 |
Population: 5,200,000 Number of K-12 Schools: 1,942 Number of K-12 Students: ~673,000 . Number of K-12 E-Learning Programs: 68 Number of K-12 E-Learning Students: ~85,000 |
Note that these profiles are taken from the most recent edition of the report, please review additional annual profiles below.
Governance and Regulation
Historically, the Ministry of Education had defined distributed learning (i.e., a term used to include both distance and online learning) as a method of instruction that relies primarily on indirect communication between students and teachers, including Internet or other electronic-based delivery, teleconferencing, or correspondence.
The distributed learning landscape has been governed by legislative language in section 3.1 and section 75 (4.1) of the School Act, 2006, as well as section 8.1 of the Independent School Act, 2006. Both pieces of legislation contain similar language concerning the establishment of distributed learning schools “only with the prior agreement of the Minister” and ensuring that students may exercise their rights under legislation to choose distributed learning instruction within a coordinated province-wide distributed learning system. Districts and independent school authorities that entered into an agreement with the Ministry are required to:
- commit to meet or exceed the Distributed Learning Standards;
- for public distributed learning schools, agree to participate in the Quality Assurance Review process and align its website to meet Ministry requirements; for independent distributed learning schools this quality assurance function is conducted through scheduled inspections as set out in the Independent School Act;
- ensure it has supports in place to comply with the Ministry policy and standards;
- provide training and professional development for teachers, and – for public distributed learning schools – employ only teachers who have experience and/or training in distributed learning methodology;
- meet policy requirements related to funds for designated resources to parents and learners;
- ensure that all learners in the board’s catchment area who are receiving distributed learning instruction from anywhere in the province from a public distributed learning school are receiving appropriate support;
- provide records and reports on student achievement as specified by the Ministry;
- work to achieve a 100 percent participation rate in Foundation Skills Assessments and Satisfaction Surveys;
- provide current and accurate distributed learning contact information to the Ministry; and
- ensure each public distributed learning school provides accurate information regarding its Distributed Learning website, courses offered, and contact information to the Ministry by July 31 of each year, updating the information as required.
Finally, the funding for distributed learning is somewhat different than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. For full time students in kindergarten to grade 9 in traditional bricks and mortar schools, school districts are funded one time for a program of studies as at September 30th (students in seats), while students in grades 10-12 are funded per enroled course. K-9 distributed learning schools have three funding opportunities depending on when the students meet eligibility requirements:
- September (30th) distributed learning schools receive 100% of per pupil funding,
- February distributed learning schools receive 50% of per pupil funding, and
- May distributed learning schools receive 33% of per pupil funding.
During the 2020-21 school year, the basic allocation school-age equivalent (i.e., FTE) for students attending a brick-and-mortar school was $7,560 (or $945/course), while only $6,100 (or $762.50/course) for a student attending a distributed learning school. Further, Group 1 independent schools receive 63% of the public distributed learning per pupil amount (all independent distributed learning schools in the province have Group 1 Certification).
However, beginning with a 2018 review of the distributed learning funding, the Ministry of Education has worked with educators to implement a new provincial model for online learning. This process culminated with the passage of Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2020 or Bill 8 on March 4, 2020. Bill 8 changed distributed learning n the School Act and the Independent School Act in three key ways:
- changed the term “distributed learning” to “online learning”;
- enabled School Districts and Independent School Authorities to offer online learning courses and programs to their local (or ‘in-district’) students without an agreement with the Minister; and
- required online learning schools to have an agreement with the Minister to enrol students from outside their district boundary (i.e., out-of-district enrolment) or to enrol students simultaneously enrolled with another board or independent school authority (i.e., cross enrolment). (Government of British Columbia, 2020)
The full enactment of Bill 8 was scheduled for July 1, 2021, and will begin with an interim year during the 2021-22 school year with seven interim online learning policies in place and all 68 online learning schools being held interim online learning agreements.K-12 Distance and Online Learning Activity
K-12 Distance and Online Learning Activity
The Ministry tracks student enrolment through the 1701 data collections that occur in September, February, and May. These collections show the schools attended along with the demographic characteristics of students, and programs provided to students.
