October 10, 2006
The entire meeting was spent in a conference call with Sue Steiner from Kiel e-school. It was extremely helpful and we learned a great deal-we especially learned how much we still have to learn!
Questions for Conference Call
Are your online courses bought or do you use your own staff?
Ans: They do some of each with 90% of their current classes taught by their own staff. This has occurred as a result of a great deal of staff training initially and ongoing!
Are you an instrumentality or noninstrumentality school?
Ans: Instrumentality in that there are teachers who have not bargained into the union contract
How many courses must a student take before he/she counts as a Kiel district student?
Ans: A student is considered a Kiel student if she/he is fulltime or almost fulltime. However, “fulltime” is a term that each district defines for itself
Can a current Kiel student choose to take classes from the charter school only if it is not already offered in the curriculum?
Ans: A Kiel student can take any online course even if it is offered traditionally in the district. However, all their e-school students have to go through an application and screening process so you don’t get students just trying to find an easy way through (e-classes are NOT easier!) or get out of having a particular teacher
Has the district lost a large number of its current students to the charter school?
Ans: No, not at all!
Even though students aren’t really “lost” to the district, what happens to the teachers if their own classes are smaller?
Ans: No teacher has lost a job because of the e-school (some from declining enrollment or class reductions, but not as a result of the e-school)
How do they get a diploma from Kiel?
Ans: e-school students get same diploma as traditional students-DPI is moving toward recommending an option of an e-school diploma
Do charter school students take the state tests?
Ans: Yes, required
How did you develop coaches and how much of their time was devoted to that?
Didn’t ask
What are the main lessons you have learned-what should we do? What shouldn’t we do?
Ans: Start small and do a lot of homework and early investigations-maybe try out having some students participate in an established school. Be customer service orientated! Go the distance to help students! Kiel has a 92-94% course completion record
Why did you choose to go all year around?
Didn’t ask
You indicate that the key is the local mentor/teacher-tell us about this and what makes it so successful
Ans: This person gets students into courses, orientates them, keeps tabs on progress, and notifies sending school if student isn’t progressing or working.
Interesting that your e-students have access and can participate in all other aspects of your services and district activities-how does that work?
Ans: If counted as a Kiel student, as per district definition, they can participate in everything and WIAA has agreed-If student is from another district and only taking one class, he can’t participate
Explain how you link online learning experiences to life skills and employment opportunities to ensure real world application-was this a foundational decision?
Didn’t ask
How many in your planning team were parents?
Ans: Planning team of 18 with 5 parents (some of whom also represented business, labor, etc-dual role!)
Marcia’s questions:
How is the school paid for classes taken by students?
Ans: Outside schools pay $330 for each student for each class and the home school gets the state aide
Can students drop classes at any time or is there a time restriction?
Ans: 3 weeks to drop
Are classes independent with work to be completed independently or does the student have specific assignments to be completed at regular intervals?
Ans: Lots of variety in assignment and students can operate at a traditional, accelerated or enhanced pace-again, e-school is NOT easy. Note: Currently, 11 semester classes are being offered here through CESA 9’s virtual academy and they only allow 5 months for a student to complete a course!
Rich’s Questions:
How has the “virtual” charter school option affected standard school enrollment?
Ans: There has been no real impact. Most students in e-school are part-time, taking some e-classes along with regular classes and some even above and beyond normal load. There are only 2-3 full-time online Kiel students (usually for extenuating circumstances-health, pregnancy, home school). Only a handful of students come from “open enrollment” as Kiel’s philosophy is that they want to work WITH districts rather than compete with them. Kiel is partnered with Appleton and provides services for 15 other districts and draws students from these districts.
I understand that curriculum software can be purchased and teachers don’t have to be involved in instructional preparations, but rather can act as tutors. If this is correct, approximately how many hours of tutorial support can teachers be expected to be involved in?
Ans: Many of Kiel teachers teach online and it initially takes 40% more time, but it’s just like using a new textbook or having a new course to teach traditionally-the longer you do it, the less extra time it takes. Staff training is a huge component.
Regarding staff response to virtual instruction, are your teachers in favor of this approach or do they see problems looming on the horizon! Specifically, what positives do they see and what problems are they encountering or anticipating?
Ans: There was some concern initially of lost jobs and feeling they were not appreciated for the job they were doing, but what has occurred is that the students and teachers have both benefited. The teacher doesn’t have to deal with a student who has trouble in a traditional setting and the student gets the option of the e-school setting. Some students who do very poorly in traditional setting do very well in e-school.
What has been the response relative to college entrance?
Ans: Many colleges now have online courses and students who have had experience with online prior to college adjust so well. Online classes are not identified on the transcript, but read just like a traditional class
Other points made:
Kiel is a year round school and this allows not only flexibility in the day in terms of when students are online, but also flexibility as to what time of the year classes can be taken
Schools sending students have a supervisory teacher in charge of their students to which the online teacher can have contact
Kiel e-school used Florida Virtual School for many of its initial courses on a contractual basis and now has many of its teachers either using that curriculum or, in some cases, even designing their own! Kiel checked out many vendors before choosing Florida and have had great success with this program. Note: buying a curriculum is VERY expensive as in $36,000-$44,000!!
