1. THE VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL
©2013
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2. About The Virtual High School (VHS)
1996 funded by the Federal DOE through a $7.8M technology grant – five years of research & development
Non-Profit Leadership
700+ participating schools
17,000 + student enrollments
39 States U.S., 36 Countries
VHS is a nonprofit collaborative of nearly 700 member schools. We were originally funded by a $7.8 million dollar Technology in Education Grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Under the grant, a diverse group of schools worked together with the Concord Consortium to conduct research and develop an effective and efficient program of supplemental online learning. When the grant ended after 5 years, VHS formed as a non profit membership organization, to continue the work and extend opportunities to wide range of schools.
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© The VHS Collaborative. All rights reserved.

3. Students Teachers Our Mission
To expand students’ educational opportunities and 21st century skills
Teachers
To expand the scope and depth of teachers’ instructional skills
Our mission includes two components. To expand educational opportunities and 21st century skills for students and to expand the scope and depth of teachers’ instructional skills. We believe that collaborative online courses are a way to level the playing field and make a high quality education available to every student no matter where they live or go to school.
To expand students’ educational opportunities and 21st century skills
To expand the scope and depth of teachers’ instructional skills
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© The VHS Collaborative. All rights reserved.

4. Accredited and Standards-Based
NEA Guidelines
Accredited by
Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (MSCSS)
Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)
NCAA Initial-Eligibility Certified
College Board certified AP® courses
3 Time Recipient of the USDLA 21st Century Award for Distance Learning Best Practices
Schools and parents trust VHS courses because they know we share their commitment to quality. We follow NEA guidelines and have set the standard for quality online programs around the world. Our program is fully accredited. Our courses are NCAA initial eligibility certified, and our AP courses are approved by the College Board. VHS is also a 3-time recipient of the USDLA 21st century Award for Distance learning best practices.
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5. Program Quality Outcomes
95% Satisfaction Rate for Students, Teachers, and Administrators
Exceed National Average for AP Exam Scores (71% vs 59%)
92% Retention Rate
81% Course Completion Rate
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6. How Schools Are Partnering With VHS
Expand Curriculum: The Collaborative Model
Blended Learning
Course Fulfillment
Full Time Enrollment
Professional Development
Summer School
Custom Solutions
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7. Course Structure and Design
Desire2Learn (LMS) – Genius (SIS)
Asynchronous
Weekly Schedule
Cohort Based Learning
Teacher Facilitated/Student Centered
Dedicated VHS Support
Quality Outcomes/Course of Study Advancement
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8. Qualified Classroom Teachers
Community-Building & Environment
Project-based and Collaborative Learning
Online Dialogue
Activities and Assessments
Online Technologies
Pedagogy, Curriculum & Technology
Teachers – 16 years experience/85% Masters
In terms of teacher skills, most programs do offer some form of basic training. But what you need to look at is the depth of that training. How are those skills being learned? Teaching in a classroom doesn’t use the same skills as teaching online, so it’s important to look for things like is the teacher learning to build a community and creating an online environment conducive to online learning, are they learning the approaches necessary to have successful projects based interactions and collaborative learning. This doesn’t apply to courses that are a one to one, self paced course. But we’re trying to have courses where students are engaged, and completing a course together and those are the skills that are necessary for teachers to be successful. The need to know the techniques and ways to create online dialogue and to develop appropriate learning objectives, appropriate activities and assessments they can use to measure student progress. They also obviously need to know how to use the technologies utilized in the course, whether it’s blackboard, design2learn, wikis, blogs or any other web 2.0 technology that’s incorporated into the teaching environment.
Affordable sharing of professional resources
Average years teaching: 16
85% hold Master’s Degree
National and global community
Expands scope and depth of teacher instructional skills
Teachers: 6-Week Netcourse Instructional Methodologies
Extensive delivery tools
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Global Classrooms
39 States U.S., 36 Countries
Varied Perspectives
Cultural Diversity
Global Citizenship
One of the things that really differentiates VHS from other programs are the global online classrooms. Students from 39 states and 36 countries participate in VHS courses. Each student brings different perspectives to group interactions and discussions. They form relationships with classmates and teachers from diverse demographic backgrounds representing a wide range of cultures. Students in courses like Criminal Law or Environmental Science become better global citizens when they learn how students from remote rural towns, inner cities, and suburban towns view issues differently.
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Sample A VHS Course
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Home Screen
Webased: In this session of the webinar, I’ll show you lessons, lesson examples, discussion areas and grades
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Orientation
Point of partner overview, academic honesty google hangout guides
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13. Grading Policies and Procedures
There is more information on this page around grading policy.
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A Look Inside A Lesson
Week 2: List out all the “areas” health that are covered: media/social health, eating disorders, body systems and nutrition . The course not only covers curriculum content it also relates it to the real world…..example next. You’ll see a structure to the courses where a topic is covered then online resources are provided.
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Progressive Learning
Relevant to real world and personal: using last week’s exercise, applying it to this week’s lessons. Not discussion based teacher to student.
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16. Engaging Learning Activities
Activity: Fun, Engaging and Usable
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Discussions
Discussions in Week 2 – this what this section looks like
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Grades
Grades
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In Their Own Words…Students
I participated in discussions with students from inner cities, rural towns, and international locations such as the United Arab Emirates. Being comfortable with others and their viewpoints is necessary in college, where students are coming from all over the world with their unique experiences, ideas, and passions.
Because VHS offers courses that are more specific to an area of study than most high schools, I was able to take such courses and show colleges that I was motivated and interested in pursuing a particular career.
My VHS peers were exceptionally supportive and encouraging. The greatest thing I learned from them is the importance of honesty when giving someone feedback. And to have received this feedback on a global level, I know I can make good decisions.
Grades
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20. The Virtual High School
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