Planning for Quality In Online and Blended Learning

Personal Digital Historic opportunity to boost learning & operating productivity Age cohorts Sequential Annual tests Tethered Teachers Place Individual students Adaptive Instant feedback Mobile Teams Service Batch-Print The Shift to Personal Digital Learning

Stats in the States State virtual schools exist in 25 states as of fall State virtual schools had about 740,000 course enrollments in State-supported virtual learning is giving way to district-driven supplemental programs and full-time online/blended schools

Stats in the States 30 states plus Washington DC have at least one full-time online school operating statewide in SY About 310,000 students attend full-time online schools in SY Fully blended schools are operating in at least 24 states and Washington DC

A Definition of Blended Learning A meaningful online component A significant, supervised onsite component Data capture that allows personalized instruction

Blended Learning Models “Nexus Academy” flex model

Sustaining vs. Disruptive Innovation

The Nexus Academy Example

Elements of Planning for Quality ContentTeaching TechnologyOperations

Best Practices Blended Model 1.Small schools are better. 2.Students need BOTH the holistic and affective supports and deep subject matter expertise. Small schools raise the graduation rate by 8.6 points for their overwhelmingly disadvantaged student population. - From study of NYC’s “Small Schools of Choice” by MDRC (January 2012) 3.Students should have some control over time, place, path and/or pace of their learning. 4.Instruction must be targeted, efficient, data-driven and standards-aligned. 5.Technology can be deployed to accomplish all of the above.

Unique High School Design 300: Total student enrollment 150: Students for each shift 37: Students per team supervised by a Success Coach 5-15: Students in classrooms 4 hours in the school each day (plus up to 2 hours at home) 4 days a week

Tailoring the Model for Middle School College Park Academy (Maryland) and TMCF Collegiate SUNO students each school Students on site all day, 5 days per week Half-day in Team Zones doing online work, supervised by a Success Coach Half-day in classrooms (Math, English and Fitness) with face-to-face teachers

Robust, Personalized Curriculum

Differentiated Course Delivery Model

Focus on Excellent Teachers Specially trained teachers –face- to-face from your school, online from Connections Small group and LiveLesson® teacher-led lessons to review and reinforce objectives For online teachers, face-to-face support from Success Coaches

High Impact Staffing Model Principal, Guidance Counselor, Administrative Assistant, Success Coaches all “out on the floor” – no offices, all spaces open for full visibility Data allows all to tailor interactions to individual student needs

What Students Are Saying Nexus Academy Is… Where adults listen to us with respect Like I imagine college will be Peaceful and healthy Where I can be myself AWESOME!

Promising Results for Nexus Model 92% of seniors on track to graduate 95% headed to post-secondary ed