Have taken expelled students on a case by case basis or offering the e-school as one more chance before expulsion
The best classroom teacher may not make the best online teacher nor does the best classroom student necessarily make the best online student!
Teachers all get calling cards to have more contact with students. They can even arrange face to face and oral tests and lots of communication
Kiel now has over 400 semester course enrollments!
Sue reminded us several times that we are there to help students and she believes this really is a win-win as both teachers and students benefit
Sue is willing to work with us anytime!
Note: I have tried to capture most of what was discussed, though it was all new and fast! If I have written any of this up inaccurately, please let me know and I will make the corrections and send it out again!
Cheerfully submitted: deb Gerard
Showing posts with label meetings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meetings. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Charter School Planning Meeting #5
September 6, 2006
I. Update on planning team membership
A. Team to include: Rich T, Marcia B, Doreen K, Jenice W, Janel B, Don A, Nick A and deb G
B. Nick will contact parent for involvement (Lennae Wudstrack)
C. Discussion as to why this is being attempted-a way to keep the district solid and address needs of various disenfranchised students
II. Information from other virtual schools
A. Information has been received from several schools with more coming
III. Answers to questions from last meeting (see minutes)
A. Questions still need answers relative to:
1. how students count for graduation,
2. what constitutes a full-time student,
3. how do we count a part-time student and
4. do charter students take the state tests
IV. Next steps
A. In light of insufficient understanding of this process and lack of parent involvement, district will postpone grant application til June, 2007
B. The next steps will involve conference calls with other charter schools starting with Kiel
C. The DPI has also been contacted to determine if there are workshops or conferences we can attend to prepare for writing this grant
D. Some team members will go to the Virtual School Conference in Plano Texas Nov 5-7 (Nick will invite all team members and get list of who is going)
V. Next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 10th at 3:30 –intended to be a conference call with Kiel (waiting on confirmation!)
Note: Anything in italics was added AFTER the meeting
I. Update on planning team membership
A. Team to include: Rich T, Marcia B, Doreen K, Jenice W, Janel B, Don A, Nick A and deb G
B. Nick will contact parent for involvement (Lennae Wudstrack)
C. Discussion as to why this is being attempted-a way to keep the district solid and address needs of various disenfranchised students
II. Information from other virtual schools
A. Information has been received from several schools with more coming
III. Answers to questions from last meeting (see minutes)
A. Questions still need answers relative to:
1. how students count for graduation,
2. what constitutes a full-time student,
3. how do we count a part-time student and
4. do charter students take the state tests
IV. Next steps
A. In light of insufficient understanding of this process and lack of parent involvement, district will postpone grant application til June, 2007
B. The next steps will involve conference calls with other charter schools starting with Kiel
C. The DPI has also been contacted to determine if there are workshops or conferences we can attend to prepare for writing this grant
D. Some team members will go to the Virtual School Conference in Plano Texas Nov 5-7 (Nick will invite all team members and get list of who is going)
V. Next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 10th at 3:30 –intended to be a conference call with Kiel (waiting on confirmation!)
Note: Anything in italics was added AFTER the meeting
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Charter School Meeting #4: Expanded Team
August 15, 2006
Present: Lori Rowe, Wanda Minniecheske, Jenice Wiesensel, Don Aanonsen, Nick Alioto, Pat Brietenfeldt, Doreen Kakes, Janel Bedor, deb Gerard
Note: Most in attendance, with exception of Nick, Don, Janel and deb, were here to get information prior to deciding whether to be part of the planning team.
Nick presented an overview of the charter school plan to date followed by discussion resulting in the following:
There is a lot of money out there for charter schools so we are likely to get the planning grant
Plan is for a K-12 Virtual Academy-nothing unique, but filling a needed role
Targeting homeschool students-a fast growing population
Research indicates that parents are homeschooling for a number of reasons and not just for religious reasons anymore
Our teachers would provide mentoring/tutoring and a level of accountability for students taking these online courses
This is a “win-win” situation as students get an opportunity to learn in a different way and this district is able to utilize current staff in additional ways in light of declining enrollments which would otherwise eventually require staff cuts or partial contracts.
Tigerton would be offering an instrumentality charter school which means we would be utilizing our own teachers as opposed to a noninstrumentality school that uses teachers from somewhere else.
Initially, the district would be buying curriculum and using our staff as mentors/tutors with future plans to possibly develop courses using our own teachers
Initial cost depends on where the district gets the curriculum
The Charter School is funded first by grants in the planning and initial implementation stage and then by charter school students being counted as Tigerton students and thereby qualifying the district to claim state aide for them.
Research shows that students need mentors/tutors while attending virtual school
Vocational/noncore classes are already at risk from competition and that would remain the case should Tigerton offer a charter school (though it might not increase that level of competition now present)
Tigerton teachers would remain under same contract with the Tigerton District even though mentoring for the charter school students.
There is a bill now in the legislature requiring all students have at least one online course in order to graduate.
