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Complete Versatility: Online and Blended Learning PLUS a 1:1 High School Environment

Quakertown Community School District. Complete Versatility: Online and Blended Learning PLUS a 1:1 High School Environment. QCSD – Community is our middle name!. Began with an idea. Cyber School Discussion February 2009.

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Complete Versatility: Online and Blended Learning PLUS a 1:1 High School Environment

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  1. Quakertown Community School District Complete Versatility: Online and Blended Learning PLUS a 1:1 High School Environment

  2. QCSD – Community is our middle name!

  3. Began with an idea. Cyber School DiscussionFebruary 2009 • Cyber learning is a viable educational option QCSD must consider implementing for 21st Century Learners • VHS is already offered as part of the HS curriculum • Presently 70 students attend 9 cyber charter schools • QCSD sends $10,735 per regular ed and $20,111 per special ed students to cyber schools in tuition payments • Cost/benefit analysis to determine savings • Conservative estimate $404,000 (total 2008 $807,656)

  4. Theory to Practice What can we do to support our students to achieve at their maximum potential?

  5. 21st Century Learning Initiative • Goal areas • Student Engagement • (motivation, attendance, etc.) • Student Learning • (increased strategic and extended thinking – direct relationship to SBG) • Instructional Practices • (re-examination of teaching methods and strategies, efficiency) • Resource Utilization – Artful Use of Infrastructure • (reduce costs over time - paper, textbooks/workbooks, infrastructure, Cyber Commons, etc.)

  6. QCSD Cyber Program • Overview • Philosophy • Support vision of anytime, anywhere learning • 21st Century Skills, Web 2.0 • Flexible, more customized learning paths for students • Cost avoidance • Flavors of cyber program • Online learning available to all students in grades 6-12 • Some students participate fully outside of brick and mortar school • Some students take face-to-face courses and fully online course (outside of school or in school cyber lounge)

  7. QCSD Cyber Program • Curriculum • Moving all courses to Blended Schools (BlackBoard, Collaborate, etc.) • QCSD curriculum taught by QCSD teachers • Over 80 courses available in a fully online format (grades 6-12) • Building all courses from scratch • Standards-based (competency-based) model • Mirrors content and pacing of QCSD face-to-face courses • Quality-assurance framework establishedbased on iNACOL quality standards • Content/Instruction Providers used as needed • VHS, MyLanguage 360, Apex, K12, etc.

  8. Learning Management Framework • Blended Classroom Environment • Announcements • Learning Targets • Assessment Submission • Videos – visual/differentiation • Screencasts – recording lessons (“Flipped” Lessons, Podcasts) • Formative Assessments • Articles of the Week • Online Discussions • Make-up work • Remediation

  9. Human Resources • Teacher Collaborative Negotiations • Contract Language Includes: • Release time or payment for cyber course development. • Teaching/monitoring a cyber class is a type of teaching assignment. • “Staffing and assignment practices for cyber classes will be comparable to staffing and assignment practices for all other teaching assignments.” • The District will first offer work to QCSD teachers provided • that we have the capacity • appropriate certification • the ability to effectively teach the course in a • cost-effective manner and can meet the needs • of the affected students.

  10. Fiscal Responsibility Note: “Savings from Cyber Expenditures” becomes compounded each year.

  11. QCSD Cyber Program • Challenges • Rapid implementation • Professional development • Administrative logistics • Successes • Personalized options for students • Supports competency-based learning • Enhanced support for technology vision • Cost-avoidance (more that $250,000 per year) • iNACOL Innovation Award, other awards

  12. QCSD Cyber Program

  13. QCSD Cyber Program

  14. Requests for Assistance • 2010-11 • QCSD received requests from 14 school districts seeking advice or assistance with respect to offering online courses to their own students • Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 developed a task force to investigate a regional solution to address school districts’ needs for online learning • 2011-12 • QCSD and Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 form a “partnership” called Bridges Virtual Education Services to provide online learning solutions to schools in the southeastern Pennsylvania region • Interest has grown beyond the region

  15. Requests for Assistance http://www.bridgesvirtual.org • Services Offered: • Virtual program development and implementation services • Virtual course offerings • Professional development focused on virtual course design and facilitation

  16. Vision for the Future • Vision: • Anytime, anywhere learning…eliminate barriers for students • As the 21st Century Learning Initiative progresses, teaching and learning will be redefined to be more efficient and targeted • Cyber course options will no longer be viewed as a new or separate opportunity…they will become our regular program • QCSD program will continue to improve as Bridges Virtual shares expertise and experiences of other school districts as there is value in collaboration and consortia.

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