to access the full proposal

advertisement
Request for Flexibility
2014-15 Proposal
INSTRUCTIONS: Please write your responses in the boxes below.
SCHOOL NAME:
Centennial HS
CONCEPT NAME:
“Virtual/Online Learning” focused General Study Skills Elective
STRATEGIC INITIATIVE: Customized Learning: PLATO/GAVS credit recovery lab offered every period
Concept Summary
1) Describe the need/challenge
that your school seeks to
address.
The challenge is that we have a population of students with limited computer
access outside of school that need both credit recovery during the school day
and elective credit to meet graduation requirements.
Due to their limited access, these students do not have the ability to complete
credit recovery outside of school. However, if they take credit recovery during
the school day they lose the opportunity to receive elective credit needed for
graduation. In addition, these students often lack adequate study skills to
succeed in on-line learning environments which are becoming increasingly
prevalent in college and career settings.
2) Describe the proposed
concept, and explain how it
addresses the need/challenge
identified above.
The flexibility that we seek is a seat time waiver in order to allow students to
simultaneously earn a Study Skills credit while completing their credit recovery
courses during school hours.
Centennial wishes to create a “Virtual/Online Learning” General Study Skills
class for elective credit in which students learn and demonstrate mastery of
virtual/online study skills through their work to successfully complete credit
recovery courses – an effort they are completing in order to successfully
graduate and continue into their college and career futures. The course would
be measuring student mastery of learned skills and study strategies necessary
to successfully manage a virtual, self-paced, independent study. The course will
have clearly defined standards and curriculum upon which grading and course
credit is based. The class would create more access to elective credits for
students through their development and mastery of study skills tailored to
virtual learning (time management, technology use, organizational skills,
independent motivation) which are essential to be college and career ready in
the 21st century. By leveraging the class time students are already investing by
being in the virtual lab one full period per day (57 minutes), we can successfully
offer the virtual/online learning support students would need to also fulfill a
general study skills elective. The curriculum for the “Virtual/Online Learning”
General Study Skills General Elective would include: participation in an online
credit recovery course, accompanied by a virtual learning/online study skills
elective.
1|Page
8/14/2014
Request for Flexibility
2014-15 Proposal
3) Include any research or
evidence that the concept will
positively affect your school’s
student population. If no
research exists, please
articulate the rationale for
the likelihood of success of
the concept, and describe
your plans for risk mitigation.
4) Outline the expected results
in the columns to the right.
In 2013, Centennial had 47 high school graduates who completed their high
school graduation credits by utilizing the virtual lab, during the day, for credit
recovery. In 2014, Centennial had 78 students who completed their high school
graduation credits using the virtual lab to recover credit through GAVS and
PLATO. In both years, however, these very same students struggled to compete
the necessary elective credit needed (a total of 4 elective credits are required).
Some even tried to complete elective credits online, but many of the nonacademic electives are not available virtually. While our overall graduation rate
did increase by nearly 4% in the 2014 graduation year, Centennial still had
many students off-track to graduate as reflected in our graduation rate of 83%.
All credit recovery students who did not graduate on-time could have
benefitted from our proposal to create a General Education Study Skills elective
whose academic focus is virtual/online learning skills. With more than 200
students currently enrolled in the credit recovery program (sophomores,
juniors, and seniors combined) we have many students who not only need the
benefits of credit recovery but are already putting forth the necessary classtime to master the virtual learning environment.
Project Outcomes
Short-Term Goals
Long-Term Outcomes

Increase in
Centennial’s
graduation
rate

Reduce the
number of
credit
deficient,
retained
students

Meeting the
district’s
overall
graduation
goal of 90%
on-time by
2017



Offer elective
credit to
students
enrolled in
the virtual
lab credit
recovery
program.
Increased
confidence in
students to
complete
virtual
classes
Support for
online
students in
our ever
changing
web 2.0
world




Increase in graduation rate
A robust elective offering of
general study skills that focus
on the virtual learner
Customized/personalized
learning for all students
Increase students’ exposure
to academic, credit-earning,
experience-based learning
activities.
Waiver(s) Requested
5) List any waivers from state
law, regulation, and/or rule
required to implement the
concept. (Facilitators will
2|Page
State Law O.C.G.A. § 20-2-151(b) which defines the number of hours of instructional
time for all educational programs.
8/14/2014
Request for Flexibility
2014-15 Proposal
identify the specific laws,
regulations, and/or rules
requiring exemption.)
6) List any flexibility from Fulton Board Policy IHF (8) which defines minimum clock hours of instruction for one unit of
credit – 150 per semester.
County Schools’ policy
required to implement the
concept. (Facilitators will
identify the specific Fulton
County Schools policies
requiring exemptions.)
Impact on Students and Families, Personnel, Departments, Processes, and Schools
7) List any impact of the concept
on the following:
 Students and families;
 Personnel;
 The school schedule;
 Transportation;
 School nutrition;
 Teaching, learning,
and assessment;
 Other schools; and
 Any other area not
addressed above.
8) Please use the budget
template on the next page to
provide the estimated costs
of the proposed concept. In
the space to the right, please
identify, to the extent
possible, how you plan to
modify your school budget to
cover additional costs. If
applicable, identify external
funding sources.
3|Page






Students and families – Positive impact: students are able to earn
credit for virtual learning study skills they are acquiring while
enrolled in a credit recovery online course at school such as GAVS or
PLATO.
Personnel – Positive impact: an opportunity for staff to teach a
study skills elective
The school schedule – Maximizes time in the lab – no change to
physical schedule.
Transportation – N/A
School nutrition – N/A
Teaching, learning, and assessment – The General Study Skills
elective would need a supplemented written curriculum around best
practices in Virtual Learning.
Budget
There would be no cost anticipated, unless we have to budget for an additional
teaching allocation. We are planning to have our Graduation Coach be the
teacher of record and our Virtual Learning Instructor supervise.
8/14/2014
Request for Flexibility
2014-15 Proposal
INSTRUCTIONS: Please enter the expected costs of your concept for the applicable school year(s). To calculate the totals for the Amount Budgeted columns, highlight the
entire table, and press F9. You may customize the budget items.
SCHOOL NAME:
<Insert School Year>
<Insert School Year>
Budget Item
Item Description
Amount
Proposed Funding
Amount
Proposed Funding
Amount
Proposed Funding Notes
(Include quantities Budgeted*
Source(s)**
Budgeted*
Source(s)**
Budgeted*
Source(s)**
if applicable)
Teacher(s)
0
0
0
Paraprofessional(s)
0
0
0
Support Staff
0
0
0
Additional Pay
(certified)/Overtime
(non-certified)
Equipment
0
0
0
0
0
0
Supplies/Materials
0
0
0
Professional
Development
Independent
Contractor(s)
Transportation
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Supplements
0
0
0
Other Professional
Services
Other
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other
0
0
0
$ 0.00
$ 0.00
$ 0.00
GRAND TOTALS
*When determining the Amount Budgeted for personnel costs, the principal should consult with the Learning Community Human Resources Director.
**For the Proposed Funding Source(s), please indicate which of the following funding sources you intend to use: General Fund, Student Activities Fund, School Foundation/PTA,
FCS Seed Fund, Grants, or Other (please specify the source).
4|Page
8/11/2014
Download