Distance Education and Nebraska's Virtual Instruction Source (NVIS)

Distance Learning exists in Nebraska to ensure students have access to courses that their local schools may not otherwise be able to provide. Whether due to teacher shortages, low enrollment, geographic isolation, or scheduling constraints, Distance Learning serves as a practical statewide solution that helps districts respond to real, local challenges.

This work is assigned to Educational Service Units (ESUs) in state statute and is coordinated statewide by the ESU Coordinating Council, making Distance Learning a core service that ensures all students in Nebraska have equitable access to learning. The intent is not to replace in-person instruction or to steadily increase the number of distance courses statewide, but rather to provide a reliable option when schools need support in meeting student needs.

At its best, Distance Learning:

• Expands access to required and elective coursework
• Supports schools in rural and low-enrollment settings
• Addresses teacher shortages
• Preserves local control and instructional decision-making
• Centers student learning and relationships, even across distance

The ESU Coordinating Council’s role in coordinating this work statewide is to ensure consistency, clarity, and responsible stewardship of this effort.

At a high level, Distance Learning in Nebraska functions through ongoing coordination between sending schools, receiving schools, ESUs, and the Nebraska Virtual Instruction Source (NVIS).

The Distance Learning Model

• Sending schools or providers deliver instruction to students at another school using synchronous video conferencing and supported instructional materials.
   
• Receiving schools support students locally by providing supervision, scheduling support, and access to necessary technology.
   
• Educational Service Units (ESUs) coordinate and support Distance Learning efforts across regions, including guidance, professional learning, and systems-level alignment.
   
• NVIS (Nebraska Virtual Instruction Source) serves as the statewide system for documenting Distance Learning participation and ensuring transparency and consistency.
   
• Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) uses NVIS participation data to administer DEU incentives and support statewide planning.

Together, these components allow Distance Learning to function as a coordinated, accountable, and locally grounded service, ensuring schools can access coursework when needed while stewarding public resources responsibly.

NVIS serves three core purposes for Nebraska schools and the state. The Nebraska Virtual Instruction Source (NVIS) is the statewide system that supports and documents Distance Learning participation across Nebraska schools. NVIS is not an instructional platform; it serves as both a clearinghouse and a system of record, helping ensure Distance Learning is coordinated, transparent, and responsive to local needs.

At its core, NVIS allows schools to:

• Record Distance Learning participation in a consistent, statewide manner
• Document sending and receiving arrangements between schools
• Find an identified course needed and connect with regional and statewide support to establish that connection

The reporting function is essential: NVIS data is shared with the Nebraska Department of Education and is used to inform the distribution of Distance Education Unit (DEU) incentive funding.

In recent years, NVIS has expanded beyond reporting to support the broader Distance Learning ecosystem. The site now also serves as a resource hub offering:

• A growing list of Nebraska-based virtual field trip providers
• Explanatory and testimonial video content that illustrates the impact of Distance Learning
• Support resources for teachers and schools delivering or receiving Distance Learning courses

Distance Education Units (DEUs) are incentive funds provided to support the quality and sustainability of Distance Learning in Nebraska. While the funding amounts are modest, DEUs play an important role in helping schools offset the practical costs associated with offering or participating in Distance Learning courses.

DEU funds are most often used by schools to:

• Support videoconferencing technology and related hardware to provide the necessary infrastructure
• Purchase instructional materials for students in the receiving site
• Cover dual-credit costs when Distance Learning courses are delivered through higher education partnerships
• Obtain licenses or subscriptions to key software that supports teaching and learning
• Provide stipends for teachers who take on additional students or instructional periods

DEUs are not intended to drive expansion of Distance Learning for its own sake. Instead, they exist to ensure that when Distance Learning is used, local schools and educators have the resources needed to implement it in ways that enhance the teacher's effectiveness and the student's success and ability to learn.

By tying DEU funding to documented participation through NVIS, Nebraska ensures that public funds are used transparently and in direct support of student access to coursework when local options are limited.

Distance Learning in Nebraska is coordinated through a statewide effort led by the ESUCC and ESUs. This structure ensures that Distance Learning remains consistent, well-supported, and responsive to local needs.

At the statewide level, the ESU Coordinating Council:

• Provides leadership and coordination for Distance Learning as a core ESU service
• Maintains and evolves NVIS as the statewide reporting and resource platform
• Supports data accuracy and transparency in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education
• Advocates for quality Distance Learning practices that center students and instructional integrity

Across the state, ESUs work directly with districts and schools to:

• Support both sending and receiving schools
• Assist administrators in planning and decision-making
• Provide guidance and resources for teachers delivering distance learning courses
• Strengthen relationships that make Distance Learning effective in practice

Together, this coordinated model ensures Distance Learning is not simply available but intentionally implemented as a service schools can rely on when needed, supported by strong relationships, shared responsibilities, and thoughtful stewardship.