Blended Schools for Alternative Education

Chris Davis

Evelyn Wassel, Ed.D.

PETE & C

February 13, 2012

Blended Schools for Alternative Education

Evelyn Wassel, Ed.D.Supervisor of Curriculum and Technology Integration

Schuylkill IU 29

[email protected]

www.blendedschools.net

Providing Engaging Learning Environments

Goals for Today• Overview of Schuylkill Learning

Academy• What is Blended Schools?• Why was it chosen?• Data from 2011-12 school year• What do students see on Blended

Schools?• Try it yourself!• Recommendations from MAC educators



The Schuylkill Learning Academy• The Schuylkill Learning Academy is

committed to meet the comprehensive needs of the student through a variety of educational and behavioral health services.

• Services Include:– Alternative Education– Behavioral Intervention– Partial Hospitalization– Day Treatment

• Services are offered to students in K-12 grades.



Partial Hospitalization• Mental Health treatment program• Mental Health Therapists provide daily group counseling and

behavioral support• Group therapy consists of skill building and opportunities to

process personal issues. • Case Managers provide individual and family counseling on a

consistent basis. • Psychiatric services include

– an initial evaluation, – medication management, – 20 day treatment team reviews and – a discharge evaluation.

• Parents/guardians are expected to participate in all the services.



Day Treatment• Behavioral management and counseling program.

• Services are provided in conjunction with alternative education.

• Mental Health Therapists provide daily group counseling and behavioral support

• The Case Manager provides individual and family therapy on a consistent basis. All students enrolled in the day treatment program must have an open case with Schuylkill County Children & Youth Services as this agency funds the program.

• Treatment plan that is developed in collaboration with the family and treatment team providers.

– specific goals

– updated at least every six months



Alternative Education

• Behavior Intervention

• Emotional Support

• Minimum 2.5 hours of counseling per week



Alternative Education• Secondary Education • Regular education classroom from

Highly Qualified teachers – Math– Science– English and – Social Studies– Instruction will be provided via a

Blended Schools Curriculum and supplemented by the regular education teachers.

Chris Davis

Instructional Support Coordinator

[email protected]

Blendedschools.net




Who we are:

Not-for-Profit Organization dedicated to providing robust, engaging learning environment

What we do:Package curriculum, technology, professional developmentEquip, develop, support

What we have:Full license of Blackboard Learn.Approximately 160 semesters of online K-12 curriculum.Onsite & online professional development opportunities

What is blendedschools.net?



BSN Network

• Shared Learning Environment• Shared Customizable Curriculum• BSNshare – Social Networking• BSNtube – Video Sharing• BSNcloud – Interactive Learning

Objects• Faculty Space



BSN Courses

• Over 160 Semester Based Courses• K and 1st Thematic Based• 2nd – 12th Grade Core Academics• Middle and High School Electives• Health and Physical Education• Advanced Placement

* All courses are developed with a 4-year shelf life in mind



Curriculum DesignCurriculum Design



BSN Professional Development



Language Institute

• Mandarin Chinese

• Japanese

• Russian

• Arabic

• Hindi

• Spanish

• French

• German

• Latin (2011-2012)

** BSN Provides the Instructors



• Blending instruction• Fully online programs• Individualized Instruction• Remediation• Credit Recovery• Acceleration• Wider curriculum selection• Special circumstances (e.g.. Homebound)• Alternative Education

District Uses



Why Was It Chosen?

• Schuylkill County approved curricula– Rigorous– Standards-based– Uniform

• Easier transition to home school

• More accountability – shared responsibility



The Data

• Compared discipline referrals from 2010-11 to 2011-12.

• Used anecdotal data from classroom teachers in core subjects.



Partial Hospitalization

• 2010-11– 13 discipline referrals (33.33% 0f

students)

• 2011-12– 0 discipline referrals

• Decrease of 33.33%



Day Treatment

• 2010-11– 16 discipline referrals (41.67% 0f

students)

• 2011-12– 4 (8) discipline referrals (33.33% of

students)




Behavior Intervention

• 2010-11– 10 discipline referrals (33.33% of

students)

• 2011-12– 9 (18) discipline referrals (44.44% of

students)

• Increase of 11.11%



Emotional Support

• 2010-11– 1 discipline referral (16.67% 0f

students)

• 2011-12– 16 (32) discipline referrals (66.67%

of students)

• Increase of 50%



Overall Data

• 2010-11– 40 discipline referral (33.33% 0f

students)

• 2011-12– 31 (62) discipline referrals (30.55%

of students)




Preliminary Conclusions

• Increased counseling decreases discipline referrals.

• Increased family support decreases discipline referrals.



Teacher Interviews

• Discipline referrals misleading– Do NOT include core classroom

teachers– In-house methods

• Redirection

• Mental Heath Therapist intervention

• Time out

– Core teachers handle discipline in the classroom. Single digit referrals over past 10 years.



Teacher Interviews

• Decreased discipline issues– Heads down– Non-compliance– Off task behaviors

• Increased appropriate behaviors– Ready to learn at start of period– Increased attendance– On task – little surfing other sites



What is the Role of the Classroom Teacher?

• Monitor the students – make sure that they are staying on

task– staying in their assigned area

• Help the students with problems– answering any questions that they

may have – assisting them with work that they

are struggling with



Benefits of blendedschools

• gives the students the experience on a computer and lets them develop computer skills that they might not normally get that their home school

• More modes of acquisition– videos– virtual tours– virtual labs



What Is Working?

• Good variety of possible courses

• PSSA Readiness

• More grade level material

• Individualized instruction– Kids more involved– Opportunities to participate



What Is Working?

• Less opportunities to chat decreased discipline issues

• MI Curricula

• Buy-in from students! increased grades

• OL teachers are recognizing the quality work from SLA students



Challenges

• Technology is wonderful when it works– Internet down– Broken links– Blocked sites

• Student technology skills



What Needs Improvement?

• Automatic save/submission

• Multiple courses in one period

• Hard to keep pace with absentees

• Are they mastering the material?

• Time of instruction

• Re-teaching



What Do Students See?












Usernamebsn99.guest01

Password = pete



Classes Tab



Course Lists

Enrolled into BSN Catalog



Online courses from partners

• 600+ courses• Lowest prices anywhere• A course for everyone

– AP– World Language– Mainstream curriculum– Credit Recovery– One semester and whole year

courses– Summer classes– Professional Development



Other Partners• Allegany College of Maryland

• Seton Hill University

• BudgeText

• Follett Education Services

• Carnegie Learning

• Learning Lamp

• Stratagee

• Science Kit

• Intermediate Unit 1

• Tuscarora IU 11

• Bridges Virtual



Recommendations• In-class Highly Qualified Teacher is a

non-negotiable!– Lab activities– Parental support– Teacher/student interaction

• Teacher efficacy in technology• Students should be able to work at their

own pace.– Decreased time– Less motivation– Lower skill set – remediation needed– Midyear students



Recommendations

• Readiness assessment

• Single subject classes

• Grades submitted by classroom teacher

• Flexibility of online teacher

• COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE!!!



Threats to Validity

• Additional teacher

• Increased grades – Students asking for help/teacher

checks– Searching for answers – lower level

questions

• No quantitative data for discipline in core subjects

• Maturation



Future Research Projects

• Track discipline issues in core classrooms

• How much time is spent at home on school assignments?

• How much time do parents spend on blendedschools.net?



Future Research Projects

• Student interviews– What mode of presentation is

preferred?– What challenges exist?

• Track student grades when they return to home school.



[email protected]

@blendedschools

blendedschools.net

Contact Us

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Blended Schools for Alternative Education