Students who chose, for example, to attend ½ day in Tigerton and ½ virtual school would have to find own transportation
Janel indicated that there is a foundation that is designing a cheap but effective laptop to make available to homes without computers-some would be needed for students in this district
Several questions need answers including:
How many courses must a student take before he/she counts as Tigerton student?
Would district consider moving to a 6 hour teaching day utilizing the remaining 2 hours for mentoring and professional development/collaboration?
Can current Tigerton student choose to take classes from charter school? Yes, but not a course that was currently offered in the Tigerton School?
Would the district lose a large number of its current students to the charter school?
How do we count students who only take some credits-are they “nongraduates”? How do they get a diploma from Tigerton? What are minimum requirements?
Do charter school students take the State tests?
The meeting ended with Wanda indicating she would like to be a part of the planning committee. Others will let Nick know ASAP. Everyone was asked to think of names of parents who might be interested in being involved and submit those names to Nick or Don.
Next meeting will take place Wednesday, September 6th at 3:30 in the district office.
Present: Lori Rowe, Wanda Minniecheske, Jenice Wiesensel, Don Aanonsen, Nick Alioto, Pat Brietenfeldt, Doreen Kakes, Janel Bedor, deb Gerard
Note: Most in attendance, with exception of Nick, Don, Janel and deb, were here to get information prior to deciding whether to be part of the planning team.
Nick presented an overview of the charter school plan to date followed by discussion resulting in the following:
There is a lot of money out there for charter schools so we are likely to get the planning grant
Plan is for a K-12 Virtual Academy-nothing unique, but filling a needed role
Targeting homeschool students-a fast growing population
Research indicates that parents are homeschooling for a number of reasons and not just for religious reasons anymore
Our teachers would provide mentoring/tutoring and a level of accountability for students taking these online courses
This is a “win-win” situation as students get an opportunity to learn in a different way and this district is able to utilize current staff in additional ways in light of declining enrollments which would otherwise eventually require staff cuts or partial contracts.
Tigerton would be offering an instrumentality charter school which means we would be utilizing our own teachers as opposed to a noninstrumentality school that uses teachers from somewhere else.
Initially, the district would be buying curriculum and using our staff as mentors/tutors with future plans to possibly develop courses using our own teachers
Initial cost depends on where the district gets the curriculum
The Charter School is funded first by grants in the planning and initial implementation stage and then by charter school students being counted as Tigerton students and thereby qualifying the district to claim state aide for them.
Research shows that students need mentors/tutors while attending virtual school
Vocational/noncore classes are already at risk from competition and that would remain the case should Tigerton offer a charter school (though it might not increase that level of competition now present)
Tigerton teachers would remain under same contract with the Tigerton District even though mentoring for the charter school students.
There is a bill now in the legislature requiring all students have at least one online course in order to graduate.
Students who chose, for example, to attend ½ day in Tigerton and ½ virtual school would have to find own transportation
Janel indicated that there is a foundation that is designing a cheap but effective laptop to make available to homes without computers-some would be needed for students in this district
Several questions need answers including:
How many courses must a student take before he/she counts as Tigerton student?
Would district consider moving to a 6 hour teaching day utilizing the remaining 2 hours for mentoring and professional development/collaboration?
Can current Tigerton student choose to take classes from charter school? Yes, but not a course that was currently offered in the Tigerton School?
Would the district lose a large number of its current students to the charter school?
How do we count students who only take some credits-are they “nongraduates”? How do they get a diploma from Tigerton? What are minimum requirements?
Do charter school students take the State tests?
The meeting ended with Wanda indicating she would like to be a part of the planning committee. Others will let Nick know ASAP. Everyone was asked to think of names of parents who might be interested in being involved and submit those names to Nick or Don.
Next meeting will take place Wednesday, September 6th at 3:30 in the district office.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Charter School Meeting #3
July 26, 2006
Discussion and Action:
deb emailed all the virtual schools and is waiting for responses
We will need to hire an oversight person as overall manager type
Nick is writing a letter to both staff and parents and will incorporate the rationale for the charter school and its vision to save and not eliminate personnel
The parents to be contacted will be Sue Laatsch, Cheryl Ritter and Lee Kretlow
Nick will also contact Sarah from Marion College to join our planning team and Janel will talk to North Eastern Tech College in Wausau
We are considering going to the virtual school conference in Plano TX on November 5-7
If we get the planning grant, Nick is considering moving Janel out of RF by 25% at midyear and hire an aide to work in the library with nonessential things
Next meeting will be on August 15, at 3:00 with all the extended planning team involved
Discussion and Action:
deb emailed all the virtual schools and is waiting for responses
We will need to hire an oversight person as overall manager type
Nick is writing a letter to both staff and parents and will incorporate the rationale for the charter school and its vision to save and not eliminate personnel
The parents to be contacted will be Sue Laatsch, Cheryl Ritter and Lee Kretlow
Nick will also contact Sarah from Marion College to join our planning team and Janel will talk to North Eastern Tech College in Wausau
We are considering going to the virtual school conference in Plano TX on November 5-7
If we get the planning grant, Nick is considering moving Janel out of RF by 25% at midyear and hire an aide to work in the library with nonessential things
Next meeting will be on August 15, at 3:00 with all the extended planning team involved
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Charter School Meeting #2
July 25, 2006
Present: Nick, Janel, deb
Discussion/action:
We will do instrumentality-the teachers will be employed by this district
deb will send for applications from those district having virtual charter schools
Appleton eSchool
Grantsburg Virtual School
Keil eSchool
Kohler-Northeast Wisconsin Online Charter School
Northern Ozaukee, The Wisconsin Virtual Academy
Waukesha, iQ Academies at Wisconsin
Cambridge, JEDI Virtual High School
Medford, Rural Virtual Academy
The charter school concept includes the following thus far:
School will cover K-12 core academics
Utilize our own teachers as mentors/virtual teachers-will require “crunching” existing schedules at the HS level to provide an hour of time for mentoring/virtual teaching
Provide a great deal of PD during 2006/07 and begin school in fall of 2007
Have to hire an oversight person responsible for site visits and checking up for accountability of parents and students-this is very important for success!
