Online Schools: Maine

Situated at the most northeastern tip of the United States, the state of Maine is home to just over 1.3 million people. Maine is known for its lobster and clambakes, enchanting scenery, and its ability to create the ideal setting for dramatic novels. Because of its coastal location, Maine is an important state for international shipping. Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the major industries for employment in Maine include agriculture, industries such as paper, lumber, and wood products, education, and tourism. In fact, Maine is the world’s largest blueberry producer and home to the United States’ largest toothpick factory.

The last decade has seen considerable changes in education goals for the state of Maine. In 2010, the Department of Education released the Common Core State Standards Initiative. This initiative developed core academic standards in math and English with the specific goal of improving Maine’s student rankings among learners in top performing countries worldwide. This statewide push for improved education techniques, which put the learner first, affects not only traditional schools, but online schools in Maine as well.

In June of 2009 the 124th Legislature in Maine developed the Act to Create the Maine Online Learning Program. Legislators recognized the need for accredited online schools in Maine that could meet the needs of diverse students. The legislation dictated that Maine’s online schools would be required to meet a set of standards to receive accreditation. Standards include things like limits on class sizes, reporting expectations, and breadth of program and course offering requirements. As of March 2012, only three K-12 online learning providers had been approved: Apex Learning, Connections Academy, and K12 Inc.

Colleges and universities in Maine are also expanding their online course and degree offerings. The University of Maine Systems (UMS), a network of 9 public universities in the state, have tripled their number of online courses in the last ten years in response to the increased demand for online learning. In 2010 there were over 25,000 students enrolled in online education classes from UMS, a number that doubled over the previous decade. There are 51 degrees students in Maine can earn solely from online university classes at Maine public universities. These include both bachelors and master’s programs in fields which align with Maine’s major job industries, including business, education, and more.

In regards to online schools, Maine’s legislators, educational organizations, and students are all pushing to approve and create more online education opportunities to help every student, and the state, achieve their education goals.

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