Blended Schools for Alternative Education

1. Blended Schools for Alternative Education Chris Davis Evelyn Wassel, Ed.D. PETE & C February 13, 2012

2. Evelyn Wassel, Ed.D. Supervisor of Curriculum and Technology Integration Schuylkill IU 29 wasse@iu29.org

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. Alternative Education • Behavior Intervention • Emotional Support • Minimum 2.5 hours of counseling per week

8. 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.

9. Blendedschools.net Chris Davis Instructional Support Coordinator help@blendedschools.net

10. Who we are: Not-for-Profit Organization dedicated to providing robust, engaging learning environment What we do: Package curriculum, technology, professional development Equip, develop, support What we have: Full license of Blackboard Learn. Approximately 160 semesters of online K-12 curriculum. Onsite & online professional development opportunities www.blendedschools.net What is blendedschools.net?

11. BSN Network • Shared Learning Environment • Shared Customizable Curriculum • BSNshare – Social Networking • BSNtube – Video Sharing • BSNcloud – Interactive Learning Objects • Faculty Space

12. 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

13. Curriculum Design • Textbook free (except AP courses) • Understanding by Design process • Enduring Understandings • Essential Questions • Assessments • Formative and Summative • Project-based • Instructional Units • Hooks • Vocabulary • Lesson Content • Interactivity • Collaboration • Checks for Understanding

14. BSN Professional Development • Onsite • Bb Basics • Bb Advanced • Customized • Online • Bb Basics • Train-the-Trainer • Teaching Online • Bb Advanced (coming soon • Blending Your Instruction (coming soon) • Teachers Changing the World (Curriculum Development) • Weekly Webinars • Just-in-Time • Knowledge Base (over 300 tutorials) • Help Desk • Blackboard IM • Conferences – PASCD • Retreats for Course Developers

15. Language Institute • Mandarin Chinese • Japanese • Russian • Arabic • Hindi • Spanish • French • German • Latin (2011-2012) ** BSN Provides the Instructors

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

17. Why Was It Chosen? • Schuylkill County approved curricula • Rigorous • Standards-based • Uniform • Easier transition to home school • More accountability – shared responsibility

18. The Data • Compared discipline referrals from 2010-11 to 2011-12. • Used anecdotal data from classroom teachers in core subjects.

19. Partial Hospitalization • 2010-11 • 13 discipline referrals (33.33% 0f students) • 2011-12 • 0 discipline referrals • Decrease of 33.33%

20. Day Treatment • 2010-11 • 16 discipline referrals (41.67% 0f students) • 2011-12 • 4 (8) discipline referrals (33.33% of students) • Decrease of 8.33%

21. 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%

22. Emotional Support • 2010-11 • 1 discipline referral (16.67% 0f students) • 2011-12 • 16 (32) discipline referrals (66.67% of students) • Increase of 50%

23. Overall Data • 2010-11 • 40 discipline referral (33.33% 0f students) • 2011-12 • 31 (62) discipline referrals (30.55% of students) • Decrease of 2.78%

24. Preliminary Conclusions • Increased counseling decreases discipline referrals. • Increased family support decreases discipline referrals.

25. 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.

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. What Is Working? • Good variety of possible courses • PSSA Readiness • More grade level material • Individualized instruction • Kids more involved • Opportunities to participate

30. 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

31. Challenges • Technology is wonderful when it works • Internet down • Broken links • Blocked sites • Student technology skills

32. 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

33. What Do Students See?

34. What Do Students See?

35. What Do Students See?

36. www.blendedschools.net

37. Usernamebsn99.guest01 Password = pete

38. Classes Tab

39. Course Lists Enrolled into BSN Catalog

40. 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

41. 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

42. 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

43. Recommendations • Readiness assessment • Single subject classes • Grades submitted by classroom teacher • Flexibility of online teacher • COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE!!!

44. 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

45. 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?

46. Future Research Projects • Student interviews • What mode of presentation is preferred? • What challenges exist? • Track student grades when they return to home school.

47. Contact Us info@blendedschools.net @blendedschools blendedschools.net