The staff needs to be better informed as to why we are looking at doing this and how this will not be eliminating them, but will be a benefit to keeping this district afloat-Nick will put something together on this soon
Need to expand planning team to include (in addition to Nick, Janel and deb):
Don Aanonsen
Parents (suggest Cheryl Ritter, Sue Laatsch, Lee Kreklow) Q: Nick, are you going to call these parents or send them a letter?
deb will check to see who else may need to be on planning team
Next meeting-Wednesday, July 26th at 9:30
Following this meeting, plans will be put in place to have the expanded team meet
Present: Nick, Janel, deb
Discussion/action:
We will do instrumentality-the teachers will be employed by this district
deb will send for applications from those district having virtual charter schools
Appleton eSchool
Grantsburg Virtual School
Keil eSchool
Kohler-Northeast Wisconsin Online Charter School
Northern Ozaukee, The Wisconsin Virtual Academy
Waukesha, iQ Academies at Wisconsin
Cambridge, JEDI Virtual High School
Medford, Rural Virtual Academy
The charter school concept includes the following thus far:
School will cover K-12 core academics
Utilize our own teachers as mentors/virtual teachers-will require “crunching” existing schedules at the HS level to provide an hour of time for mentoring/virtual teaching
Provide a great deal of PD during 2006/07 and begin school in fall of 2007
Have to hire an oversight person responsible for site visits and checking up for accountability of parents and students-this is very important for success!
The staff needs to be better informed as to why we are looking at doing this and how this will not be eliminating them, but will be a benefit to keeping this district afloat-Nick will put something together on this soon
Need to expand planning team to include (in addition to Nick, Janel and deb):
Don Aanonsen
Parents (suggest Cheryl Ritter, Sue Laatsch, Lee Kreklow) Q: Nick, are you going to call these parents or send them a letter?
deb will check to see who else may need to be on planning team
Next meeting-Wednesday, July 26th at 9:30
Following this meeting, plans will be put in place to have the expanded team meet
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Charter School Meeting #1- July 2006
Charter School Grant Information and Ideas
DPI Charter School Yearbook
A charter school gains more freedom from state rules in exchange for greater accountability for results
The charter defines the missions and methods of the charter school
Is developed to fit the special needs and interests of its community, parents, students
Offer a choice to parents and students in the area of curriculum, teaching methods and classroom structure
School board determines whether the charter school is an “instrumentality” of the district. If it is, the district employs all personnel. If it is not, the personnel are considered employees of the charter---we will be instrumentality.
a. If instrumentality, teachers are part of the union, if not, they aren’t
Teachers must be licensed by DPI
Special charter school teaching license that allows for licensed teacher to teach any subject.
Special charter teaching permit that allows anyone to teach who has either a bachelor’s degree in the subject or in a related field or proof of mastery in the trade they are assigned to teach
Students are counted as members of the district-counted in district’s regular average daily membership count for state aid purposes
Grant is for up to 5 years and then may be renewed for one or more terms
The charter must describe the methods the school will use to enable students to attain the general educational goals listing in 118.01 including health/safety
Must give equal access to all students in district and beyond.
Attendance is voluntary with no tuition charged-out of district can apply via open enrollment
Parental involvement in organization and governance is a must
The charter determines the amount of funding. In some cases, district’s per-pupil expenditure follows the student as he moves from a public to charter school. In other cases, the charter functions with less money because of sharing district services.
The state charter school grants pay for planning and implementing costs such as PD, assessment strategies, curriculum development and technology (Q: Would we be getting every student a laptop?) These funds can defray costs not covered by state and local funds, but they may not be used for regular ongoing operational costs of the charter school, such as teacher/staff salaries, facilities or transportation ((Q: Do these get covered out of regular district funds?)
Charter schools are assigned individual school codes by DPI and are accountable for reporting the achievement of the high academic standards described in their charters
The best charter schools balance clear educational goals with their unique styles and missions
Note: On the charter school map, there is a big blank space in our area-no other charters close by
Comments we could use from other charter schools
Appleton eSchool: “an online charter high school, uses the potential that computers and the internet offer to extend educational opportunities for students and to further develop their capabilities as independent learners…….frequent student/teacher communication provides the level of support needed……..web-based courses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from wherever there is Internet access……Special efforts are made to attract those students whose needs have not been met or are not currently being met for whatever reason in the traditional school environment.”.