In 2020-21 there were 52 district-level public distributed learning schools and 16 independent distributed learning schools that enrolled approximately 85,000 unique students in one or more courses. Additionally, Open School BC also provided provincial content and online hosting services on a cost-recovery model to school districts lacking the capacity or desire to manage their own distributed learning program. Finally, the Western Canadian Learning Network is a consortium of school districts providing online courses and digital resources for use by distributed learning schools in British Columbia, as well as Alberta and the Yukon.
K-12 Blended Learning Activity
As online learning is defined as primarily online and/or at a distance, there is implicit acknowledgement of the existence of blended learning in the province. Both online learning and in-person schools are able to offer blended programs. However, the Ministry of Education does gather data on separate blended learning program enrolment.
Remote Learning
Spring 2020 Closure
Schools in British Columbia (BC) closed on March 17, 2020. The province published the Continuity of Learning: Planning Guide for Teachers which provided guidance and links to resource sites and online webinars highlighting the use of technology tools, and the Keep Learning BC website which offered activities, resources, and health advice with a focus on literacy, numeracy, core competencies, and the First Peoples Principles of Learning. The distribution of physical equipment was left to school districts, however, the Ministry noted that more than 23,000 computers and devices had been loaned out to students. At a minimum teachers were required to contact each student at least weekly with more frequent contact encouraged and attendance requirements for students were left to be determined at the local level. Formal examinations were not required however teachers were required to provide formal weekly reports for each student with summary reports consolidated by each district and sent to the Ministry. In-school learning began June 1, 2020, using a hybrid model of online and classroom learning with alternating cohorts of students to ensure physical distancing. All boards were required to implement strict health and safety protocols as defined and monitored by provincial health authorities and WorkSafeBC.
Fall 2020 Reopening
The start of the 2020-21 school year was delayed by two days and opened with in-school learning however students could choose online or distributed learning options. Added health measures included physical distancing, staggering breaks and transition times, and signage to direct the flow of student traffic. Elementary cohorts were between 20 and 30 students and learning groups were capped at 60 students, which limited the number of students who could interact. Secondary school learning groups were capped at 120 students. Masks were not mandatory and the curriculum included an added focus on mental health and well-being for grades K-12.
2020-21 School Year
The 2020-21 school year proceeded with in-person learning but there remained remote learning options for students across the province in many school districts as well as the online or distributed learning options. Students continued with cohorts or ‘learning groups’ in-school, with 20-30 students in each group with the maximum number per group was 60 in elementary and 120 for secondary. Full curriculum expectations, assessments, and reporting were in place during this school year. The provincial government allocated $8.2 million to specifically support Indigenous learners to address learning loss, mental health, and technology for remote learning.
References
Government of British Columbia. (2020). Bill 8: Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2020. Queen’s Printer. https://www.leg.bc.ca/Pages/BCLASS-Legacy.aspx#%2Fcontent%2Fdata%2520-%2520ldp%2Fpages%2F41st5th%2F3rd_read%2Fgov08-3.htm
Nagle, J., Barbour, M. K., & LaBonte, R. (2020a). Documenting triage: Detailing the response of provinces and territories to emergency remote teaching. Canadian eLearning Network. https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.227/sgf.292.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Documenting-Triage-canelearn-emergency-remote-teaching-report1.pdf
Nagle, J., Barbour, M. K., & LaBonte, R. (2021). Toggling between lockdowns: Canadian responses for continuity of learning in the 2020-21 school year. Canadian eLearning Network. https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.153/sgf.292.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/canelearn-2020-21-school-year.pdf
Nagle, J., LaBonte, R., & Barbour, M. K. (2020b). A fall like no other: Between basics and preparing for an extended transition during turmoil. Canadian eLearning Network. https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.227/sgf.292.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Fall-Like-No-Other-canelearn-remote-teaching-report2.pdf
Previous Provincial Profiles
History of K-12 E-Learning
K-12 distance education in Canada began in British Columbia in 1919, when the province began offering correspondence education to students living in isolated parts of the province (Toutant, 2003). This centralized system of correspondence education continued until 1984, when the province began to establish the first of nine regional correspondence schools (Dunae, 1997-2008). K-12 online learning began in British Columbia in 1993, with the introduction of New Directions in Distance Learning and the EBUS Academy. By 1994, the responsibility for distance education had largely shifted to individual school districts. Over the past two decades, both public district-based and independent online learning programs have proliferated considerable. Winkelmans, Anderson, and Barbour (2010) provide a comprehensive history of the development of K-12 distance education and e-learning in the province.
