Chatham County SchoolsNon-Traditional Learning Options

UNC Chapel Hill Doctoral Cohort, Spring 2013 Advisor: Dr. Danny Thomas

Presenters• Deanene H. Deaton, SAS Institute

• Travis W. Duncan, Wake County Public Schools

• Christine M. Fierro, Durham Public Schools

• Sharon R. Goldman, Alamance Burlington School

System

• Mark Johnson, Guilford County Schools

• Katrina A. Massey, Alamance Burlington School

System

• Heidi McClure, Chatham County Schools

• Quamesha Whitted, Durham Public Schools

• Kendra B. Woods, Graduate Student UNC Chapel Hill

Objective

Research best practices and options for CCSS for non-traditional learning and develop recommendations for policy and practice to promote stakeholder involvement, equity, and systemic / unified thinking as a cohesive school district.

Why Non-Traditional Learning?

• Visionary Leadership▫45,000 in (2000) to over 3 million (2009)

• Expanded course offerings• Opportunities to meet needs of diverse

learners• Access to highly qualified staff in hard to

staff subjects. • Customization and personalized learning

options• Rigor and relevancy

The International Association for K-12 Online Learning , 2011

Best Practices inNon-Traditional Learning

•Executive leadership•Strategic starting points•Development of the model with student

support in mind•Data collection & Monitoring•Student support

Stakeholder Involvement

Who are some of the important stakeholders for this policy?

Those who the policy may affect Those who will act on, carry out, or use the policy

Students Teachers

Teachers Counselors

Counselors Assistant Principals

Assistant Principals / Principals Principals

Central Office Administrators and/or Coordinators

Central Office Administrators and/or Coordinators

Community members, such as parents and/or businesses Board Members and

Superintendent

Involving CCSS Stakeholders

•Components to gain successful buy-in:▫successful creation of a new policy based

on our recommendations▫clear and open communication on the

benefits, actions, and consequences of the policy

▫motivation within stakeholders who have a vested interest in the policy

▫structure of CCSS transformation and change around the policy

Recommendations for Stakeholder Buy-

InProvide clear communication of the policy and other changes in the system  

Provide ample opportunities for stakeholders to voice their concerns or comments  

Design the policy and new plans with the stakeholders in mind

Define the expectations of the new policy clearly and articulately  

Incorporate and promote teacher leadership by incorporating teachers in the policy decision making and planning

Reflect, refine, and modify the policy periodically as needed after the first implementation  

Current Practice/Models

Chatham County School System

CCSS

•Career and Technical Education Opportunities▫Vary from school to school

•Community College Partnerships▫Getting credit through NC College & Career

Promise▫Programs hosted at schools and at CCCC

•Courses preapproved by NCDPI and process outlined in CCS Course Registration Guide

•Transportation issues create inequitable access as a result of differing student demographics

CCSSProgram Location

Automotive Systems Technology Courses

Central Carolina Community College, Pittsboro

Barbering Jordan Matthews High School

Criminal Justice Technology Courses

Jordan Matthews High School

Industrial Systems Technology/Welding Courses

SAGE Academy

Masonry Courses Northwood High School

CCSS•APEX Learning

▫Standards-based, digital curriculum used for “original credit, credit recovery, remediation, intervention, acceleration, and exam preparation” (Apex Learning Inc., 2012).

▫First time credit (SAGE & JMHS) versus

credit recovery (CCHS, JMHS, & NWHS)

CCSSInconsistent usage and variable results with available programs:

•North Carolina School of Science and Math

•North Carolina Virtual Public Schools

Orange County Schools

Orange County

•Distance Learning Policy

•Distance Learning Procedures

•NCVPS and APEX Learning

Orange County

•Honor Code

•Identify Distance Learning Advisor (DLA)

•Detailed Explanation of Responsibilities

•Disclaimer for Potential Changes

Person County Schools

Reflection in the Mission & Vision

•Person County School exhibits their value for 21st Century learning and technological students in the vision for the school district: “Our graduates are prepared to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century. Our graduates have the critical thinking, communicative, collaborative, and creative skills necessary for problem solving.”