Appleton, Valley New School: “The mission of the VNS is to create a learning community that empowers individuals to become purposeful adults”
Appleton, Wisconsin Connections Academy: “is a public school without walls…an instrumentality of Appleton Area School District…….the state’s first virtual grades K-8 elementary school enrolling students from all across the state….. parents enjoy a greater involvement in their child’s educational life………WCA was chartered with the mission to help all students maximize their potential and meet the highest performance standards….through a uniquely individualized learning program that combines the best in virtual education with very real connections among students, families, teachers and community.”
Argyle, Lafayette County Community Charter School: “For the most part, current curricula are traditional, text-dominated, linear offerings. Not all students excel in this environment, especially those who are more visual and tactual in learning styles”
Colfax, Academic Center-High School: “…committed to creating the most productive learning environment, ….developing academic skills…..The school’s primary goal is to assist all students in realizing their maximum potential in order to become productive citizens”
Crandon, Crandon Alternative Resource School: “….designed to serve at-risk students in grades 7-12 who have experienced limited success in the traditional school setting of Crandon Middle and High School and its present at-risk programs”.
Denmark, Denmark Empowerment Charter School: …strong emphasis on individualization of instructional unit pace and individualization of unit topical interest for its students……The DECS emphasizes student self-concept building, self-choice and self-evaluation, team building, community-service learning opportunities…..Monthly on-site parent lunches are planned, prepared and served by students followed by monthly student progress conferences”.
Eau Claire, McKinley Charter School: “the mission of the charter school is to educate students for responsible behavior in their home, school and community……the school meets students where they are and helps them move forward academically…..”
Flambeau, Flambeau Charter School: “Regular classroom teachers are encouraged to participate as facilitators of learning and are provided time within the workday as well as out of class time to develop the skills needed to become master facilitators of student learning. Community members, businesses, and industry are identified by students and staff and are recruited to become mentors of charter students to work along with teachers to assist and assess student learning” (Q: Who will be our teachers? What is our specific targeted population?)
Grantsburg, Grantsburg Virtual School: “in order to realize the goal of educating EVERY student in the district, especially those who are home-schooled or credit-deficient, an alternative mode of learning was created. The GVS allows students to take control of their educations and realize success. The vision of the school is success for everyone who desires to take virtual classes, ranging from the disenfranchised student who is credit-deficient and in danger of not graduating, to the average student who can become exceptional by creating his or her individualized program, to the gifted student who can earn national recognition in his or her areas of interests…….Students can also access their courses at any time of day from their homes, public libraries or anywhere with an internet connection. Students participate in online courses taught by virtual teachers.”
Hayward, Hayward Center for Individualized Learning: …..is a noninstrumentality…….The HACIL is a year round charter school that primarily targets home-schooled students in grades K-12, although it is open to all who meet the District requirements for enrollment. The school is governed by a 5-person board of directors……An appointed member of the Hayward Board of Education occupies one of the director seats…..Parents consult with a WI-certified teacher to develop and individualized educational plan…Students maintain a portfolio….also participate in district standardized tests….. The HACIL plan is structure to incorporate the contributions of those who are willing to share their time, energy, and expertise in addressing the diverse needs of children”
Janesville, Rock River Charter School: “The school recognizes that not all students learn in the same way”
Jefferson, Jefferson County Alternative School: “The overall purpose of the program is for each student to become a more responsible and productive member of their communities”
Kiel, Kiel eSchool: “Kiel eSchool is an online school through which students access district-approved internet courses with the assistance of online teachers as well as a personal and family coach and licensed educator serving as a local mentor/teacher. The school was designed to ensure the success of those students whose needs are not adequately met in the traditional classroom……Students “attend” classes on their home computers, in the home-based classroom located in the lower level of the Kiel Area District Office building and in individual building libraries and technology centers. Students can participate in all activities and services provided to the rest of the district’s students”
Kohler, NE Wisconsin Online Charter School: “Students…access Internet courses that are aligned with state and national academic standards. Students are taught by WI-licensed online teachers as well as personal/family coaches and are encouraged by local school mentors identified by the participating districts. Students go online through computers in their homes, in classrooms or computer centers at their school district buildings or at public libraries. The nonthreatening atmosphere of these locations and the ability to exchange information around the clock”
Lodi, Lodi Charter School: The mission of the Lodi Charter School is to create an educational environment that prepares students in grades 9-12 to meet the challenges of the future. The belief is that all students have the ability to learn but not all students learn in the same way. The charter school’s goal is to maintain integrity of obtaining the academic skills necessary to be successful while at the same time addressing ….needs that are unique.”
