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Virtual program embraces home-school families
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| By: Amber Gieseke |
July 08, 2009 |
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The Chetek School District has been working to expand their virtual school program to help and guide home-school families, and with the addition of coordinator Jenny Schofield to head the program, their hopes are starting to be realized.
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"We are serving the students in our district who are currently involved in a home-based education system," said Schofield. "It's about giving them support and opportunities."
With the new, more flexible program Link 2 Learn, home-schooled students would be able to partake in programs and field trips. Music, art and physical education classes that aren't normally offered in the home-based school setting could become part of those students' lives. They may also opt to take advantage of speech/language or special education classes, as well as any sport or other extracurricular offered through the district.
The home-schooled students would experience public schools through district electives. One goal for the virtual program is for students to be able to go in and out of the school with ease.
"If parents want to teach their children while in kindergarten and first grade, but then have them learn in the classroom in third grade, we want the switch to be seamless," explained Schofield.
For this to happen, the students in Link 2 Learn are held to the same standards as those learning in the classroom. They may take different assessments so the parents and school officials can tell where students are at and if they are progressing as needed to reach the state's standards and benchmarks.
It's all part of the flexibility, which also shows up in the Link 2 Learn curriculum plan.
Superintendent Al Brown explained, "If a parent comes in and wants a curriculum, we'll give them Calvert. That provides structure or framework. But now, if parents have a way they want to teach something, they can use it. Their plan will be checked to make sure it provides the student with enough information, but it gives parents the flexibility to teach how they want to."
Included in the curriculum is an individualized learning plan to accommodate all children. The flexibility of these plans is especially beneficiary for children who, for example, may read at the third-grade level but have fifth-grade math skills.
The plans include an annual goal to be set by the student with help from the parent(s)/guardian(s). Procedures for measuring the student's progress toward the goal are: the Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Examinations state assessment, a spring/fall Northwest Evaluation Association assessment, lesson quizzes, unit tests and a trimester portfolio, as well as other procedures the in-home teacher implements.
The district will also provide laptops to Link 2 Learn students and any needed computer software, plus allow for an Internet stipend.
This, said Brown, is to allow for communication. The students who are involved in home-based education need to submit reports and assignments to the curriculum provider as well as the school, so computers and Internet are needed.
Taxpayer money will be used, but Brown explained that the home-based students are no different from a student who sits in a classroom all day. Link 2 Learn is an expanded school program that is reaching out to more students.
The program is being expanded to include pre-kindergarteners to seniors in high school. Although the 9-12 program hasn't been fully developed, it will be ready for the coming school year.
"It's not just a cop-out for students who don't want to go to school," noted Schofield. "There are parents that are gone for periods of time that can't take their children out of the class that long without it being a detriment to their learning. This way they can take the lessons with them."
Brown added, "Families now are different and require different educational needs. This program is trying to meet those requirements," whether the students are in the Chetek School District, which is who the program is intended for, or outside of it.
There will be an informational meeting Thursday and Tuesday. Both sessions cover the same information and start at 6 p.m. in the Roselawn Elementary School library.
The deadline to enroll in Link 2 Learn for the 2009-2010 school year is next Wednesday. For more information, contact Schofield at 924-3136.
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©The Chetek Alert 2009
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