Virtual High School

VHS History

Founded in 1996 Concord Consortium & Hudson Public Schools,

Hudson, Massachusetts $7.4M funding 1996-2001: US Dept of

Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant

Purpose– Develop Internet-based online courses for high school

students– Research and evaluation by SRI (Stanford Research

International) Accredited by the Middle States Commission on

Secondary Schools (MSCSS)

VHS Mission and Beliefs

Any school’s instructional process can include a high quality collaborative learning environment

Education should not be limited by barriers of time, place, or lack of qualified faculty

Online learning should augment (not replace) traditional teaching

A collaborative network provides an abundant and generous community to share resources

Benefits to Students

Extensive selection of courses

– AP– Honors– G&T– Middle School

Classes of 25 student-participants from:

– 717 schools– 33 states– 43 countries– 459 Teachers– >13,000 students

21st Century Skills Learning with Technology

20 Advanced Placement Courses

• European History •French Language• Government and Politics• Music Theory• Physics B• Physics C• Psychology• Spanish Language/ Spanish V• Statistics• US History• World History

• Art History• Biology• Calculus AB• Calculus BC• Computer Science A• Economics: Micro & Macro• English Language and Composition• English Literature and Composition• Environmental Science

VHS is qualified through AP Course Audit to label their courses “AP”

38 Honors Courses

101 Ways to Write a Short Story Advanced Topics in Chemistry Algebra 2 Anatomy and Physiology Animal Behavior and Zoology Art History Arts and Ideas Astronomy Basics Bioethics Symposium Computational Science and Engineering

Using Java Criminology Cultural Identity through Literature Eastern and Western Thought Environmental Chemistry Folklore and Literature of Myth, Magic and

Ritual Genes and Diseases History of Photography Introduction to:

– Calculus AB

– Chemistry– Computer Science– Economics– English Literature– Environmental Science– Government– Physics B– Psychology– Statistics– U.S. History

Modern Middle East Oceanography Philosophy Preveterinary Medicine Psychology of Crime Shakespeare in Films Spanish Culture The Glory of Ancient Rome The Golden Age of Classical Greece Twentieth Century Women Authors

Select Standard Courses

Academic Writing Advanced Web Design Algebra 1 American Foreign Policy American Popular Music Animation and Effects Bad Boys in Literature Basic Mandarin Biotechnology Blogs, Wikis and Web Tools Business and Personal Law Career Awareness Caribbean Art History Contemporary Irish Literature DNA Technology Entrepreneurship Epidemics Forensic Science German Language and Culture Heroes History and American Pop Music

Investing in the Stock Market Journalism in the Digital Age Kindergarten Apprentice Teacher Latin 1 and 2 Literacy Skills for the 21st Century Maritime History Math You Can Use in College Meteorology Music Composition Mythology Nuclear Physics Peacemaking Personal Finance Perspectives in Health Poetry Writing Portuguese 1 Screenwriting Fundamentals Sports and American Society The Human Body The Holocaust World Religions

Affordable sharing of professional resources– Average years teaching: 16– 85% hold Master’s Degree

Quality Benchmarks (QBI history – 12 years)

National and global community Expands scope and depth of

teacher instructional skills– Teachers: 10-Week Netcourse

Instructional Methodologies– Extensive delivery tools

Chickering and Ehrman Seven Best Practicesfor Technology-Based Education*

• Emphasizes time on task

•High Expectations

•Rich, Rapid Feedback

•Active Learning

•Interaction with Faculty

•Interaction with Peers

•Respect for diversity of learning styles and worldviews

*postsecondary

Benefits to Schools

Why VHS?

Access to hundreds of courses to fill resource gap

Flexibility for scheduling – Computer Lab– Library

Cost effectiveness (non-profit consortium) VHS leadership in high school distance

learning

Roles & Responsibilities

• Recruitment• Registration• Technical Support• Represents the Instructor “on the ground” • Communication with parents, VHS, instructor•Monitor and report progress

• Instruction (Requires 10-week NIM course)• Communication• Regular Assessment• Course Design• New Course Development

To Ensure:• Quality of Courses• Quality of Professional Development• Quality of Services & Program

Course Delivery

Asynchronous Mode

Desire2Learn platform

Classes follow a semester (15-wk) schedule– Most courses

semester length– AP, language, and

some core courses are full-year

Assignments due at specified intervals

Students complete work, including discussions, anytime during the week

21st Century Learning

Digital-Age Literacy Includes: Basic Language Scientific Economic Technological Visual Information Multicultural Global Awareness

www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/skills.htm

21st Century Partnership

– Skills for life and work in the 21st Century– Founded by industry leaders, including Apple, Cisco, Dell, and

Microsoft in partnership with NEA– Students not prepared for demands of 21st century– In addition to curriculum’s rigorous content, it must have real

world relevance– Employability and enterprise skills

Why VHS

VHS sets the standard for excellence in online education

United States Distance Learning Association Awards:– Best Practices in Distance

Learning– Best Practices in Online

Technology and K-12 Education

– Online Programming Excellence – Gold Recipient

Additional VHS Awards

2001 Stockholm Challenge Award for Global Excellence in Information Technology

American School Board Journal’s Magna 2000 Award for exemplary use of technology in Education

Model for National Education Association online learning standards

Student Success Factors

2008 University of Tennessee Study

VHS teachers surveyed to determine factors for course success

– Major factors: Time management Organization skills Frequent participation Learning style

– Reading (visual)

– Listening (auditory)

– Seeing (visual)

– Speaking (auditory)

– Doing (tactile/kinesthetic)

– Minor factors: Technology skills Record of academic success

Active Learning

Student Survey Findings…

Students developed independent learning skills (43 percent).

– [I valued] the independence we are given to complete our assignments on time without a teacher physically reminding us every day. The flexible schedule is also awesome as a senior to help prepare us for college.

Students appreciated the quality, content, and structure of their courses (34 percent).

– VHS courses let me learn, the way I want and need to, and not just memorize data for standardized tests.

Students valued the opportunity to interact with new people (17 percent).

– You get to meet many different people from all different backgrounds which provides a very interesting learning atmosphere.

…Continued

Students liked the expanded access to courses (14 percent).

– The online courses that are available were not part of my in-school curriculum so I decide[d] to expand my learning and prepare for college.

Students felt they had quality instructors (8 percent).

– My instructor gave us problems that are related to real things in life and other problems that made us think.