Online Courseware

Most Connecticut schools benefit from the use of online courses to assist students with credit accumulation and to offer classes outside of the local catalog of subjects. To learn more about these practices, the Commission conducted a survey in 2025, with responses from a third of all districts serving 40 percent of public school students. Responses to that survey as well as discussions with state and local leaders served as the basis for the August 2025 report, Online Courseware: Survey Results, Expert Interviews, and Analysis.

The challenges reflected in the report to leverage online learning — either to design and offer classes at the local level or to use third-party services — led to further research. The following resources should help schools understand and maximize digital courses for credit accumulation, catalog expansion, and other instructional applications.

• Relevant Statute: Section 10-221a(g) of the Connecticut General Statutes provides flexibility for local boards of education to leverage online learning resources to help students meet graduation requirements. Section 10-223g makes these offerings mandatory for credit accumulation, depending on the district’s dropout rate.
  
  
• Standards for Remote Learning: Pursuant to Public Act 21-2, the Connecticut State Department of Education issued Standards for Remote Learning, addressing both teacher and student competencies and practices.
  
  
• Remote Learning Commission: To address the costs and feasibility of establishing a “state-wide remote learning school,” the General Assembly called on the CSDE to create a Remote Learning Commission. The resulting report of that commission addressed that scope as well as other best practices in the design and delivery of online courses.
  
  
• Design and Implementation: School leaders may contact their regional education service center (RESC) for resources such as teacher training, course design, and student licenses to online course providers. Not all RESCs offer these services; check first with your region’s service agency. Visit www.RESCAlliance.org for contact information.