Virtual High School
VHS History
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Founded in 1996
Concord Consortium & Hudson Public Schools,
Hudson, Massachusetts
$7.4M funding 1996-2001: US Dept of Education
Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Purpose
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Develop Internet-based online courses for high school
students
Research and evaluation by SRI (Stanford Research
International)
Accredited by the Middle States Commission on
Secondary Schools (MSCSS)
VHS Mission and Beliefs
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Any school’s instructional process can include
a high quality collaborative learning
environment
Education should not be limited by barriers of
time, place, or lack of qualified faculty
Online learning should augment (not replace)
traditional teaching
A collaborative network provides an
abundant and generous community to share
resources
Benefits to Students
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Extensive selection of
courses
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Classes of 25 studentparticipants from:
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21st Century Skills
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Learning with Technology
AP
Honors
G&T
Middle School
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717 schools
33 states
43 countries
459 Teachers
>13,000 students
20 Advanced Placement Courses
• Art History
• Biology
• Calculus AB
• Calculus BC
• Computer Science A
• Economics: Micro & Macro
• English Language and
Composition
• English Literature and
Composition
• Environmental Science
• European History
•French Language
• Government and Politics
• Music Theory
• Physics B
• Physics C
• Psychology
• Spanish Language/
Spanish V
• Statistics
• US History
• World History
VHS is qualified through AP Course Audit
to label their courses “AP”
38 Honors Courses
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101 Ways to Write a Short Story
Advanced Topics in Chemistry
Algebra 2
Anatomy and Physiology
Animal Behavior and Zoology
Art History
Arts and Ideas
Astronomy Basics
Bioethics Symposium
Computational Science and Engineering
Using Java
Criminology
Cultural Identity through Literature
Eastern and Western Thought
Environmental Chemistry
Folklore and Literature of Myth, Magic and
Ritual
Genes and Diseases
History of Photography
Introduction to:
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Calculus AB
Chemistry
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Computer Science
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Economics
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English Literature
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Environmental Science
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Government
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Physics B
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Psychology
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Statistics
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U.S. History
Modern Middle East
Oceanography
Philosophy
Preveterinary Medicine
Psychology of Crime
Shakespeare in Films
Spanish Culture
The Glory of Ancient Rome
The Golden Age of Classical Greece
Twentieth Century Women Authors
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Select Standard Courses
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Academic Writing
Advanced Web Design
Algebra 1
American Foreign Policy
American Popular Music
Animation and Effects
Bad Boys in Literature
Basic Mandarin
Biotechnology
Blogs, Wikis and Web Tools
Business and Personal Law
Career Awareness
Caribbean Art History
Contemporary Irish Literature
DNA Technology
Entrepreneurship
Epidemics
Forensic Science
German Language and Culture
Heroes
History and American Pop Music
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Investing in the Stock Market
Journalism in the Digital Age
Kindergarten Apprentice Teacher
Latin 1 and 2
Literacy Skills for the 21st Century
Maritime History
Math You Can Use in College
Meteorology
Music Composition
Mythology
Nuclear Physics
Peacemaking
Personal Finance
Perspectives in Health
Poetry Writing
Portuguese 1
Screenwriting Fundamentals
Sports and American Society
The Human Body
The Holocaust
World Religions
Benefits to Schools
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Affordable sharing of
professional resources
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Average years teaching: 16
85% hold Master’s Degree
Quality Benchmarks (QBI history –
12 years)
National and global community
Expands scope and depth of
teacher instructional skills
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Teachers: 10-Week Netcourse
Instructional Methodologies
Extensive delivery tools
Chickering and Ehrman
Seven Best Practices
for Technology-Based
Education*
• Emphasizes time on task
•High Expectations
•Rich, Rapid Feedback
•Active Learning
•Interaction with Faculty
•Interaction with Peers
•Respect for diversity of
learning styles and
worldviews
*postsecondary
Why VHS?
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Access to hundreds of courses to fill resource
gap
Flexibility for scheduling
– Computer Lab
– Library
Cost effectiveness (non-profit consortium)
VHS leadership in high school distance learning
Roles & Responsibilities
To Ensure:
• Quality of Courses
• Quality of Professional
Development
• Quality of Services &
Program
• Instruction
(Requires 10-week
NIM course)
• Communication
• Regular
Assessment
• Course Design
• New Course
Development
Instructor
VHS
Administration
Site
Coordinator
• Recruitment
• Registration
• Technical Support
• Represents the Instructor “on the ground”
• Communication with parents, VHS,
instructor
•Monitor and report progress
Course Delivery
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Asynchronous
Mode
Desire2Learn
platform
Classes follow a
semester (15-wk)
schedule
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Most courses
semester length
AP, language, and
some core courses
are full-year
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Assignments due at
specified intervals
Students complete
work, including
discussions, anytime
during the week
21st Century Learning
Digital-Age Literacy Includes:
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Basic Language
Scientific
Economic
Technological
Visual
Information
Multicultural
Global Awareness
www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/skills.htm
21st Century Partnership
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Skills for life and work in the 21st Century
Founded by industry leaders, including Apple, Cisco, Dell, and
Microsoft in partnership with NEA
Students not prepared for demands of 21st century
In addition to curriculum’s rigorous content, it must have real
world relevance
Employability and enterprise skills
Creativity, Innovation
Information literacy
Flexibility, adaptability
Critical thinking
Collaboration
Initiative, self-direction
Problem solving
Research, inquiry
Productivity
Decision making
Media literacy
Leadership and
responsibility
Communication
Digital citizenship
Information and
communication
technologies
Why VHS
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VHS sets the standard
for excellence in
online education
United States Distance
Learning Association
Awards:
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Best Practices in Distance
Learning
Best Practices in Online
Technology and K-12
Education
Online Programming
Excellence – Gold
Recipient
Additional VHS Awards
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2001 Stockholm Challenge Award for
Global Excellence in Information
Technology
American School Board Journal’s Magna
2000 Award for exemplary use of
technology in Education
Model for National Education Association
online learning standards
Student Success Factors
Self-direction
and
motivation
Good time
management
skills
Good
organizational
skills
Comfortable
with
technology
Good reading
and writing
skills
Inquisitive
2008 University of Tennessee Study
VHS teachers surveyed to determine factors for course
success
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Major factors:
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Time management
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Organization skills
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Frequent participation
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Learning style
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Reading (visual)
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Listening (auditory)
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Seeing (visual)
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Speaking (auditory)
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Doing (tactile/kinesthetic)
Podcasts
Interactive
Activities
Discussion
Threads &
Journals
Team
Projects
Minor factors:
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Technology skills
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Record of academic success
Active Learning
Student Survey Findings…
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Students developed independent learning skills (43 percent).
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Students appreciated the quality, content, and structure of their courses
(34 percent).
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[I valued] the independence we are given to complete our assignments on
time without a teacher physically reminding us every day. The flexible
schedule is also awesome as a senior to help prepare us for college.
VHS courses let me learn, the way I want and need to, and not just memorize
data for standardized tests.
Students valued the opportunity to interact with new people (17
percent).
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You get to meet many different people from all different backgrounds which
provides a very interesting learning atmosphere.
…Continued
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Students liked the expanded access to courses (14 percent).
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The online courses that are available were not part of my in-school curriculum
so I decide[d] to expand my learning and prepare for college.
Students felt they had quality instructors (8 percent).
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My instructor gave us problems that are related to real things in life and other
problems that made us think.