Northern Ozaukee, The Wisconsin Virtual Academy: “…..offering students throughout Wisconsin equal access to an individualized, rigorous and self-paced instructional program delivered both on the Internet and via traditional instructional materials……..combines a comprehensive, standards-based, research-and performance-based curriculum, high expectations, technology, a significant amount of the off-line work, strong instructional support, and substantial involvement from parents or other primary adults….curriculum includes 6 core subjects and aligned with state standards….Built into the curriculum is an internal assessment system that provides frequent accountability as students work to master the curriculum at their own pace……connects students, parents and teachers…..A certified, experienced WI teacher on the WIVA staff oversees the learning of each student. The teacher is proactive in contacting parents and students with instructional assistance, including teaching strategies personalized to each student’s needs……Parents and other primary adults work with students in their home-based schools…….Parents are proactive in communicating with teachers……Students are empowered with this innovative and effective educational program to achieve high standards and reach their full academic and social potential.”
Prairie du Chien, Eastman Community Home Organization Elem School: “….the Eastman area consists of a small town with a population of 369 and the surrounding rural are. The economic base is agrarian, with parents and community members supporting the school as a center for educational and community activities….the instructional program in this charter school is not so much a change in content as in the methods of delivery….the goal of the school is to promote and uphold an atmosphere win which the following values are held:1)all students can learn and be successful, 2)students will learn the importance of a sense of place, 3) teachers and the community accept collective responsibility for student learning, and 4)learners are all different and have a right to a differentiated classroom where there is respect, fairness and caring”
**Waukesha, iQ Acadmies at Wisconsin: “…is devoted to making quality public education accessible for all 9-12 students. A dynamic, interactive, virtual learning experience is delivered to students and their families who, for various reason, are seeking a different kind of high school environment. The mission is to help all students achieve their learning goals through a positive and successful high school experience that prepares them for the future. ……brings a comprehensive highs curriculum, technology and choice together with individual needs and interaction……….a strong learning partnership between parents, students and their teachers. IQ Academies students access their district-approved courses at home via the Internet. Instruction is provided by experienced, WI-certified teachers who are highly qualified, trained subject matter experts. Students interact with their instructors in a variety of ways; e-mail, online discussions, and real-time online tutoring sessions (voice and whiteboard). Teachers are available for one-on-one support to each student, focusing on the specific areas where a student may be struggling. ….also access personnel, guidance and career planning services, district student services and library resources….the school specifically targets those students whose needs are no being met through traditional high school programs.”
Cambridge, JEDI Virtual High School: “JEDI Virtual High School harnesses the power of anytime, anyplace delivery of classes for students using emerging technologies. There are three key components that differentiate JEDI from existing WI virtual schools:
· Each students meets with a certified counselor to develop a personal education plan
· Each student is assigned a learning coach to guide the student on a daily basis. The coach is under the direction of a certified JEDI teacher and lives in close proximity to the student
· Courses are created and taught by master teachers. Students can either take the courses in real time or access all or parts of them as they are archived on the JEDI server.
Medford, Rural Virtual Academy: “The RVA provides a world-class education to K-8 nontraditional students. The RVA serves disenfranchised students who learn best at home through a combination of virtual and parent-teacher instruction because of a variety of situations (home-schoolers, the medically fragile and those diverse learners who cannot effectively benefit from regular classroom environment)……RVA is an instrumentality of the Medford Area Public Schools district. The staff and school are housed at he Medford school district’s central office. …delivers self-paced instruction…….The program provides remediation and acceleration options in addition to a regular school curriculum. The program encourages constant communication with students and parents and offers social and educations events through regular and virtual outings. A teacher supports every parent/mentor in his or her task of helping students maximize their potential and meet the WI State Standards. Communications is facilitated though e-mail and activity notices posted on the school webpages. Accountability is maintained through evaluation of student electronic portfolios, WKCE, other commercial standardized tests and parent/student satisfaction survey results.
Milwaukee, W.E.B Du Bois High School: “Measurable objectives include improvement each year in Terra Nova and WKCE Tests, grades, and SAT and ACT scores; high attendance; annual progress in closing the achievement gap for student of color and special education students; the involvement of all students in community service; and increased involvement of parents and community partners. An annual statistical evaluation day review all the gathered statistics and uses them to set school wide goals.
DPI Charter School Yearbook
A charter school gains more freedom from state rules in exchange for greater accountability for results
The charter defines the missions and methods of the charter school
Is developed to fit the special needs and interests of its community, parents, students
Offer a choice to parents and students in the area of curriculum, teaching methods and classroom structure
School board determines whether the charter school is an “instrumentality” of the district. If it is, the district employs all personnel. If it is not, the personnel are considered employees of the charter---we will be instrumentality.
a. If instrumentality, teachers are part of the union, if not, they aren’t
Teachers must be licensed by DPI
Special charter school teaching license that allows for licensed teacher to teach any subject.
Special charter teaching permit that allows anyone to teach who has either a bachelor’s degree in the subject or in a related field or proof of mastery in the trade they are assigned to teach
Students are counted as members of the district-counted in district’s regular average daily membership count for state aid purposes
Grant is for up to 5 years and then may be renewed for one or more terms
The charter must describe the methods the school will use to enable students to attain the general educational goals listing in 118.01 including health/safety
Must give equal access to all students in district and beyond.
