As the Blackboard K-20 Connection™, our new K-20 strategic initiative, continues to gain momentum, it’s important to step back and answer some simple questions: What exactly is K-20, and why has it become the hot topic of conversation amongst educators?

In its simplest form, the concept of K-20 refers to initiatives and programs which involve both K-12 schools and higher education institutions. In the most recent discussions of K-20, however, the term also involves online aspects of learning and teaching, which serve to bridge the gap between K-12 and higher education. It is this second, more recent definition of K-20 that we had in mind when launching the Blackboard K-20 Connection.

The Blackboard K-20 Connection is a strategic initiative designed to significantly improve the way K-12 schools and higher education institutions connect and collaborate. Blackboard plans to invest over one million dollars in strategic and tactical imperatives that enhance K-20 collaborative opportunities in the United States and around the world.

Building a Bridge

In many ways, a K-20 investment could not come at a better time. First, the lines that traditionally separate high school and college are becoming increasingly blurred as more and more high school students aspire to take college-level course work. Simultaneously, increasing numbers of college students need to complete remedial work to succeed academically. In fact, an estimated 50% of students entering college do not meet placement requirements, 40% take remedial courses, and over one million students this year will fail to graduate with their high school classes (the Eduventures ACT Institutional Data File, 2005).

Blackboard wants to help education leaders find new ways to prepare and transition students from K-12 to post-secondary education. Therefore, the Blackboard K-20 Connection is focused on the following objectives:

• Providing strategic leadership to help define and promote models for successful collaboration between K-12 and higher education, including state- and province-wide initiatives
• Creating an online community of education leaders to promote the exchange of best practices in K-20 policy, curriculum, and education technology
• Cultivating meaningful dialogue among all education stakeholders, including students, parents, school leaders, and administrators by leveraging the partnerships Blackboard has formed with thousands of K-12 schools and higher education institutions
• Increasing the use of technology solutions that foster engagement and collaboration while delivering more individualized learning experiences

To achieve these goals, Blackboard will be launching a number of specific efforts in the coming months. They include the creation of a K-20 Connection Virtual Learning Community and the publication of case studies highlighting innovative K-20 initiatives in both the U.S. and abroad. We will also offer financial incentives related to efforts that combine Blackboard technology and K-20 collaboration.

K-20 Models in Practice

Many K-20 initiatives are already proving successful. During EDUCAUSE 2007, Blackboard hosted a CIO panel discussion that provided an overview of how some institutions are creating new and meaningful connections between students in K-12 and their higher education counterparts. Louis Fox, Director of National Internet2 K-20 Initiative and Vice Provost of the University of Washington presented some of the ways this collaboration is directly benefiting students across the state, highlighting the role of research institutions. "Research universities engage in discovery,” says Fox. “They can make that discovery mission visible, exciting and accessible to students and their teachers."

David J. Ernst, CIO and Assistant Vice Chancellor, Information Technology Services at California State University, also discussed a successful K-20 model during the Blackboard session. Ernst pointed to the Corporation for Educational Networking in California for its work linking together university campuses, as well as county offices and school districts, through its high-speed statewide network. The result is greater access to educational resources for K-12 schools across the state.

Representatives from several other states suggested ways in which K-20 collobaration can continue to grow, such as:

• Develop unique product offerings for K-20 that address needs such as portable student e-portfolios that can help smooth transitions between high school and college
• Focus financial incentives on under-represented groups to encourage higher college matriculation
• Conduct research to validate programs that work well
• Partner with credible research organizations to elevate the discussion and catch the attention of policymakers in education
• Conduct an annual survey of CIOs and district superintendents to guage the importance of these efforts relative to other pressing matters
• Create a K-20 Advisory Council to guide our efforts and strengthen the credibility of this movement
• Host regional forums and briefings that bring together K-12 teachers and administrators with higher education CIOs and other K-20 leaders so that they can see and hear about the great work and progress being made in this area

To Learn More

Announcing the initiative is just the first step in a multi-year effort to leverage our resources to build new and lasting connections between K-12 schools and higher education institutions. To register for upcoming Webinars, download the just-released "Building K-20 Connections" issue brief and research K-20 best practices, please visit www.blackboard.com/K20connection.