Digital Learning Commons

Frequently Asked Questions

General: What is the Digital Learning Commons and when was it established?; How is the DLC different from online schools?

Joining the DLC: Who can join the DLC and how much does it cost?; How do we join?; Why are you asking for certain info on the form?; What happens after my school joins?; How can schools find funding to pay for DLC membership and/or online courses?; Are there any discounts for districts that join?; Can part (a single grade or a small learning community) of my school join?; Can we split the cost between my school and a program?; Can schools outside of Washington join the DLC?; What is different for private schools or programs that join the DLC?; What does it mean to be a DLC member-school?; Can I see a demo of the DLC resources?

Roles and Contacts: Who are the main people the DLC works with at each school?; Do I need to know who will fill each of the roles before signing up?; Can one person fill more than one role?

Resources: What's new for 2008-09?; How can the DLC help my school, regardless of our size, location or the student population we serve?; What are some specific benefits for middle and elementary schools?

Online Courses: How is high school credit counted for an online course?; Do students receive official transcripts when they complete an online course?; Are there limits to the number of online courses a school can enroll students in?; What if my school already offers a class that is also available through the DLC?; How do schools pay for online courses?; How do Course Credit Funds work?; How does the DLC select course providers and courses?; Where can I find more information about your course providers?

Technology: What types of technology are needed to access DLC resources?; Does each student need an email address?

Privacy: Will I receive any junk mail by signing up for any of the DLC resources?

Can't find an answer?

General

What is the Digital Learning Commons and when was it established?

The Digital Learning Commons (DLC) is a nonprofit organization established to improve access to educational opportunities and learning resources by providing high-quality educational materials, online courses, and technology tools for Washington's students, teachers, and parents.

The DLC was established in 2003 with support from the Washington State Legislature, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

How is the DLC different from online schools?

The DLC is not a school and, therefore, does not award credits or diplomas. The DLC exists to support schools and educational programs across Washington. Students, educators, and parents can make use of a range of online resources to personalize student learning. Resources include educator-reviewed and safe reference materials, supplemental curricula to enhance instruction, and 300+ online courses in a variety of subjects, including foreign languages and advanced-level courses.

(If you're interested in online schools in Washington, explore the following: Everett OnlineHS, Evergreen Internet Academy, Federal Way Internet Academy, Insight School, Spokane Virtual Learning, and Washington Virtual Academy.)

Joining the DLC

Who can join the DLC and how much does it cost?

Individual schools, entire districts, private schools, and community programs/nonprofit organizations in Washington State are welcome to join the DLC.

Public schools can join at $6 per student. Private schools and programs can join at $8 per student. For pricing details and resource descriptions, see Full DLC Membership. We also offer a Courses-Only Membership.

How do we join?

Visit the Join section, click on 2008-09 Membership Info to learn more and fill out a short online form. This will take about 5–10 minutes. We'll follow up with an email detailing the next steps, including planning meetings and training opportunities.

If you have any questions before filling out the form, please contact us via email or call 206.616.9940. We're happy to answer any questions you may have.

Why are you asking for certain info on the form?

We ask for contact information so that we can contact the appropriate people to implement DLC resources in your school. You can change this contact information anytime by contacting the DLC.

The mascot is used as the password when students, staff, and parents from your school log in to use many of the DLC resources.

What happens after my school joins?

Implementation Meeting: We'll contact you to set up an implementation meeting to align DLC resources to your school's goals and to plan for the coming year.

Online Courses Support: You'll receive an email outlining the next steps to get your school ready to support students in online courses.

Invoice: We will email an invoice to your billing contact.

How might schools find funding to pay for DLC membership and/or online courses?

Schools have used a number of strategies to pay for DLC resources and courses, including the following:

Promoting Academic Success (PAS) state funding to assist students in passing the WASL
Learning Assistance Program (LAP) monies provided for high school remediation
I-728 student achievement funds
District or building general funds
Grants, like Migrant, GEAR UP, Title I, Special Education, Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT), and Career and Technical Education
Pooling funds from existing budgets, including library budgets, counseling budgets, and technology budgets
Capturing FTEs that might have been lost to dropouts or Running Start by keeping those students in school via DLC online courses

Are there any discounts for districts that join?

Since the DLC is partially subsidized by the state of Washington, the membership price reflects the lowest price we're able to offer, so there aren't any discounts for districts. But if you are interested in joining as a district, contact us to discuss streamlining the billing process and coordinating planning and school support.

Can part (a single grade or a small learning community) of my school join?

All DLC membership options are designed for the entire school to join. Contact us if you have questions.

Can we split the cost between my school and a program?

Yes. If you require two invoices, please contact us to arrange this.

Can schools outside of Washington join the DLC?

No. At this time, the DLC is focused on serving schools in Washington State. Please contact us, and we'll let you know when we're able to serve schools in your state.

What is different for private schools or programs that join the DLC?

