Virtual High School Consortium

FutureNow!theis

© 2009 Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

Welcome to Virtual High School!


Agenda

•Online Learning

•Virtual High School Global Consortium

•Questions


VHS Online Learning Vision

• Challenging, interesting, engaging• Expose students to diverse points of

view• Support students passions in unique

areas• Build 21st century skills


Other eLearning Programs

• State Led• Cyber Charter Schools• Digital Curriculum/Online Course


About VHS

•Originally funded by the Federal DOE through a technology grant

•1996 – 14th year

•Non-profit global consortium of over 640 schools


What makes us unique?

• Supplement the course of study• NOT an alternative diploma program• NO full-time enrollments• NO supplanting teachers• Students and teachers come from

member schools


What makes us unique?

• All policy is set locally• Course credit and student eligibility

• Semester schedule, cohort based• Scheduled/asynchronous

• Maximum enrollment 25 per course• 4 students per school per course

• Delivered by certified teachers• Virtual global classrooms - 32 states

and 34 countries


Benefits:

• VHS member schools add over 140 courses that may not be part of the curriculum• Electives in all content areas

• Photography, Stock Market, Portuguese, Mythology, Forensic Science, Oceanography, Animation


Benefits:

• Interact with and learn from students from different countries and states

• Work in collaborative teams using 21st century communications technology

• Avoid course/program cuts caused by budget constraints

• Simplify student schedule conflicts


Successful Students?

• Who are the most successful online students?

• Motivation/engagement• What are the key characteristics?• What are the eligibility

considerations?


Participation Components

• Teacher• Site Coordinator• Guidance Department awareness

and support• Principal• Superintendent• School Board


Teacher Details

• All teachers have secondary certification in their content area

• AP Institute trained• 10 week online training from VHS

(NIM)• May give teachers new ideas,

approaches to use in their face-to-face courses


Site Coordinator

• Critical in the success of the program• Site Coordinator(s) could be a variety

of staff• Works closely with students on

scheduling, course selection, questions/concerns, etc.

• 4 week online training (SCO)


School Membership Options

• Standard Teaching• Site Coordinator• Teacher• 25 seats per semester

• Small School Teaching• Site Coordinator• Teacher• 15 seats per semester

• Student Only• Site Coordinator• 10 seats per semester


Credentials

• Nationally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools

• Course design aligns with the NEA guidelines for online courses

• Online course delivery and teaching aligns with the NEA guidelines for online teaching


Credentials

• Courses meet NCAA guidelines• All AP courses have been approved

by the College Board• Recipient of the USDLA 21st Century

Award for Distance Learning Best Practices, 2005, 2007, 2008


Statistics

• VHS AP exam pass rate 62% pass rate and national average is at 60%

• Course completion rates are over 80%

• End of course survey indicates that 95% of students, teachers and administrators were satisfied with the experience


Thank you

Michael [email protected]

978-450-0419

Education

Virtual High School Consortium