About iNACOL

iNACOL, The International Association for K-12 Online Learning, is a non-profit organization that facilitates collaboration, advocacy, and research to enhance quality K-12 online teaching and learning. What we do:

• Facilitate the sharing, collection, evaluation, and/or dissemination of information resources and materials.
• Facilitate and disseminate research, and identify research needs.
• Advocacy and public policy that supports activities and legislation that removes barriers and supports effective online teaching and learning without respect to space and time.
• Develop and facilitate national K12 online learning standards.
• Create the voice of K12 within the larger education community with effective marketing, communications, and public relations activities.
• Assist and facilitate funding efforts for online K12 learning.
• Facilitate professional development for teachers and administrators.
• Identify and drive future directions in K-12 online education.
• Network and identify collaborative opportunities with other professional K-12 organizations.
• Drive educational initiatives that incorporate online learning in ways that transform positive learning outcomes for students.

Mission

iNACOL strives to ensure all students have access to a world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success.

Vision

Online learning is a powerful innovation that expands education opportunities. iNACOL supports access to high-quality online learning for all students.

The International Association for K-12 Online Learning Believes:

• Online learning is a viable option that allows every learner to achieve a quality education.
• Models of reform in public and private education should incorporate online learning as a viable tool for change.
• Online learning is a viable path for educating children throughout their primary and secondary education years.
• Quality online learning opportunities are led by outstanding course content delivered by highly qualified educators.
• Federal, state and local education entities must evaluate and refine existing education public policy in order to promote online teaching and learning options.
• Professional development, whether delivered in an online or face-to-face environment, is the basis for ensuring that students and teachers have productive online learning experiences.
• Online teachers and students match or surpass all accountability standards.
• Federal, state, local and corporate entities must support research and development to provide insight into and promote best practices in the areas of online learning.

Background

Due to the rapid development in the field of K-12 online learning, the North American Council for Online Learning was launched as a formal corporate entity, in September 2003, as an international K-12 non-profit organization representing the interests of administrators, practitioners, and students involved in online learning in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In October 2008, NACOL expanded its reach globally and became the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).