References
Dunae, P. A. (1997-2008). Correspondence education. The Homeroom. Nanaimo, BC: Vancouver Island University. Retrieved from https://www2.viu.ca/homeroom/content/topics/programs/corresp.htm
Toutant, T. S. (2003). Equality by mail: Correspondence education in British Columbia, 1919 to 1969. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
Winkelmans, T., Anderson, B., & Barbour, M. K. (2010). Distributed learning in British Columbia: A journey from correspondence to online delivery. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 14(1), 6-28. Retrieved from http://journals.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/index.php/JOFDL/article/viewFile/29/26
Vignettes
- Collaboration at the Forefront of the Western Canadian Learning Network Society (2018)
- BC Teachers’ Federation Task Force On Distributed Learning Recommends On The Work Of DL Teachers (2017)
- Abbotsford Virtual School (2016)
- The British Columbia Distributed Learning Administrators’ Association (2013)
- Educators for Distributed Learning (Provincial Specialists Association of the British Columbia Teachers Federation) (2012)
- Vancouver Learning Network Secondary (2010)
- Virtual School Society (2009) [No longer exists]
- Northern BC Distance Education School (2009)
Brief Issue Papers
- The Story of StudyForge (2016)
- BC Teachers’ Federation Research on the Work of Distributed Learning Teacher (2013)
- British Columbia’s International Online Learning Initiative (2012)
- The Development of Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning (2012)
- Distributed Learning Funding in British Columbia (2011)
- Independent Schooling in British Columbia (2011)
- British Columbia’s Quality Framework for Distributed Learning (2010)
Individual Program Survey Responses
| Program | Most recent response | Medium | # of Students | # of Teachers | # of Courses |
| Abbotsford Virtual School avs34.com |
2018-19 | Online Blended |
2,900 online 40 blended |
16 full time 6 part time 14 blended |
95 online 55 blended |
| Anchor Academy www.ark.net/ |
2018-19 | Online Correspondence |
872 | 30 full time 5 part time |
114 (gr. 10-12) full K-9 program |
| ASCEND Online www.ascendonline.ca |
2019-20 | Online Correspondence |
420 | ~20 full time ~15 part time |
~60 (gr. 10-12) full K-9 program |
| Bulkley Valley Education Connection www.schoolius.com/school/1507332162859575/ Bulkley+Valley+Education+Connection |
2019-20 | Online Blended |
600 supplemental 16 elementary 45 blended |
2 full time 1 part time |
45 (gr. 10-12) full K-9 program |
| Burnaby Online Program online.burnabyschools.ca |
2019-20 | Online | 2,200 (2018-19) | 7 full time 8 part time |
70 secondary full K-7 program |
| Choices DL sd70.bc.ca/school/cdl |
2016-17 | Online Correspondence Blended |
200 FTE distance* 60% students blended |
4 full time all blended |
40 grades 8-12 full K-7 program |
| Christian Homelearners eStreams www.estreams.ca |
2017-18 | Online Correspondence |
200 | 7 full time 3 part time |
some grades 10-12 full K-9 program |
| Coquitlam Open Learning www.sd43.bc.ca/col/Pages/landing.aspx |
2016-17 | Online Correspondence Blended |
~2,500 distance | 7 full time 18 part time 3 blended |
35+ distance 3 blended |
| Creston Homelinks homelinks.sd8.bc.ca |
2016-17 | Online Correspondence Blended |
130.5 FTE distance* 130.5 FTE blended* |
3 full time 3 part time 6 blended |
42 secondary full K–9 program |
| Delta Access www.deltasd.bc.ca/content/programs/deltaaccess |
2018-19 | Online | 185.625 FTE | 15 part time | 41 |
| Distance Education School of the Kootenays desk.sd8.bc.ca |
2015-16 | Online Correspondence Blended |
1,000 distance 14 blended |
5 full time 3 part time 1 blended |
33 distance 1 blended |
| Diversity by Design DL Academy diversitybydesign.ca |
2012-13 | Online Correspondence |
100 | 2 full time 7 part time |
