Abstract: This file contains data from a 2004-05 fast-response survey titled “Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students, 2004-05.” This survey provides national estimates for technology-based distance education courses in public elementary and secondary schools. NCES released the results of this district-level survey in the Statistical Analysis Report “Technology-Based Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students: 2002–03 and 2004–05” (NCES 2008-008).
Questionnaires and cover letters for the study were mailed to the superintendent of each sampled district in November 2005. The letter introduced the study and requested that the questionnaire be completed by the district's director of curriculum and instruction, the technology coordinator, the distance education coordinator, or another staff member who was most knowledgeable about the district's distance education courses. Respondents were offered the option of completing the survey via the web or by mail. Telephone follow-up for survey nonresponse was completed at the end of May 2006. Telephone follow-up for quality control and data clarification was completed in November 2006. The weighted response rate was 96 percent.
For this survey, distance education courses were defined as credit-granting courses offered via audio, video, or Internet or other computer technologies to elementary and secondary school students enrolled in the district, in which the teacher and students were in different locations. The survey collected information on the percent of districts and the percent of schools (by instructional level) with students enrolled in technology-based distance education courses. The number of enrollments in distance education courses (by instructional level) was also collected. The survey contained questions on the completion status of the enrollments in distance education. Districts were asked to report the technologies used to deliver distance education courses and where students accessed online distance education courses (e.g., at school or at home). The survey included questions on whether technology-based distance education was used to offer Advanced Placement (AP) and college-level courses to students. Districts with students enrolled in technology-based distance education courses were asked whether they planned to expand their distance education courses.
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