VTVLC Partnership Program provides ten course enrollments for all Vermont high schools at no cost and without any requirement to provide an online teacher as part of the cooperative. Schools in this category are referred to as Non-Teaching Partners. VTVLC Teaching Partner Schools provide an online teacher (at least .2 FTE) and earn additional free enrollments based on the total FTE teachers contributed to the cooperative. The teacher(s) facilitate online courses as part of their daily teaching schedule. There are 18 Teaching Partner Schools for the 2022-23 SY.
In addition to offering online courses that are aligned to the traditional school year calendar, VTVLC offers its On Demand flex program that allows the student to move through course material at a personalized pace, offers flexible start and end dates, and a full-time online diploma. The On Demand program enrolled 802 unique students in over 1,400 on-demand course sections during the 2021-22 FY. Schools can purchase additional Partner course enrollments at $250 and $275 for On-Demand enrollments.
State Policies
No major legislation impacting online and/or blended learning was passed January through August 2022.
The Flexible Pathways Initiative (Act 77, 2013) encourages districts to create a personalized learning plan for every student in grades 7–12 and defines virtual and blended learning as alternative pathways to graduation.
Teachers must have an Online Teaching Specialist endorsement to teach online.