~80 |
| Ebus Academy ebus.ca |
2019-20 | Online | 1.092 FTE | 39 full time 4 part time |
29 grades 7-9; 78 grades 10-12 full K-6 program |
| École Virtuelle CSF ecolevirtuelle.csf.bc.ca/ |
2014-15 | Online Blended |
204 online 12 blended |
6 part time online 1 full time blended |
19 online 1 blended |
| Education Outreach Program eopmoodle.sd83.bc.ca/ |
2017-18 | Online | ~500 | 2 full time 2 part time |
108 |
| eSchoolBC www.eSchoolBC.com |
2017-18 | Online Blended |
3,000 online 3,000 blended |
6 full time 6 part time 6 blended |
60 online 10 blended |
| Fraser Valley Distance Education School www.fvdes.com |
2012-13 | Online Correspondence |
~3,500 | 30 full time 1 part time |
~150 |
| The Grove (Cowichan Valley Distributed Learning) www.cowichanopenlearning.ca/dl.html |
2019-20 | Correspondence Online Blended |
125 full time (K-9) 50 FTE (gr. 10-12) distance 125 blended |
6 full time 2 part time 3 blended |
~60 secondary 125 K–9 program |
| Hands-On Home-Learning oakandorca.ca/handson/index.html |
2014-15 | Correspondence (PDFs) | 82 | 12 part time | |
| Heritage Christian Online School www.onlineschool.ca |
2021-22 | Online Correspondence Blended |
7,000 distance 1,000 blended |
70 full time 130 part time 31 blended |
311 distance 50 blended |
| Home Learners Program at Hume Park humepark.ca |
2020-21 | Online Correspondence |
139 | 2 full time 3 part time |
full K-9 program |
| Home Quest homequest.deltasd.bc.ca/home |
2021-22 | Online | 150 | 5 full time | full K-9 program |
| Island ConnectEd K-12 island-connected.sd68.bc.ca/ |
2020-21 | Online Correspondence Blended |
3,515 | 42 full time 5 part time |
full K-9 program 65 secondary |
| Juan de Fuca Distributed Learning jdfdl.web.sd62.bc.ca/ |
2015-16 | Online Correspondence |
2,800 distance 1200 blended |
8 full time 22 part time 23 blended |
55 distance 26 blended |
| Kamloops Open Online Learning kool.sd73.bc.ca |
2018-19 | Online Blended |
2,500 distance 500 blended |
3 full time 25 part time 20 blended |
140 distance 60 blended |
| Key Learning Centre – NBCDES www.keylearning.ca |
2019-20 | Online Correspondence Blended |
425 FTE (2,800 head count) 12 blended |
5 full time 2 part time 1 blended |
130+ secondary full K–7 program K-1 blended |
| Kleos Open Learning www.kleos.ca |
2020-21 | Online Correspondence |
375 distance | 20 full time 7 part time |
K–12 |
| Kootenay Discovery School www.sd5.bc.ca/school/kds/Pages/default.aspx |
2020-21 | Online Blended |
100 online 75 blended |
3 full time 3 part time 3 blended |
72 |
| Navigate (NIDES) navigatenides.com/ |
2019-20 | Online Blended |
2,109 distance 380 blended |
>90 full time ~20 part time ~20 blended |
>70 distance full K–9 program blended |
| Next Step Outreach Program www.nextstepoutreach.com/ |
2017-18 | Online Correspondence Blended |
400 online 400 blended |
1 full time 1 blended |
20 online 20 blended |
| North Coast Distance Education School ncdes.ca |
2012-13 | Online Correspondence |
~3,400 | 8 full time | 65 |
| North Vancouver Distributed Learning School www.sd44.ca/school/distributed/Pages/default.aspx |
2016-17 | Online Correspondence Blended |
~3,000 distance ~550 blended |
8 full time 15 part time 6 blended |
57 distance 3 blended |
| Partners in Education www.sd47.bc.ca/school/pie/Pages/default.aspx |
2019-20 | Online Correspondence |
673 | 6 full time 14 part time |
100+ |
| Pathways Academy www.pathwaysacademy.ca |
2019-20 | Online Correspondence |
266 | 6 full time 12 part time |
|
| Quesnel Distributed Learning School qdlonline.com |
2015-16 | Online Correspondence Blended |
150 online 35 blended |
2 full time 1 part time 1 blended |
25 online 16 blended |
| Regent Christian Online Academy (RCOA) www.rcoa.ca |
2020-21 | Online Correspondence Blended |
1,336 online 1,124 blended |
9 full time 98 part time 64 blended |
159 online 145 blended |
