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Tough Times on virtual learning?

December 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A 50 percent “churn” rate is unacceptable, and that Pennsylvania is not insisting on answers suggests that they need to improve their public policy. And while Saul’s wrong on the kinds of students who may benefit from digital learning, we would be wise to listen to disgruntled K12 Inc. staff members when they

say problems begin with intense recruitment efforts that fail to filter out students who are not suited for the program[.]

As the Massachusetts legislature thinks through this issue, it has to pay special attention to the fee structure and timing. Here the public model in Florida may provide important lessons in as much as there is no payment made to the Florida Virtual School until the student completes the course with a satisfactory grade.

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Top 3 Accredited Online Providers For High School Diploma

December 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We have to accept a fact. The climate in the United States education was radically changed by the Internet. Today’s students, the programs of the high school diploma no longer aspire needed to attend courses in their universities. Fill out a study can be accessed via the Internet. Students can acquire the required knowledge in virtual schools. As a student, smart rapidly changing world of today, it is important to provide for you, you will receive quality education from genuine suppliers online. You need to know if the online high-school choice is legitimate and recognized by the regional accrediting body. If not, stay away from it immediately.

I would say that our younger generation is lucky. Many universities have established programs started with an online high school for working people and the unemployed. The courses are offered at these universities are accredited and recognized. Here are the top three schools would I like to share with you:

• Penn Foster High School

I would say Penn Foster High School is unique because its online degree programs are career-oriented. This school focuses heavily on fundamental scientific and practical study and professional development. It helps students to be competent in the workplace. It is accredited by the Commission of the States of the East High School and Distance Education and Training Council. His program consists of 16 standard classes and 5 with either the total of 21.5 credits. The deadline for students who completed the entire program is 3 years. If you have more time to learn, you can shorten the duration of the study. If you need a degree to improve your job prospects, I would say that Penn Foster is definitely the first choice.

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With cyber charter competition, school districts start to advertise

December 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

An electronic billboard on Business Route 6 in Dickson City flashes an image of smiling students and teachers.

The advertisement for the Mid Valley School District promotes student achievement and district accomplishments. At $900 a month, officials hope it saves thousands in lost tuition.

As online charter school enrollment continues to grow, public school districts across the region and state are facing competition like they never have before. When students leave public school districts, their state funding follows them to cyber schools. Districts are now advertising, holding recruitment nights and thinking about public relations.

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Apollo-Ridge plans to open media center for students, residents

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Unlike a traditional library, the center’s atmosphere will be more relaxed, where patrons can talk and work together, Kostiuk said.

Students in the district’s virtual academy also would use the center.

The district’s security will be centralized there, with all cameras viewable in one place. It also would house an in-school suspension room.

It won’t cost residents anything to use the center, Kostiuk said. It would be open weekday evenings, with hours possibly from 6 to 9 p.m.

Residents would be able to simply come in and use the center, or participate in classes to learn how to use the technology, Kostiuk said.

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Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School Introduces Fuze Meeting to Enhance Online Education, Curriculum

December 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School is implementing Fuze Meeting as a tool for students to participate in virtual field trips, and to allow laptop, tablet and smartphone users to participate in high-definition telepresence staff meetings between its offices in Philadelphia, Midland and Harrisburg, Penn. Subsequent phases could include students using the videoconferencing and collaboration software to access their classes via Apple iPad tablets and PCs.

“We try to use the most cutting-edge education technology,” said Brian Laquinta, director of technology and innovation for the school, “and none of the other tools we looked at matched Fuze Meeting’s cross-platform ability to work with such a wide variety of mobile devices and operating systems.”

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York County students will have new cyber option designed to keep them in their districts

December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

York, PA – Students in York County will soon have a new cyber school option, aimed partly at helping districts reclaim students who left for cyber charter schools.

The Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12 is starting a new cyber program that will be open first to any students in York County. The Lincoln Virtual Academy will open in January.

The cyber program will offer two options — an entirely online experience, or a program that would include one day each week at the York Learning Center for additional support and a social-emotional learning component.

A preliminary assessment at the start of the program would determine the students’ needs. Any exams, such as mid-terms or finals, would have to be supervised.

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Pa. cyber charter schools not passing test

December 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania failed to make the grade on state standardized tests during the last school year, fanning the flames for critics who say they siphon money from traditional public schools.

But supporters of cyber charters say the tests do not show an accurate reflection of the programs.

Based on data from the 2010-11 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests, only two of the 11 cyber charters to take the PSSAs hit state-set benchmarks in reading and math. Among Berks County’s 18 public school districts, only Reading failed to hit those marks.

Dr. Jim Hanak, chief executive officer of Pa. Leadership Charter School, defended cyber charters such as the one he operates.

He said the PSSA tests are an unfair representation of how cyber charters are performing, pointing out that most of the students who take the test haven’t been enrolled at the cyber charter for their entire school careers.

Many, he said, come in behind in their studies or with severe learning or emotional issues that impact their performance in the classroom.

 

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Virtually Educated

December 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I always thought that the only kids getting their entire public schooling online were in the hospital, living in the Alaskan tundra, or pursuing a career as a singing orphan in the road company of “Annie.” Not so. There are now around 250,000 cyberschool students in kindergarten through high school and the number is growing fast.

If I had managed to envision a lot of students going to school online, I’d have imagined them being home-schooled by a diligent middle-class parent. But, lately, the target seems to be low-income families. Andy Berke, a state senator in Chattanooga, Tenn., says that when an educational company named K12 Inc. held a meeting to publicize its online taxpayer-funded academy, it chose “one of the poorest neighborhoods” in his district. In Pennsylvania, where K12 runs a statewide online charter school called Agora, you can go to the Web site and watch Head of School Sharon Williams explain about “online learning as an alternative to a violent in-school experience.”

O.K., here is my first question: Does full-time online learning really work for disadvantaged kids who may be alone at home all day?

Kevin Welner of the University of Colorado did a review of all the information available on this and, in fact, on the entire question of how well full-time online learning works for kids in elementary through high school. The answer was: nobody knows.

“The most detailed study is a couple of blog entries,” he said.

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District counters cyber school trend

November 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Wallenpaupack —Wallenpaupack Area School District has in place an option for virtual, on-line curriculums a student can take at home. The School Board was told Nov. 14 that this service is meant as an alternative to losing students to commercial cyber schools.
The program is known as Virtually Linking Instruction & Curriculum, or VLIC. School districts across Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit (IU) 19, as well as IU 18 and 20 also make use of it. VLIC was first employed in the 2010-2011 school year.

More options
Diane Szadar, Director of Educational Technology, explained that VLIC offers greater academic options to a student, at a lower cost to the School District.

The students and their families remain a part of the Wallenpaupack Area School District and can participate in co-curricular activities. They still receive a Wallenpaupack diploma and keep local school counseling support. Although VLINC instruction is still provided by teachers online through the educational vendors under contract, Wallenpaupack teachers remain available to students to assist them.

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PA Cyber Reacts to PA Supreme Court Decision

November 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In the wake of Wednesday’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decision re: Slippery Rock Area School District v. Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, PA Cyber CEO Dr. Nick Trombetta issued the following statement:

“This surprising and disappointing decision serves to illustrate how much work remains in creating an innovative, effective, and equitable system of public education that truly meets the needs of all 21st century students, and of modern society. Wednesday’s ruling reverses previous decisions by both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Commonwealth Court in support of PA Cyber’s kindergarten program for four-year-olds.

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