Private schools and programs (e.g., a nonprofit program or community organization) in the state of Washington can join the DLC at a rate of $8 per student. Both private schools and programs have access to DLC resources and services, with the following exceptions:

Programs do not have access to online courses. Credit for online courses can only be granted by a student's school. Programs can consider partnering with local schools to offer courses; contact the DLC for details. Programs are also not eligible for Course Credit Funds.
Private schools are not eligible for Course Credit Funds. Course Credit Funds are subsidized by the state of Washington, and this resource is earmarked for public schools.

Private schools can also take advantage of our Courses-Only Membership for $100.

Learn more about membership options on our comparison page.

What does it mean to be a DLC member-school?

The DLC will provide each participating school with:

Access to resources and courses included in the membership fee, as well as access to additional resources at discounted prices.
Assistance integrating DLC resources into your school through a variety of training and support opportunities for your staff.

Each DLC member-school will:

Work with the DLC to plan training for staff.
Designate staff members to assist in implementation of DLC resources.
Participate in assessment efforts to help evaluate the DLC's effectiveness.

Can I see a demo of the DLC resources?

You can explore an online course and view sample courses in a variety of subjects from several different course providers. A demo account for other DLC resources is available by request. Send us an email or call 206.616.9940, and we'll set you up to explore the DLC Library. You can also contact the DLC to request a personalized tour of the resources.

Roles and Contacts

Who are the main people the DLC works with at each school?

We've found that schools which are the most successful in implementing DLC resources identify staff to fill the following roles:

Primary contact: serves as the school's key contact for DLC communication purposes and helps coordinate DLC training for staff and/or students
Principal: supports staff and students in the use of DLC resources, and leads the alignment of DLC resources with the school's focus areas/priorities
Billing contact: direct contact for sending any DLC invoices
Librarian: main contact person for digital library resources; also works to promote and improve the online learning resources offered to students
College and Career Planning contact: if your school purchases any of the optional college and career planning resources, this person is the main contact for information regarding these tools
Technology contact: main contact person for technology issues

In addition, schools that will be enrolling students in online courses will need to assign staff to the following roles:

Teacher/Mentor: assists and monitors students in online courses
Registrar: enrolls students in online courses using the DLC's online course registration system

Learn more about these roles by visiting the Course Support Team page.

Schools that are planning to use the Catalyst suite of digital tools should designate someone to be the "Catalyst Lead," a staff member who can reset passwords and help students and staff use the tools.

Do I need to know who will fill each of the roles before signing up?

During the sign-up process, we'll require contact information for:

Primary contact
Principal
Billing contact

We'll also ask about a number of "optional" roles. If you have contact information for these staff members, we can start working with them right away:

Technology contact
Librarian
College and Career Planning contact

We'll send you information about designating staff for your Course Support team and Catalyst Lead at a later date.

Can one person fill more than one role?

Yes! Many schools designate one person to take on two or more roles. For example, some schools have a single person fill the roles of Teacher/Mentor and Registrar. And the principal is often the primary contact.

Resources

What's new for 2008-09?

In addition to the multitude of tools and resources that are available with your DLC membership, we want to highlight a few resources that are new this fall:

ExploreLearning Gizmos are award-winning, interactive math and science supplements to your classroom that support many different teaching and learning styles. Research-proven and correlated to Washington State standards, Gizmos bring complex concepts to life in a fun and innovative way.
Facts on File's "Issues and Controversies in American History" database builds a deeper understanding of how historical events have shaped our nation and delivers dynamic, concise, and balanced reporting. Your students will research the background, outcomes, and contemporary points of view for the major topics in every American history curriculum. Learn more.
Mathcasts are short videos designed to support instruction and help students prepare for the 7th and 10th grade WASL. Start using them now and plan on using them with students over the course of the school year as they progress in their studies and prepare for standardized testing.
DLC Tutors offer live online help this year. Learn more about this new service and how it can support your work in the classroom and their work at home!
DLC trainings take place in-person, over the telephone or via the web. Choose which vehicle works best for you and your staff, and we’ll accommodate you at no cost to you. Explore here.
Earn clock hours by participating in select online training sessions. Attend at least three hours of clock hours-eligible online sessions on a variety of DLC resources throughout the school year for the low cost of $2/clock hour. Clock hour documentation will be processed by the Digital Learning Commons after June 15. Questions? Contact us.

How can the DLC help my school, regardless of our size, location or the student population we serve?

Our versatile resources are used in many creative ways by our member schools. Read more about our partnerships with:

What are some specific benefits for middle and elementary schools?