Attendance is voluntary with no tuition charged-out of district can apply via open enrollment
Parental involvement in organization and governance is a must
The charter determines the amount of funding. In some cases, district’s per-pupil expenditure follows the student as he moves from a public to charter school. In other cases, the charter functions with less money because of sharing district services.
The state charter school grants pay for planning and implementing costs such as PD, assessment strategies, curriculum development and technology (Q: Would we be getting every student a laptop?) These funds can defray costs not covered by state and local funds, but they may not be used for regular ongoing operational costs of the charter school, such as teacher/staff salaries, facilities or transportation ((Q: Do these get covered out of regular district funds?)
Charter schools are assigned individual school codes by DPI and are accountable for reporting the achievement of the high academic standards described in their charters
The best charter schools balance clear educational goals with their unique styles and missions
Note: On the charter school map, there is a big blank space in our area-no other charters close by
Comments we could use from other charter schools
Appleton eSchool: “an online charter high school, uses the potential that computers and the internet offer to extend educational opportunities for students and to further develop their capabilities as independent learners…….frequent student/teacher communication provides the level of support needed……..web-based courses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from wherever there is Internet access……Special efforts are made to attract those students whose needs have not been met or are not currently being met for whatever reason in the traditional school environment.”.
Appleton, Valley New School: “The mission of the VNS is to create a learning community that empowers individuals to become purposeful adults”
Appleton, Wisconsin Connections Academy: “is a public school without walls…an instrumentality of Appleton Area School District…….the state’s first virtual grades K-8 elementary school enrolling students from all across the state….. parents enjoy a greater involvement in their child’s educational life………WCA was chartered with the mission to help all students maximize their potential and meet the highest performance standards….through a uniquely individualized learning program that combines the best in virtual education with very real connections among students, families, teachers and community.”
Argyle, Lafayette County Community Charter School: “For the most part, current curricula are traditional, text-dominated, linear offerings. Not all students excel in this environment, especially those who are more visual and tactual in learning styles”
Colfax, Academic Center-High School: “…committed to creating the most productive learning environment, ….developing academic skills…..The school’s primary goal is to assist all students in realizing their maximum potential in order to become productive citizens”
Crandon, Crandon Alternative Resource School: “….designed to serve at-risk students in grades 7-12 who have experienced limited success in the traditional school setting of Crandon Middle and High School and its present at-risk programs”.
Denmark, Denmark Empowerment Charter School: …strong emphasis on individualization of instructional unit pace and individualization of unit topical interest for its students……The DECS emphasizes student self-concept building, self-choice and self-evaluation, team building, community-service learning opportunities…..Monthly on-site parent lunches are planned, prepared and served by students followed by monthly student progress conferences”.
Eau Claire, McKinley Charter School: “the mission of the charter school is to educate students for responsible behavior in their home, school and community……the school meets students where they are and helps them move forward academically…..”
Flambeau, Flambeau Charter School: “Regular classroom teachers are encouraged to participate as facilitators of learning and are provided time within the workday as well as out of class time to develop the skills needed to become master facilitators of student learning. Community members, businesses, and industry are identified by students and staff and are recruited to become mentors of charter students to work along with teachers to assist and assess student learning” (Q: Who will be our teachers? What is our specific targeted population?)
Grantsburg, Grantsburg Virtual School: “in order to realize the goal of educating EVERY student in the district, especially those who are home-schooled or credit-deficient, an alternative mode of learning was created. The GVS allows students to take control of their educations and realize success. The vision of the school is success for everyone who desires to take virtual classes, ranging from the disenfranchised student who is credit-deficient and in danger of not graduating, to the average student who can become exceptional by creating his or her individualized program, to the gifted student who can earn national recognition in his or her areas of interests…….Students can also access their courses at any time of day from their homes, public libraries or anywhere with an internet connection. Students participate in online courses taught by virtual teachers.”
Hayward, Hayward Center for Individualized Learning: …..is a noninstrumentality…….The HACIL is a year round charter school that primarily targets home-schooled students in grades K-12, although it is open to all who meet the District requirements for enrollment. The school is governed by a 5-person board of directors……An appointed member of the Hayward Board of Education occupies one of the director seats…..Parents consult with a WI-certified teacher to develop and individualized educational plan…Students maintain a portfolio….also participate in district standardized tests….. The HACIL plan is structure to incorporate the contributions of those who are willing to share their time, energy, and expertise in addressing the diverse needs of children”
Janesville, Rock River Charter School: “The school recognizes that not all students learn in the same way”
Jefferson, Jefferson County Alternative School: “The overall purpose of the program is for each student to become a more responsible and productive member of their communities”
Kiel, Kiel eSchool: “Kiel eSchool is an online school through which students access district-approved internet courses with the assistance of online teachers as well as a personal and family coach and licensed educator serving as a local mentor/teacher. The school was designed to ensure the success of those students whose needs are not adequately met in the traditional classroom……Students “attend” classes on their home computers, in the home-based classroom located in the lower level of the Kiel Area District Office building and in individual building libraries and technology centers. Students can participate in all activities and services provided to the rest of the district’s students”
Kohler, NE Wisconsin Online Charter School: “Students…access Internet courses that are aligned with state and national academic standards. Students are taught by WI-licensed online teachers as well as personal/family coaches and are encouraged by local school mentors identified by the participating districts. Students go online through computers in their homes, in classrooms or computer centers at their school district buildings or at public libraries. The nonthreatening atmosphere of these locations and the ability to exchange information around the clock”
Lodi, Lodi Charter School: The mission of the Lodi Charter School is to create an educational environment that prepares students in grades 9-12 to meet the challenges of the future. The belief is that all students have the ability to learn but not all students learn in the same way. The charter school’s goal is to maintain integrity of obtaining the academic skills necessary to be successful while at the same time addressing ….needs that are unique.”
