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The University of Missouri is a step closer to having a new structure for online learning opportunities that would better align the courses and programs now offered to students.
A task force created late last year is finalizing a proposal that shows a reorganized system that would put MU High School, online classes and supporting departments under the helm of one e-learning administrator.
For the rest of the article, go to MU works to streamline online learning
COLOMBIA, Mo., April 5 (UPI) — U.S. researchers say a lack of common definitions makes it difficult to determine effective strategies for e-learning, online learning and distance learning.
While the definitions of these terms might seem trivial, researchers at the University of Missouri say they are necessary to give students accurate previews of courses, as the new learning environments are presented in many different ways in schools, colleges and the business world, a UM release reported Wednesday.
For the rest of the article, go to Study: Online learning needs common terms
JEFFERSON CITY — Students in failing school districts such as St. Louis could transfer to qualifying private schools or nearby public, charter or virtual schools under a multi-faceted bill that sped out of a Senate committee today.
The Senate General Laws Committee approved the bill with no debate on a party-line vote of 6-2, with Republicans backing it and Democrats opposing it.
The sponsor, Sen. Jane Cunningham, said the measure responds to concerns about a recent Missouri Supreme Court ruling. That decision held that students in unaccredited districts can attend schools in adjacent counties, at the home district’s expense.
If the Legislature doesn’t reverse the ruling, city schools fear a mass exodus of students and resources; suburban schools are worried because they would have no authority to deny students when space is tight.
In response, “we just opened up every option,” said Cunningham, R-Chesterfield. “What we’re trying to do is increase supply, particularly in the city, where the children live.”
For the rest of the article, go to Bill opens door for open enrollment, private school funding
“When we declare a district unaccredited, it is beyond failing,” Cunningham said. “It is abject failure because not one academic standard is met.”
The first bill proposed by Cunningham would clarify what schools are eligible to receive students from unaccredited schools, including a provision that would allow transfer students to remain in their chosen district until an unaccredited district has been able to regain and maintain accreditation for five straight years.
The second bill aims to put into statute the other key component of the Turner decision, establishing scholarship amounts that schools must provide to resident students who wish to attend another school, including a charter, private or virtual school. The amount the district would have to pay would be the cost of attendance at the receiving school, or two-thirds of the sending district’s per pupil expenditure, whichever is less.
For the rest of the article, go to Senate Hears Differing Opinions On School Choice Plans
Coleman went on to talk about some of the programs the district uses to reach out to students who are not doing as well in school as they could.
She touted programs such as the Virtual Learning Center and the Missouri Options Program.
“Last year we reached 318 students (in the Virtual Learning Center) and served almost a quarter of the graduating class. I think those numbers speak for themselves,” Coleman said. “When we’re reaching 40 percent of those who are graduating I think we’re doing a fairly good job.
For the rest of the article, go to Dropout rate drops at Carthage High School
She wasn’t the only MICDS teacher keeping class going online.
“It most often happened with AP classes, but Chinese and English classes had discussions online and teachers used a variety of ways to keep students connected to school work, from minimal assignments to full, virtual classrooms,” she said.
Jenni Highfill, Spanish teacher at Eureka High School in the Rockwood District, is another educator who uses her website to connect with students outside of class,
For the rest of the article, go to Virtual classrooms stay open even in worst weather
COLUMBIA — Tavair Tapp needed to fulfill half an English credit.
The senior at Rock Bridge High School loves writing poetry, but he couldn’t study it because the school did not offer any courses in the subject.
He found one through another program — Virtual High School.
Virtual High School, a global consortium program based in Massachusetts, is part of the Columbia Public School District’s efforts to increase technology use in education.
The district began using the program in September 2009. This year, they doubled the number of available slots for students.
Through Virtual High School, students can choose from a selection of more than 200 courses, including creative writing, forensic science, American popular music and Mandarin Chinese. Advanced Placement, or AP, is available for year-long courses. Enrollment is free.
For the rest of the article, go to Virtual High School expands opportunities for Columbia students
The issue is not just money, Cunningham said. Only half of Missouri students are testing as proficient in core subjects, she said, and 40 percent of college students need remedial help. She suggested that rural districts could become charter districts, allowing them to escape teacher tenure rules. More flexible attendance rules to overcome district boundaries set decades ago also could help, she said.
Cunningham questioned the decision to cut funding for the on-line Virtual School, calling it “a move away from the delivery system of the future.”
For the rest of the article, go to Panel looks to tweak formula
WALLA WALLA – Walla Walla Public Schools has partnered with a St. Louis-based online learning firm to offer online courses to local students.
The district began offering classes through Greenways Academy at the start of this school year, following an initial trial run with some students over the summer. Any student – even those not in Walla Walla schools – can elect to take one or more classes to supplement coursework, to make up classes, or simply as an alternative to traditional schooling.
For the rest of the article, go to NEW Walla Walla connects with online school
Third, give families real school choice. Our research has consistently shown that education is improved when parents and students are given more choices and traditional public schools face greater competition from charter and virtual schools. Adjusted for inflation, we spend four times as much for education in urban areas today as in 1960, but educational achievement is no higher.
Today, the St. Louis and Kansas City school districts spend more than $15,000 a pupil — more than all but the most expensive private schools. Charter schools provide a real opportunity for poor students stuck in failing schools. They also enable teachers and administrators to innovate more freely and force other public schools to improve their performance in order to compete successfully.
For the rest of the article, go to New Year’s hopes from the Show-Me Institute
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