The following DLC resources target middle and elementary schools:

Many of the DLC's online courses are appropriate for 7th and 8th grade students. Browse the course catalog by grade level to see all of the options.
DLC Search Engine allows students and teachers to search the library databases for elementary or middle school content. This is a safe alternative to searching the Web, since it only returns high-quality resources from educationally relevant sources.
ExploreLearning Gizmos are award-winning interactive online supplements to your classroom that support many different teaching and learning styles. These easy-to-use modules, or Gizmos, are research-proven and correlate to Washington State standards. Demo the math simulations, see how the Gizmos lead to "A-Ha!" moments in the classroom, and watch educators talk about using ExploreLearning Gizmos
SIRS Discoverer, an award-winning interactive tool that strengthens students' research, reading, writing, and computer skills. Articles and graphics are carefully selected for their educational content, interest, and level of readability for K-8.
netTrekker d.i., a search engine for high-quality, prescreened, and educationally relevant K-12 online resources, including lesson plans and curriculum resources correlated to state standards. Users can view resources by level, then continue to refine by reading level.
Grolier Online, a set of online encyclopedias. The following encyclopedias are specifically for elementary and middle school students: the New Book of Knowledge, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, America the Beautiful, and Amazing Animals.
Apex Learning's Fundamental Math ClassTools is a comprehensive curriculum that explores foundational concepts in math. This resource is appropriate for middle school students.
Both WOIS and Bridges, two optional college and career planning resources, feature middle school-focused content. Schools can save money by purchasing either product through the DLC.

Online Courses

How is high school credit counted for an online course?

All of the course providers offer credit that can be accepted at the discretion of the school principal or other district designee.

Do students receive official transcripts when they complete an online course?

With the exception of the University of Washington Extension Program, DLC online course providers are not diploma-granting schools and therefore do not award official transcripts. All course providers, however, issue final grade reports—available to both the student and the student's Teacher/Mentor. This report should be used by the school to determine the credit and grade to be awarded on the student's local transcripts.

Are there limits to the number of online courses a school can enroll students in?

There are no limits to online courses outside of what each school can afford. Schools are responsible for the cost of online courses beyond the DLC-allocated Course Credit Funds. Courses cost an average of $255 per course.

Best practices suggest students ease into the number of online courses they take; however, schools ultimately decide how many classes a student can take.

What if my school already offers a class that is also available through the DLC?

Each school establishes a policy for which courses are made available to its students. Some schools decide not to offer online courses that duplicate classes taught at the school. Other schools do not restrict which online courses students can take.

How do schools pay for online courses?

Some schools have set aside specific funding for courses. And some schools are looking closely at FTE funds that might be gained by retaining students because of their enrollment in online courses. Other schools use a cost-share model, where students are responsible for some of the cost. Here are some models:

Students taking an online course get a $100 "scholarship" funded by the Course Credit Funds. Remaining costs are covered by the student.
Students participating in free/reduced-price lunch programs are given priority to use the school's Course Credit Funds to pay for their courses. Other students are asked to pay all or partial course costs.
Students taking credit recovery courses or earning credits to graduate are given priority to use the school's Course Credit Funds. Students taking courses for enrichment (e.g., AP or college-level courses) are asked to pay all or partial course costs.
Students pay the full course amount up front; if they complete the course, they are reimbursed all or most of the cost. If they drop the course (or fail), they are reimbursed some or none of the cost.

How do Course Credit Funds work?

See the Course Credit Funds page for details.

How does the DLC select course providers and courses?

General criteria for evaluating online courses and providers are based on national research and on research conducted by a task force appointed by former-Governor Gary Locke.

Courses should be primarily asynchronous, to allow as much scheduling flexibility as possible.
Courses should be offered on flexible schedules wherever possible, to accommodate the differing calendars of schools/programs.
Middle school as well as high school courses should be offered.
A full array of "types" of courses should be offered, including core, credit recovery, elective, AP, foreign language, ESL, technical/vocational, and college-credit courses.
Subject, grade-level, and course-type requests from participating schools/programs should be honored wherever possible.
Courses should be instructed by certified teachers (vs. self-study).
Expectations, responsibilities, and grading policies should be clearly stated.
Instructors should actively engage students and encourage the development of an online learning community to foster collaboration and a sense of belonging.
Instructors should be prompt in responding to student questions, assignments, and other communications.
Online courses should be media-rich, engaging, and interactive and designed to accommodate different learning styles.
Providers should have above-average completion rates, excellent student support, reliable platforms, and good communications strategies with students and schools.

DLC staff regularly meet with course providers and survey educators and students to ensure high-quality standards.

Where can I find more information about your course providers?

Our Course Providers web page contains contact information, curriculum alignment, accreditation, certification and platform requirements for our six providers.

Technology

What types of technology are needed to access DLC resources?

The specific technology requirements vary depending on the course or resource being used. Most of the DLC's offerings are web-based and only require computers that are able to run current web browsers and common browser plug-ins. More detailed technical specifications can be found in the Technology section.

In addition, each student enrolled in an online course must have access to an available computer for a period of time during the school day in order to complete coursework.

Does each student need an email address?

Each student enrolled in an online course will need access to the Internet. The DLC will give each student an email address.

Privacy

Will I receive any junk mail by signing up for any of the DLC resources?

The DLC and all of its course providers, content partners, and vendors will not put DLC participants on any mailing lists that aren't specifically signed up for. The DLC carefully screens its partners for their privacy policies, and all are credible and respectful of your personal information.