The Kentucky Virtual High School

1
The Kentucky Virtual High School

• Linda A. Pittenger, Director
• SEIR-TEC
• April 2001

2
KVHS - Quick Facts

• Opened Pilot 24 January 2000
• Program of state department of education
• Not a credit-granting institution - KVHS teaches
  for the schools
• 4 Staff/ 18 Part-time teachers/ 500K/yr
• From 47 (Spring 2000) to 350 students
• 30 courses broad spectrum of content/ broad
  spectrum of learners

3
Kentucky Quick Facts

• 3.9 million Kentuckians
• 600,000 K12 Students
• 40,000 K12 Teachers
• 176 School Districts
• 1290 schools
• 250 high schools

4
What We Believe

• All children can learn at higher levels
• The school is the best place to make decisions
  about what happens in the school
• High standards and high expectations produce high
  achievement
• We teach for results and build accountability for
  results
• Equity is crucial inequity is unacceptable

5
Why a Virtual High School?

• More choices for students
• Equitable learning opportunity
• Address local teacher shortages
• Distribute and model online teaching and learning
  

6
Every School/ Every Child

• Commonwealth Diploma available from every school
• Foreign Languages
• Increase graduation rates especially for
  alternative education
• Improve literacy through accelerated learning
  programs
• Recapture drop-outs and push-outs

7
The Ground Rules

• KVHS will augment local school services - not
  compete with local schools
• All courses will be taught by Kentucky teachers
• All courses will be aligned with state and
  national curriculum standards

8
Online Learning?

• Web-based Education Commission, October 2000
• Shortcomings
• Focus on recall of facts
• Teacher and textbook centered instruction
• Limited social interaction
• Antiquated assessment

9
Online Learning

• More Engagement
• More Interaction
• More Content

10
Online Learning

• More Engagement in Learning
• Learner-centered instruction
• Adaptive learning/ critical thinking
• No back row / No labels

11
Online Learning

• More Interaction with Learners
• Creation of learning communities
• Greater collaboration/ broader reach to global
  resources and diversities
• Faculty focused on critical thinking
  comprehension

12
Online Learning

• More Content
• Real-world applicability
• Increased access to content
• More, varied opportunity to demonstrate knowledge
• Inter-disciplinary is easier

13
Real World Issues for a Virtual School

• Structure and Administration
• Funding
• Curriculum and Instructional Management
• Faculty
• Student Retention, Student Retention, Student
  Retention

14
Program Administration

• KVHS is an educational service managed by state
  department
• All enrollments come through local high school
• Credit is granted by the local high school
• Local school retains ownership of student
• Shared responsibility for student progress

15
Funding

• Modified cost recovery
• 275/ 500
• School pays fee out of ADA/FTE
• Fee payment governed by local policy
• Schools pay fee if course is for-credit and not
  available at the school
• Policies are not consistent across districts

16
Learning Environment

• Web Based/ 24 x 7
• 25 students in a class
• Classroom Model (v. Independent Study)
• Small group work
• Extensive use of threaded discussion, writing,
  and research in all content areas
• From seat time to comprehension time
  performance based credit
• From traditional assessments to portfolio
  assessments

17
Student Retention

• Communication with teachers
• Course Design that engages
• Interaction with other students
• Time and opportunity to learn
• Preparation (content and writing)
• Realistic expectations
• Partner at the school
• Partner in the home

18
Attendance Accounting

• Credit earned and ADA generated for courses taken
  outside the normal school day and away from the
  school
• Physical presence not required

19
Courses

• Core Courses
• Advanced Placement
• Dual credit w/ Virtual University
• Foreign languages and electives
• Accelerated learning and study skills
• Value-added Online Writing Center and Virtual
  Counseling Office

20
Common Platform/ Multiple Content Providers

• Platform
• eCollege
• Courses
• License from private sector
• License from public sector
• Develop
• Decision Points Content and Course Design

21
KVHS Faculty

• Kentucky secondary certifications
• Part-time Personal Services Contract
• Paid at same scale
• Base plus add-on per student
• 1K 65 1.25K 70
• 1.5K 95 2K 100
• Course development, mentoring, team-teaching as
  fee-for-service

22
Policy Implications for Schools

• Criteria for participation (who?)
• Scope of participation (how much?)
• Accommodation and monitoring (when?)
• Scheduling and access?
• Who pays?
• Academic calendar?
• Middle school access?
• Seniors completing early?

23
Critical Success Factors

• Teachers
• Small class sizes
• Course design interaction, differentiated
  instruction
• Choices/ ability to accommodate learning styles
• Engaged partners in the school
• Equitable access and support
• Rapid cycle of innovation, reflection, change

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Other Dimensions of Kentucky Virtual High School

• Virtual Learning for Educators
• Information dissemination
• Technical assistance
• Professional Development
• Virtual Teaming
• Working online across organizational/ geographic
  boundaries to solve problems and support schools
• Efficient, effective, everywhere, every time

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Whats Next

• Growth
• Identify targets
• Build core competencies
• Increase capacities
• Extend P16, non-public and middle school agenda

26

• Before you make the menu for the party,
• take a good, long cooks tour of the kitchen and
  the pantry.

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www.kvhs.org