Graduation Requirement•Include an online learning course as a

graduation requirement.

School Board Policy 3460 states the following:

Other Requirements

Research paper and Exit Speech

1 online course necessary for the Class entering 2012-13 2 online courses necessary for the Class entering 2013-14 and beyond

Preparation

•Require that students take a blended online learning model course with an instructor prior to a complete virtual online learning course.

•This will prepare students for the flexible and unstructured schedule of online or virtual learning courses.

Suggested Uses

• Subjects Foreign languages Math Science

•Benefactors Acceleration and Remediation Summer Credit Recovery Middle School High School

Suggested Programs or Systems

•Odysseyware •Apex Learning •NC Virtual Public Schools

Alamance-Burlington School SystemCareer & Technical Education Center

Facility Specifications

• Built 2011 • 43,000 square feet• Fully equipped:

▫Smartboards▫flat screen televisions▫surround sound, wireless internet, video security▫mobile laptop carts, webcasting and video sharing

applications • 13 classrooms, 5 conference rooms, two automotive

bay areas, a double sided culinary kitchen, two cyber cafés, media center, office space

• LEED registered Green Building

Facility Data

•Cost: $8.3 million dollars ▫lottery revenue ▫Through President Obama’s 2009 American

Recovery & Reinvestment Act▫Approved by county commissioners

•900 pupil capacity ▫450 morning students▫450 evening students

•Six traditional high schools have the opportunity to dually enroll students into CTEC

Plans

• Weaver Academy of Performing & Visual Arts and Advanced Technology

• Greensboro, North Carolina.• Two curriculum tracks: Performing & Visual Arts and

Advanced Technology/Career Technical Academy • Advance Technology is a part-time program that dually

enrolls students• Influential Courses Offered:

▫ Automotive/Collision/Electrical▫ Computer Engineering ▫ Culinary Arts ▫ Digital Media ▫ Medical Careers ▫ Computer Programming/ Network Administration ▫ Scientific Visualization & Game Development

Plans• The Applied Technology School (ATC) • Rock Hill, South Carolina ATC is a technology based high

school implemented to prepare students for successful entry into postsecondary programs, technical/trade schools, or the workforce

• Emphasizing hands-on learning. • Transportation is provided for all students

▫ Influential Courses Offered: ▫ Automotive Technology▫ Collision Repair▫ Culinary Arts▫ Digital Art & Design▫ Drafting and Pre-Engineering▫ Health Science I, II & III▫ Media Technology

Curriculum• Consider prerequisite courses that will enable

students to graduate in 5 years• Identify high-end courses

▫cost to duplicate multiple course offerings at each site

• Administered a survey to 9th and 10th grade soliciting interest

• Looked at teacher interest and certification for licensure in perspective course areas

• Four year plans were pulled ▫ to determine which courses stay▫which leave ▫which should move to another school

Curriculum• NC Virtual Public School or E2020 for credit recovery• Assigned NCVPS/E2020 course facilitator

▫ Certified school teacher ▫ Assigned a full course load ▫ Provide assistance to students

• Cost per student funded by the district• Other Course offerings:

▫ Culinary I & II▫ Digital Media ▫ Biomedical Technology, Health Science I & II▫ Scientific Visualization▫ Computer Programming I & II▫ Project Lead the Way (Intro to Engineering)▫ Automotive Service, Brakes and Diagnostics

CTEC Policies

• Most policy is around individual courses via CTE• The State of NC sets:

▫curriculum standards▫student capacity ▫operational procedures per course

• Human Resource and Maintenance policies govern: ▫staffing ▫building construction ▫ABSS has building policies that cover all schools

within the district

ChinaInternational Perspective

International PerspectiveInnovations Around the Globe & Equity Considerations

China

•Typical E-Learning Constructs▫Access to materials, not learning▫Technology without instructor interface▫Cost-saving by eliminating the tutor

•Chinese University Teacher Training in English▫Comprehensive approach▫Develop teacher English proficiency▫40% of instruction delivered in target language

