Online high school set
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Latest evolution to learning for area students
Education has come a long way from the days of just readin’, writin’, and arithmetic. Gone are the chalkboards, tablets and laptops have replaced many textbooks, and dogs can’t eat electronic homework.
Modern education is constantly evolving, and at the December 9 meeting of the Mount Ayr school board, district superintendent Jason Shaffer introduced the latest step in that evolution – Mount Ayr’s new EVOLVE online high school program, an option for students seeking an alternative to a traditional high school setting.
The EVOLVE online high school program offers a flexible, personalized, and completely online experience that will provide a path to a graduation diploma from Mount Ayr Community High School. The independent nature of the program would allow students to graduate early during their senior year if they complete the required coursework. Shaffer sees the EVOLVE program as benefiting students seeking options.
“[The] benefit would be to offer an online program that helps support parents/students who decide that a different instructional format is desired,” he said. “We want to offer programs that support our students so they don’t have to look at alternative options outside their home district. [We are] adapting to an ever-changing educational environment yet making every learning option provided with a high-performing mindset.”
Mount Ayr High School principal Josh Vanderflught concurs.
“It’s great to have options, especially under special circumstances,” he said, adding that an online school could offer academic support to homeschooled students, especially in advanced-level math and science.
Curriculum
EVOLVE will utilize Imagine Learning’s “Edgenuity” curriculum, which the state has already approved for online instruction. Each student will follow a personalized education plan with instruction provided by certified online teachers. Additional in-person support will be available.
EVOLVE will also provide career and technical education programs, access to dual credit courses through Southwestern Community College, and other specialized teaching and learning programs.
In addition, EVOLVE students will have access to participation in all Mount Ayr co-curricular and extracurricular activities, including athletics, fine arts, clubs, and special events.
All EVOLVE students are issued a district-owned computer that is monitored by the district’s filtering system.
Enrollment
Enrollment in the EVOLVE program is available immediately to students in grades 9-12 who reside in the Mount Ayr district. This includes Mount Ayr students already enrolled in an online high school elsewhere.
As soon as the state approves the EVOLVE program, students outside the district may join the program by filing an open-enrollment request at any time throughout the year.
Homeschool families interested in dual enrollment can benefit from a free curriculum and a fully licensed teaching staff. Those families could select a full or partial academic schedule tailored to their preferences.
The Mount Ayr district will receive per pupil state aid for each Mount Ayr student who returns from a different online school as well as for those who open-enroll from another district or homeschool students who enroll on a dual-credit basis.
State requirements
The Iowa Department of Education has established requirements to monitor student success via online instruction.
Schools must:
- monitor and verify full-time student enrollment, timely completion of graduation requirements, course credit accrual, and course completion.
- monitor and verify student progress and performance in each course through a school-based assessment plan that includes submission of coursework and security and validity of testing components.
- conduct parent-teacher conferences.
- administer assessments required by the state to all students in a proctored setting and according to state law.
The EVOLVE program meets all of those state requirements.
Parents play a crucial role in the success of their students in an online environment.
EVOLVE asks parents to develop a scheduled time and space for their student’s instruction, to monitor student work and progress, and to maintain regular contact with EVOLVE staff.
Before being granted enrollment in the EVOLVE program, students, parents, and district administration will sign a memorandum of understanding outlining the program’s expectations.
Attendance, eligibility, graduation
Student attendance is recorded much as it is in a traditional school setting. Students must log-in to their courses daily and make consistent progress on their learning goals. The Edgenuity software keeps track of student engagement via mouse clicks, keyboard strokes, and screen views when students are logged-in to their EVOLVE courses. Students not meeting this attendance requirement will be counted absent. Chronic absenteeism will be addressed as stated in the Mount Ayr High School Handbook.
Eligibility for extracurriculars will be based on the actual grade percentage in the Edgenuity program. The grade is based on the expected extent of successfully completed coursework. Any student not making satisfactory progress would be ineligible for the following week. Eligibility guidelines are stated in the Mount Ayr High School Handbook.
Graduation requirements are identical to those of traditional students at Mount Ayr, and graduating EVOLVE students will receive the same diploma as traditional graduates. While each EVOLVE student’s grade point average will be calculated regularly, EVOLVE students will not count in class ranking and are ineligible to serve as class valedictorian or salutatorian. They may, however, participate in the traditional commencement ceremony if they choose.
