Chatham County Schools Non-Traditional Learning Options

1. Chatham County SchoolsNon-Traditional Learning Options UNC Chapel Hill Doctoral Cohort, Spring 2013 Advisor: Dr. Danny Thomas

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. Best Practices inNon-Traditional Learning • Executive leadership • Strategic starting points • Development of the model with student support in mind • Data collection & Monitoring • Student support

6. Stakeholder Involvement

7. Who are some of the important stakeholders for this policy?

8. 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

10. Current Practice/Models

11. Chatham County School System

12. 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

13. CCSS

14. 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)

15. CCSS Inconsistent usage and variable results with available programs: • North Carolina School of Science and Math • North Carolina Virtual Public Schools

16. Orange County Schools

17. Orange County • Distance Learning Policy • Distance Learning Procedures • NCVPS and APEX Learning

18. Orange County • Honor Code • Identify Distance Learning Advisor (DLA) • Detailed Explanation of Responsibilities • Disclaimer for Potential Changes

19. Person County Schools

20. 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.”

21. Graduation Requirement • Include an online learning course as a graduation requirement. School Board Policy 3460 states the following:

22. 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.

23. Suggested Uses • Subjects • Foreign languages • Math • Science • Benefactors • Acceleration and Remediation • Summer Credit Recovery • Middle School • High School

24. Suggested Programs or Systems • Odysseyware • Apex Learning • NC Virtual Public Schools

25. Alamance-Burlington School SystemCareer & Technical Education Center

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. China International Perspective

34. International Perspective Innovations Around the Globe & Equity Considerations

35. 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

36. CUTE Program Model • Distribution of Online Learning Time

37. 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

38. Barriers to Equitable Access • Technological Infrastructure Wherever disparities in access to resources are identified, CCS should strive to allocate additional funds to facilitate the necessary technological upgrades.

39. Barriers to Equitable Access • Transportation Equitable 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.

40. Barriers to Equitable Access

41. 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.

42. 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.

43. Equitable Access On-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

44. 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.

45. Policy Considerations

46. 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.”

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. Recommendations

50. Recommendations • Moving Toward a School System: • Equitable course offerings district-wide • Protocols for 1) communication 2) credit decisions 3) access • Monitor via reporting system