Northern Ozaukee, The Wisconsin Virtual Academy: “…..offering students throughout Wisconsin equal access to an individualized, rigorous and self-paced instructional program delivered both on the Internet and via traditional instructional materials……..combines a comprehensive, standards-based, research-and performance-based curriculum, high expectations, technology, a significant amount of the off-line work, strong instructional support, and substantial involvement from parents or other primary adults….curriculum includes 6 core subjects and aligned with state standards….Built into the curriculum is an internal assessment system that provides frequent accountability as students work to master the curriculum at their own pace……connects students, parents and teachers…..A certified, experienced WI teacher on the WIVA staff oversees the learning of each student. The teacher is proactive in contacting parents and students with instructional assistance, including teaching strategies personalized to each student’s needs……Parents and other primary adults work with students in their home-based schools…….Parents are proactive in communicating with teachers……Students are empowered with this innovative and effective educational program to achieve high standards and reach their full academic and social potential.”
Prairie du Chien, Eastman Community Home Organization Elem School: “….the Eastman area consists of a small town with a population of 369 and the surrounding rural are. The economic base is agrarian, with parents and community members supporting the school as a center for educational and community activities….the instructional program in this charter school is not so much a change in content as in the methods of delivery….the goal of the school is to promote and uphold an atmosphere win which the following values are held:1)all students can learn and be successful, 2)students will learn the importance of a sense of place, 3) teachers and the community accept collective responsibility for student learning, and 4)learners are all different and have a right to a differentiated classroom where there is respect, fairness and caring”
**Waukesha, iQ Acadmies at Wisconsin: “…is devoted to making quality public education accessible for all 9-12 students. A dynamic, interactive, virtual learning experience is delivered to students and their families who, for various reason, are seeking a different kind of high school environment. The mission is to help all students achieve their learning goals through a positive and successful high school experience that prepares them for the future. ……brings a comprehensive highs curriculum, technology and choice together with individual needs and interaction……….a strong learning partnership between parents, students and their teachers. IQ Academies students access their district-approved courses at home via the Internet. Instruction is provided by experienced, WI-certified teachers who are highly qualified, trained subject matter experts. Students interact with their instructors in a variety of ways; e-mail, online discussions, and real-time online tutoring sessions (voice and whiteboard). Teachers are available for one-on-one support to each student, focusing on the specific areas where a student may be struggling. ….also access personnel, guidance and career planning services, district student services and library resources….the school specifically targets those students whose needs are no being met through traditional high school programs.”
Cambridge, JEDI Virtual High School: “JEDI Virtual High School harnesses the power of anytime, anyplace delivery of classes for students using emerging technologies. There are three key components that differentiate JEDI from existing WI virtual schools:
· Each students meets with a certified counselor to develop a personal education plan
· Each student is assigned a learning coach to guide the student on a daily basis. The coach is under the direction of a certified JEDI teacher and lives in close proximity to the student
· Courses are created and taught by master teachers. Students can either take the courses in real time or access all or parts of them as they are archived on the JEDI server.
Medford, Rural Virtual Academy: “The RVA provides a world-class education to K-8 nontraditional students. The RVA serves disenfranchised students who learn best at home through a combination of virtual and parent-teacher instruction because of a variety of situations (home-schoolers, the medically fragile and those diverse learners who cannot effectively benefit from regular classroom environment)……RVA is an instrumentality of the Medford Area Public Schools district. The staff and school are housed at he Medford school district’s central office. …delivers self-paced instruction…….The program provides remediation and acceleration options in addition to a regular school curriculum. The program encourages constant communication with students and parents and offers social and educations events through regular and virtual outings. A teacher supports every parent/mentor in his or her task of helping students maximize their potential and meet the WI State Standards. Communications is facilitated though e-mail and activity notices posted on the school webpages. Accountability is maintained through evaluation of student electronic portfolios, WKCE, other commercial standardized tests and parent/student satisfaction survey results.
Milwaukee, W.E.B Du Bois High School: “Measurable objectives include improvement each year in Terra Nova and WKCE Tests, grades, and SAT and ACT scores; high attendance; annual progress in closing the achievement gap for student of color and special education students; the involvement of all students in community service; and increased involvement of parents and community partners. An annual statistical evaluation day review all the gathered statistics and uses them to set school wide goals.
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