Roundatable Discussions by Deb

Roundtable I: Staff Recruitment (Kimbell)

Note: Look at Blackboard and they will train! Has all the classroom management stuff. Go on http://www.blackboard.com/

Negotiated contract to pay teachers-take an 18 week course and work it out for 12 weeks
Start a term every month
Teachers are now coming to them because of advertising-market, market, market for students, parents and teachers
Stamp a logo on everything-vendor at state conference
Started out of an alternative so teachers thought in a different way
Kids pop in and out (including expelled)
Own courses (c college hosts and trains-$5000 plus $60 for half credit-Kim does no tech support-e college does this)
Adjunct salaries-1200 for 12 months plus incentives ($90 for successful student completion
10-20 students limits in class
No provisions of laptops for staff or students
All content is canned-no prep needed for teachers
PE (aerobics using heart monitors for accountability) on line!!!
Requires a proxy test for each course-not mom/dad!
Students are granted credits and then they go back to Rapid City for diploma stuff
Some adults taking for graduation!
Teachers seeing the e-facilitator course as an a positive benefit for their future as educator
Teachers have to keep phone log of student contact weekly (buy phone cards)and students get to help evaluate

Roundtable 2: Special Education

Enroll fulltime students k-8 (only 500 students before going online-now up 800 in this program)
Reasons involved:
Competing in academic success
Competing beyond boundaries
How to follow through on IEP’s virtually-legal issues
How to select right students/parents-good communication on the frontend
Can’t reject, but can give good info and roles
Work with districts-teleconferences with IEP issues
Include communication issues in contract
Review current IEP and the role of virtual program is to enhance their success
Parents can go on line and experience sample lessons for the kids-include a grid as evaluation to help parent understand issues like least restrictive environment (home is often seen as least restrictive)
Part-time students are granted credits and work through own district
Can’t serve every special ed student in this program
Spend more time on frontend expectations-this is not an easy way out for students
Use “day in the life” of a student lesson to help parents understand what they are getting into-responsible adult has to be involved on daily basis-part of requirement
Do have face to face, group outings and testing
Groups-biggest=autistic, then younger speech and language and then behavioral
2 special ed teachers provide support in many ways and set up regular sessions with students to help parent be the best teacher for their own students
Provide computer but not connectivity
Writing is touch-online kids are doing as well as traditional school

Roundtable 3: Curriculum
Insight buys content from various vendors
Scenario based learning vs games
End-what do we want students to be experiencing?
How do we retain that student?
Have to have a pathway students can follow
Dual enrollment-look into seriously
Make sure content is portable (in xml)
Ask them what their business model-how do they maintain and adjust the curriculum content-can district adapt curriculum?
If looking at full-time students, find whole core content-if looking at part-time, the scope is different
Cheaper to buy the whole k-12 curriculum
Costs 100,000 to build a course unless instructional model is supplemented
Read clearly the contracts from the curriculum companies
Video content is helpful because of how kids are already learning
Look at models that include other modalities
Look at Branson Colorado
Lookk at student Portal opportunities