CUTE Program Model

•Distribution of Online Learning Time

75%

8%

17%

Online independent learning, tutor sup-port, peer interaction

Face-to-face skill development

Face-to-face evalu-ation and reflection

English Learners •Technology-led vs. learner-based•Hybrid approach to improve access•Research of online learning for ELs

▫ Content knowledge is best learned with opportunity to explore key components in primary language

▫ Interactive model incorporating online materials, instructor support, and peer collaboration in native language

▫ ELL techniques curated and norms set so access can happen

• Innovative blended models▫ Guatemala schools & learner cafés▫ Urban Planet Mobile – digital education▫ Georgia’s kiosk approach

Barriers to Equitable Access

•Technological InfrastructureWherever disparities in access to resources are identified, CCS should strive to allocate additional funds to facilitate the necessary technological upgrades.

Barriers to Equitable Access•TransportationEquitable access to the virtual-learning and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses requires careful consideration of where these programs are to be made available to students.

Barriers to Equitable Access

Equitable Access• Virtual and CTE courses may be provided either at an

off-site location, or on-site at each of the existing high school locations.

Off-Site Provision• Would allow students from across the district to share

resources; this would help raise efficiency by cutting the costs associated with operational expenses, such as instructor salaries and technology support.

• Depending on available funds, the off-site location could either be housed in a purpose-built facility similar to Alamance Burlington’s CTEC building, or within an existing non-profit organization’s building, such as a community center or library.

Equitable Access

Offsite Provision•Building would need to be easily accessible to

all high school students within the district. •Transportation and travel time would need to

be considered.

Equitable AccessOn-Site Provision• Learning zones created within each of the

existing schools. • Students participate in courses offered through

APEX Learning, North Carolina Virtual School, or Odysseyware under the direct supervision of trained “learning zone facilitators.”

• Would require: computers and Internet provision, instructor salaries and benefits, technology support, furniture, and per pupil licenses for any commercial products

Equitable Access• CTE Courses• There is disparity in the types of CTE courses

being offered at each high school. • Chatham County could move to a blended/hybrid

model, in which between thirty and seventy nine percent of the content is delivered online.

• Practical content would continue to be delivered face-to-face, either at each high school location by a traveling instructor, or at an off-site location, housed at a local non-profit facility or at a local business.

Policy Considerations

Policy Considerations•Public schools are “essential to social change”•Educational policy should aspire to deliver

freedoms and equity of provision for all students, regardless of race, disability, or socioeconomic status.

•Article I, Section 15 of the Declaration of Rights within the North Carolina State Constitution states that, “The people have a right to the privilege of education, and it is the duty of the State to guard and maintain that right.”

Policy Considerations•Article IX, Section 2, of the North Carolina

State Constitution, includes the following provision:

(1) General and uniform system:  The General Assembly shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public schools, which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students.

Policy Considerations

• Educational equity is concerned with equalizing educational experiences and opportunities for students based on their individual, environmental, or contextual differences.

• In July of 2004, the Justices of North Carolina’s Supreme Court unanimously affirmed every child's Leandro right to the "equal opportunity to receive a sound basic education.”

• It is necessary to consider the extent to which any new policy provides equity of access for all “at risk” students.

Recommendations

Recommendations

•Moving Toward a School System:

▫Equitable course offerings district-wide

▫Protocols for 1) communication 2) credit decisions 3) access

▫Monitor via reporting system

•Engaging Stakeholders:

▫District-wide representative committee

▫Communications “blitz”

▫Feedback – Adaptation loop

▫Explicit roles and responsibilities for all

▫District-wide commitments and cohesive vision

•Best Practices:

▫Require alternative learning credit for graduation

▫Determine offerings via surveys and resources

▫Ensure equitable access—transportation, ELL, SES

▫Establish partnerships with businesses and community centers

▫Establish data collection systems—monitor

•Cautions:

▫Ensure diverse participation

▫Monitor subgroup patterns and performance

▫Provide substantive staffing, resources, and student support systems

▫Seek and use authentic involvement of all stakeholders

Questions?