Evaluation of a K-12 online school in Colorado

By: Christina Narayan

School Overview:
In 2002, this K-12 online school started. While the number of students has varied over that time, it now serves just under five hundred students from all of the state of Colorado. Last school year, eighty-two school districts were represented in the student population. The Student bodys race/ethnicity was as follows in the 08-09 school year: 80% White, 17% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Pacific Islander or Asian and 1% American Indian or Alaskan Native. 15% of the students are considered at-risk. At my school, the student to teacher ratio is 1:20. There are 154 Secondary Courses offered (Grades 7-12) and in the 0809 year, there was a 6% drop out rate which was the lowest for all sixteen CO online students in the CDEs report.

Administrative:
Policy:
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

Planning:
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

Budget:
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

Administration Information:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent

As an online school, we rely on technology to connect and teach our students. Teachers work from their home offices and students connect through computers and the internet to class. There are specific policies from the office that regulate the use of technology for both students and teachers. Budgets are generally reworked year to year based on the number of students and funding but long-term budgets are not discussed. An electronic administrative system is required and used by the entire staff with no administrative paper systems.

Curricular:
Electronic Information:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent

Assessment:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent

Curricular Integration:

Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent

Teacher Use:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent

Student Use:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent Technology is essential for assessment and curriculum and all that teachers and students do at this school. NWEA is administered over the internet to students in their homes three times a year for second grade and up. An electronic database holds all this data as well as teacher-input data from the DRA2 test which is administered 1:1 by teachers in the online classroom. Licenses for online programs, e-books, e-texts and other resources are provided to both teachers and students. All staff and students rely daily on technology for school.

Support:
Stakeholder Involvement:
Behavioral: Islands Resource/infrastructure: Emergent

Administrative Support:
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

Training:
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

Technical/Infrastructure Support:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent Most technology decisions are explained to stakeholders, but few are involved in the process of making them. Administration is involved in the on-going process. School wide training occurs yearly for all staff and some teachers continue training on their own each year. There are two full-time tech support individuals to serve both students and staff all school year.

Connectivity:
Local Area Networking (LAN):
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

District Area Networking (WAN):

Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

Internet Access:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent

Communication Systems:
Behavioral: Intelligent Resource/infrastructure: Intelligent It is required for all staff and students to have internet access and use email daily. The Internet is required to communicate with teachers, engage in curriculum and attend virtual classes. Classes are conducted over the Internet and through VOIP or calling in conference numbers. Live video instruction is not utilized at this time. As students and teachers reside all over the state, each is required to sustain their own internet connections. The schools physical office also has high speed internet and a server.

Innovation:
New Technologies:
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated

Comprehensive Technologies:
Behavioral: Integrated Resource/infrastructure: Integrated As in all environments, there are many opportunities for new technology and learning and most teachers embrace this, while there are a few who continue to teach in previous, familiar paths. Video conferencing is not currently in place however, utilized technology is otherwise fairly comprehensive. Overall, our K-12 school is in between integrated and intelligent. Due to the nature of the school, technology has been a key component since its inception. Every teacher who is hired is required to use technology to teach every day. There is still room for improvement to involve more stakeholders in the planning process and all teachers need to continue to look for trainings outside yearly, required tech training sessions. However, all in all, with computers loaned to every student and monies provided for internet bills, online curriculum and classes, full-time tech support, school-wide technology trainings, this school is well on its way to achieving intelligent placement.