Submitted by Gina Durbin, Director of Student Support Services
Note: The information in this profile represents 2010-11 unless otherwise indicated.
School Overview
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School Description
Cave Creek School District is rated grade “A” by the Arizona Department of Education. While the district has a higher-than-average graduation rate, there was a small group of students who persistently failed courses and did not graduate on time. To combat the problem and provide alternative options, district administrators created a smaller online learning program at Cactus Shadows High School (CSHS).
Blended Learning Program
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Program Model
Program model: Flex
Model description
Students access online elective and core courses and receive one-on-one instruction from a highly-qualified teacher in a computer lab. The teacher provides individual tutoring on a flexible as-needed basis.
Program Description
How much time do students spend on campus in this blended-learning program? How much of this time do students spend learning online or with educational software?
Students attend school Monday through Friday from 7:20am to 11:20pm. Math, science, social studies, language arts and electives are offered four hours a day in a single computer lab. Each day, students take a midmorning, lunch, and afternoon break.
Students also have access to courses 24 hours a day, seven days a week on their personal computers.
Briefly describe the offline components of this blended-learning program.
Instructional aides and a lead teacher support offline activities. Before class, the teacher and aides discuss students’ progress and performance to determine which students need additional support. During class, when students are working online, the lead teacher and instructional aides answer questions about online material. Additionally, during the school day, high-qualified language arts, science, and social studies teachers from Cactus Shadows High School’s face-to-face instruction program tutor students during office hours. After school, the lead teacher supports students academically by offering optional small-group instruction and assistance with homework.
How does this blended-learning program fit into the rest of the students’ school day?
CSHS implements a flex model. Students receive both online and face-to-face individual instruction in a brick-and-mortar school.
What are the teachers’ roles and responsibilities in both the online and offline components of this blended-learning program?
CSHS employs a lead teacher who is highly qualified in math to oversee all Edgenuity courses. At the start of the school year, the teacher and aides create student contracts that outline expectations. Throughout the school year, the instructor uses performance data from Edgenuity’s learning management system to hold students accountable to their teacher-assigned goals and identify the areas where students need additional support. Quarterly, the lead teacher meets with parents and students to discuss student outcomes and articulate plans to improve student achievement.
What other adults are involved in this blended-learning program (e.g., paraprofessionals, learning coaches, counselors) and what are their roles and responsibilities?
Director of Curriculum Cara Herkamp and Director of Student Support Services Gina Durbin monitor the operation of the e-learning program. They ensure that course content meets high academic standards and routinely track students’ course progress and achievement.
CSHS employs two instructional aides who support students in the lab. The aides monitor the Edgenuity dashboard to track whether students are meeting their teacher-assigned benchmark for the week. They assist the lead teacher in monitoring students’ mastery of content and alert the teacher when performance data indicate a student is struggling.
Briefly describe the set-up of physical space for this blended-learning program.
The e-learning program is housed within a large computer lab at Cactus Shadows High School. The lab is equipped with desktop computers arranged in rows.
How are students grouped within this blended-learning program?
Approximately 60 students in grades 9–12 access their courses five days a week in a single computer lab. Typically, students in the e-learning program are enrolled full time. A small group of students enrolled in CSHS face-to-face instruction classes attend the e-learning program part time.
Do students have some element of control over the pacing of their learning? Are students tied to a semester-based course schedule or can they complete courses at any time? Briefly describe any requirements or benchmarks in place to ensure student progress.
Courses are provided over an 18-week semester. Students are expected to progress through approximately 6–7 percent of each course per week. Though there is a benchmark, students have autonomy over which courses they work on each day. Additionally, students are empowered and encouraged to select their instructional program under the guidance of a certified teacher. Students’ choice in selecting classes and deciding their daily work schedule fosters both self-efficacy and accountability.
Describe the academic results of the program, using quantitative data where possible.
Course usage data from 57 CSHS students enrolled in Edgenuity courses during the 2011 –2012 school year revealed that students completed and passed over 99 percent of the 439 courses taken during the school year. Additionally, 15 out 17 of CSHS at-risk twelfth-grade students graduated on time by spring 2012.
Contact Information
Name: Gina Durbin
Title: Director of Student Support Services
Phone: 480.575.2400
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ccusd93.org