Research Webinar

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this webinar, including chat comments, could be

shared publically. This webinar may represent a

presenter’s or an attendee’s personal views,

opinions, conclusions and other information which

do not necessarily reflect those of MVU and/or the

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute and

are not given nor endorsed by MVU/MVLRI unless

otherwise specified.

K-12 Virtual Schools and Their Research Needs (Part 3 of 4)

www.virtualschoolalliance.org

Presenters:

Kathryn Kennedy

John Englander

Eliz Colbert

Michigan Virtual School’s Research Needs

Presented by: Kathryn Kennedy, Senior Researcher

• Created in 2000

• Accredited by AdvanceED

• Large state virtual school

• Supplemental online learning

• 21,253 course enrollments (2013-14)

• Work with close to 500 Michigan schools

About Michigan Virtual School

• Highly effective instructional strategies for online learning

• Effective instructional intervention practices for online learners

• Effective formative assessment strategies for online learning

• How to provide effective remedial and credit recovery courses

Potential Research Topics

• Highly effective student engagement strategies

• Best practice strategies for instructor-student communication

• Parental involvement in online learning

• Effectiveness of open-entry/open-exit delivery models

Potential Research Topics

• Dissertation

• Kristen DeBruler (Kereluik) – self-regulated online learning principles in math courses

• University faculty

• Chin-Hsi Lin – motivation, self-efficacy, perceived progress in online learning

• Susan Lowes – learning trajectory paths, how students progress in their coursework and what are the early warning signs for students who are not successful

Examples of past MVS research

• University faculty (cont.)

• Jered Borup – Mentoring models, what student supports are needed, what are the characteristics of effective mentors

• Organizations

• SRI International – Algebra I study

• Virtual School Leadership Alliance

Examples of past MVS research

• Scope of project statement (R)

• MVU Confidentiality & Non-disclosure Agreement (R)

• MVU Research Support Letter to Parent (M)

• MVU Research Support Letter to Course Instructor (M)

• Teacher and Parent Consent Forms (R)

• IRB training and approval processes (R & M)

• Data gathering tools that will be used (R)

MVS research project protocolResearcher (R)/MVU (M)

• Test, evaluate, and recommend new technology-based instructional tools and resources;

• Research, design, and recommend digital education delivery models;

• Research, develop, and recommend quality assurance for online learning;

• Publish state-level effectiveness report for K-12 online learning; etc

MVLRI’s legislative directives

• Apply for the MVLRI Fellows Program

• Co-apply for grants and foundation funding with MVS and/or MVLRI

• Propose to do research with the Virtual School Leadership Alliance

Help MVS

Kathryn Kennedy, Senior Researcher –kkennedy@mivu.org

Tamara Bashore-Berg, Executive Director of Educational Programs – tbashoreberg@mivu.org

Kristin Flynn, Director of Curriculum & Instruction –kflynn@mivu.org

Contact us

OVERVIEW OF THE VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL

The Virtual High School©2014

THE VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL OVERVIEW

General Overview

o 18 Years as non-profit leader

o 1996 U.S. Department of Education grant – $7.8 Million

o Partner with 700+ schools, including 200+ Massachusetts schools and districts

o 20,000 enrollments annually

o Over the past 5 years have served diverse students in 47 states/territories and 34 countries

o Accredited by MSA-CESS and AdvancED

o Strong research focus throughout our existence

© 2000-2014 by The Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

Courses, Teachers, Platform

o 200 unique courses, including 22 AP® courses

o Infrastructure: Genius and D2L

o 500+ online teachers

o Each teacher completes graduate-level training program

o Explicit faculty standards and strong mentoring program for new and veteran teachers

o Working with schools on a variety of blended initiatives

© 2000-2014 by The Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

Philosophy / Instructional model

o Scheduled, asynchronous courses

o Cohort based, 25 students max

o Teacher led courses

o Content-based discussion activities

o Collaborative projects

o College and career preparedness

o Performance based, rubric-graded assessments

o Student gains in time management, critical thinking, communication

© 2000-2014 by The Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

Select Quality Indicators

o 93% school retention rate

o AP® exam pass rate – 10 points above national average

o 2013-14 student survey: 69% response rate

o 85% of student respondents indicated that they were satisfied with their VHS course

