Student interest appears to be growing in Snoqualmie Valley School District’s online learning venture.
Since September, 40 students have enrolled in the Snoqualmie Valley Virtual Academy, taking one or more high school classes online. Of those students, four are taking the full semester, six classes, in the online environment, program coordinator Lisa Truemper told the Snoqualmie Valley School Board at its Feb. 3 meeting.
Enrollment is now at 13.2 students at a full-time equivalency, Truemper said, exceeding the goal of 12 students, set when the academy opened last August.
Truemper and district Technology Manager Jeff Hogan, briefed the school board on the overall progress of the online-learning program, and their goals for its future.
The virtual academy offers online courses from Aventa, a state-approved curriculum provider. Students complete the classes on their own computers at home, and they have access to subject mentors like Truemper, as well as opportunities to work and discuss class material with other students across the state who are enrolled in the same class. They also can virtually meet course instructors during regularly scheduled office hours.
This year, it’s available primarily to students in grades 9-12, but Truemper and Hogan hope to expand the offering to lower grade levels. The academy already has one exception, a third-grade student taking high school algebra. Exceptions are common, since the programming can be adapted to meet students’ specific needs.
“It’s really flexible what I can do for the different kids,” Truemper said.
Students can take from one to seven classes online each day, repeat classes that they’ve failed, work with an in-person mentor on various subjects, “meet” with their teachers or other students online, and take advanced classes that the district was unable to offer in person because of low enrollment.
Costs are mostly covered by state funding, since the district receives full state funding for only those students who take courses in the district. Students do have to pay additional fees if they choose to take advanced-placement courses, complete a seventh-period class, or retake a class that they previously failed, a feature called credit recovery.
Truemper also discussed how she oversees students in the program. The process begins with students taking a self-assessment, which is very important, she said. Not all students will do well in this environment.
“They need to understand that this is online learning,” she said. Students who are self-directed and able to ask for help are good candidates for the program.
Next, the students’ counselors recommend specific classes for the students, and finally, Truemper gives both students and parents an orientation into the program.
During the year, both she and the parents receive weekly reports on student progress. Students must log in every day, and Truemper is able to track their overall progress as well as time spent on each subject, to see how quickly students are grasping the curriculum.
“I’m watching the grade, but I’m watching the percentage of growth, too,” she said.
Board members responded very enthusiastically to her report and asked several questions. Truemper answered the questions as clearly as she could, but emphasized that the solution was customized to each student so there was no typical answer.
Detailed course offerings from the virtual academy are online at the district’s website, www.svsd410.org, under Schools > Snoqualmie Valley Virtual Academy
Enrollment projections
District Finance Manager Ryan Stokes skipped his usual budget presentation in favor of an initial review of enrollment projections, which the board will be asked to adopt at its Feb. 17 meeting.
For the 2011-12 school year, average enrollment is expected to increase by just under 2 percent, he said. Grades 6-8 will see a 5 percent increase in enrollment next year, which Stokes noted was the enrollment increase the district was expecting to see in the high school by 2013.
Freshman Learning Center
Curriculum Director Don McConkey presented a status report on planning for the high school’s new freshman campus, opening in the fall of 2013 at Snoqualmie Middle School.
Curriculum, administration, transportation and facilities are all being discussed now, but the focus is on curriculum, which will have an effect on the other areas, so it needs to be determined soonest. So far, McConkey said, plans are for a four-module approach at the freshman campus, language arts, world history, math and science. Also, the district plans to implement the proposed future Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) model at the freshman campus, and expand it from there into the higher grade levels. Special education and extra-curricular programming are not resolved yet.
McConkey hoped to have curriculum decisions settled by early 2012, with administration and staffing decisions soon to follow. He said many staff members have expressed interest in working at the freshman campus. Facilities changes will be made during the summers.
A middle school boundary review is planned for the fall of 2012.
