Submitted by Ashley Barr and Deborah Jackson, Director and Head Administrator
Note: The information in this profile represents SY2012-13 unless otherwise indicated.
School Overview
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School Description
Blended Learning Program
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Program Model
Program model: Enriched Virtual
Model description
The majority of student learning is done remotely and teachers-of-record are online teachers. Students are not required to be on campus during their learning, but they can choose to attend a brick-and-mortar learning center during the school week for face-to-face support for their online courses.
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?
The amount of time students spend on campus varies depending on the wishes of the student and their parents. Parents and students determine which days and how often the student will attend a brick-and-mortar learning center. When the student is at the brick-and-mortar learning center, the majority of the learning is completed online through school-issued laptops. The school’s curriculum is almost entirely online, so students spend between 90-95 percent of their time learning online or using educational software.
Briefly describe the offline components of this blended-learning program.
While most of the coursework is completed online, every subject has offline components that students engage in when they attend the learning center. Those offline components include pencil-and-paper assignments, science experiments, experiential projects, and workbook assignments. Physical education classes are also administered at the brick-and-mortar learning centers.
How does this blended-learning program fit into the rest of the students’ school day?
Students learning remotely are mostly free to complete their coursework on their own time and do not take part in a regular, scheduled school day. Some students come to the learning center every day of the school week; other students don’t come to the learning center at all. However, when students choose to attend the learning center, they are usually at the learning center for a full school day. Once at the learning center, students spend the majority of their day engaged in online learning as they work through the curriculum.
What are the teachers’ roles and responsibilities in both the online and offline components of this blended-learning program?
The online teachers are responsible planning the students’ online sessions, administering online practice problems and workbook assignments, and helping support students through their individualized lesson plans. They are also in charge of analyzing real-time student data and ensuring that students progress through the coursework at a reasonable pace. The teachers at the learning center are licensed teachers who communicate regularly with online teachers and support students with their online curriculum by offering individualized assistance with their online coursework and monitoring student progress when they are on campus.
What other adults are involved in this blended-learning program (e.g., paraprofessionals, learning coaches, counselors) and what are their roles and responsibilities?
In addition to the online teachers-of-record, the school employs a head administrator who oversees the learning center, an additional licensed teacher who works at the learning center in a student support role, a school registrar who serves as the on-site learning coordinator, a tech support employee to help with technology issues, and a director of school operations.
Briefly describe the set-up of physical space for this blended-learning program.
Unlike some of the other blended-learning schools run by K12 Inc., New Mexico Virtual Academy has just one learning center. The learning center is designed to look more comfortable and inviting than a traditional classroom. Students work on laptops provided by the school and the learning center is furnished with big comfortable couches and chairs so and students can choose where they would like to work.
How are students grouped within this blended-learning program?
In the learning center, students are not grouped together in specific groupings. Student learning is individualized based on the progress of particular students. In the online classroom, students are initially grouped together by grade level and then may be put into fluid groups based on achievement. This allows for students in need of remediation to have extra time to complete their work.
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.
The control over the pacing of student learning depends largely on grade level. Middle school students work on yearly schedules. The school assigns all of their coursework at the beginning of the unit and provides a pacing guide so that students don’t fall behind. Students can complete their coursework at any time within the given framework. High school students have a more traditional schedule. While they can move ahead in the coursework if they choose to, they cannot start a new unit until the current semester has been completed. Students also have end-of-semester exams.
Describe the academic results of the program, using quantitative data where possible.
The school is in its first year of operation and does not have quantitative academic results as of yet. The school expects to receive state testing scores for its students in the middle of summer 2013.
What have been the biggest obstacles in implementing this blended-learning program? What has needed adjustment along the way?
K12 Inc. has been trying to open a virtual academy in New Mexico for some time now, and the biggest obstacle faced was convincing policymakers and influential educational administrators that a virtual academy is a good alternative option for students. The school had to fight a stigma that students aren’t actually learning when they are attending a virtual school.
Contact Information
Name: Deborah Jackson
Title: Head Administrator
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.k12.com/nmva