o Post-secondary programs

o 92% of respondents indicated that they will be attending a four-year college after graduation

o An additional 2% indicated that they will be attending a two-year college

© 2000-2014 by The Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

VHS RESEARCH PRIORITIES

Online learning implementation strategies

oBest practices for providing support in the school environment

o Site Coordinator program efficacy

o Validation of specific support elements to ensure consistent student outcomes

o Quantify how site support impacts student achievement –investigate various implementation strategies and track student performance

© 2000-2014 by The Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

Collaboration and synchronous communication

oStudy collaboration in online courses compared to projects in similar brick and mortar courses

o Impact of required synchronous elements in VHS classes on:o Student learning outcomes

o Student and teacher satisfaction

o Quality and perception of group work

o Development of 21st century competencies in cohort-based, online courses

o Communication

o Collaboration

o Self-regulation and independence

© 2000-2014 by The Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

Blended learning

oEfficacy of various implementation strategies

oProfessional development needs for teachers

oStudy of a specific course currently being offered in partnership with MI district using VHS courses for blended program

© 2000-2014 by The Virtual High School. All rights reserved.

NCVPS

RESEARCH NEEDSPRESENTED BY:

ELIZABETH COLBERT, Ed.D

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NCVPS Enrollment History

17,326 16,943

37,105

44,731

49,198 47,715

52,839

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Course Enrollment by Type

2013-2014

12,600

3,337

3,386

7,381

26,135

Occupational Course ofStudyAdvanced Placement

Credit Recovery

Honors

Who does NCVPS serve?

Public Schools

Charter Schools

Special Schools

Department of Defense

Schools

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Schools

Home Schools

Private Schools

2014-2016 RESEARCH NEEDS

Student Achievement: A Comparative Analysis

• Analysis of overall student achievement data among all NCVPS courses as compared to similar data in traditional school settings. This study will focus on standard state assessments and Advanced Placement exams. How does NCVPS compare?

Inputs, Outputs and Outcomes

• Measure the quality of NCVPS courses through inputs, outputs and outcomes as outlined in the iNACOL report, Measuring Quality from Inputs to Outcomes: Creating Student Learning Performance Metrics and Quality Assurance for Online Schools. How does NCVPS compare?

2014-2016 RESEARCH NEEDS

Occupational Course of Study: Which Strategies Work Best?

• OCS is our fastest growing program. What are the key strategies that are being deployed by the teacher partnerships that are most impactful on student achievement?

NCVPS Instructional Pillars

• NCVPS teachers use four instructional practices that contribute to student success. Are the teachers using these strategies with fidelity? What is the value-add from these strategies?

2014-2016 RESEARCH NEEDS

Online Teacher Evaluation

• NC has a required statewide teacher evaluation rubric

designed for the traditional classroom teacher with six

standards and numerous indicators. NCVPS has a

formative feedback process for online teachers. After

analyzing these two tools, interviewing stakeholders for

feedback, and analyzing existing research on teacher

evaluation processes, what type of evaluation process is

ideal for the online teachers? Are the standards

designed for the required NC tool applicable to the

online classroom?

Questions/Comments

Upcoming Webinar:

Date & Time:

Friday, 12/19, 1pm Eastern Time

Topic:

K-12 Virtual Schools and Their Research Needs

(Part 4 of 4)

Presenters:

Amy Jaramillo, IDEAL-NM

Bob Currie, Montana Digital Academy

Dawn Nordine, Wisconsin Virtual School

Ongoing Programs:

MVLRI Guest Blogger Program

http://mvlri.org/Blog/MVLRI-Guest-Blogger-Program

MVLRI Research Fellows Program

http://mvlri.org/About-Us/Fellows/MVLRI-Fellows-

Program

Email: MVLRI@mivu.org

Facebook: /mvlrinstitute

Twitter: @MVLRI_MVU

LinkedIn: michigan-virtual-learning-research-institute

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mvlri1

Contact us!