| Richmond Virtual School RichmondVirtualSchool.ca |
2020-21 | Online Blended |
400 online 1,600 blended |
18 full time 1 part time 30 blended |
6 online 20 blended |
| Rocky Mountain Distributed Learning School getsmartbc.ca |
2015-16 | Online | ~350 | 3 full time | 75 |
| Sea to Sky Online School www.seatoskyonline.com |
2020-21 | Online Blended |
650 distance ~1,000 blended |
3 full time 2 part time 1 blended |
~50 distance 1 blended |
| SelfDesign Learning Community www.selfdesign.org |
2020-21 | Online | 1,640 K-9 420 secondary |
70 full time 111 part time |
full K-9 program 95 secondary |
| South Central Interior Distance Education School www.scides.ca/ |
2020-21 | Online Correspondence |
1,700 distance | 8 full time 7 part time |
89 distance |
| South Island Distance Education School www.sides.ca/en.html |
2019-20 | Online Correspondence |
~3,400 students | 27 full time 9 part time |
full K–8 program 42 secondary |
| South Peace Distributed Learning dcss.sd59.bc.ca/spc/spdl |
2015-16 | Online Correspondence |
55 FTE* | 1 full time 4 part time |
16 |
| Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning www.sailacademy.ca |
2016-17 | Online Correspondence Blended |
~2,000 distance | 21 full time 300+ blended |
80+ |
| Traditional Learning Academy www.schoolathome.ca |
2019-20 | Online Correspondence Blended |
1,200 distance 200 blended |
40 full time 35 part time 18 blended |
80 distance 22 blended |
| Valley Christian School DL www.valleychristianschool.ca/ |
2020-21 | Online | 23 | 8 full time 1 part time |
full K-8 |
| Vancouver Learning Network vlns.ca/ |
2016-17 | Online Correspondence |
~5,000 | 8 full time 31 part time |
~90 |
| Vernon Virtual Learning vlearn.ca |
2017-18 | Online Correspondence Blended |
1,200 distance (248 FTE) 70 blended |
7 full time 5 part time |
72 secondary & 80 elementary (distance) 5 blended |
| vLearn Personalized Education sd22.bc.ca/vlearn/ |
2020-21 | Online | 400 full time 2,000 part time |
12 full time 18 part time |
200 |
| YouLearn.ca youlearn.ca |
2016-17 | Online Correspondence |
630 | 6 full time 3 part time |
48 |
* Full-time equivalents, not the total number of students.
To update this information, visit http://tinyurl.com/sotn-program-survey
Inter-provincial and International
If a student in British Columbia took a course from an online program in another province or territory, or even in another country, the student would present him/herself at a local school or distributed learning school and request either equivalency for a credential earned in another jurisdiction or permission to challenge a course for credit based on prior learning or experience. The Ministry’s policy is to allow each school to have their own procedures to guide this process.
At present there is only one school district business company (i.e., SD73 Business Company) that has an agreement with the Ministry to offer distributed learning content to non-resident students. The Business Company is owned by the Kamloops-Thompson School District No.73 but operates at an arms-length and is not able to grant British Columbia credits. A non-resident student who completes a course through the SD73 Business Company would have to go through the process of receiving credit for the student’s course based on the guidelines established in the student’s own jurisdiction, or the BC jurisdiction they register to study in as an international student.
Additionally, there are a few distributed learning programs that have specific agreements in place to serve students in a given jurisdiction. For example, the Northern British Columbia Distance Education School can serve students in the Yukon by special arrangement. The Yukon Department of Education is responsible for recognizing those credits (although the Yukon does follow the British Columbia K-12 curriculum).