Could the bricks and mortar of a school building be replaced by a hard drive and computer screen?
Where some see virtual education as a new opportunity, some see it as a threat to traditional learning and, in terms of survival, a threat to state funding for their local district.
“This is the wave of the future,” acknowledges Scott Community High School Principal Shelly Turner as she looks for ways to balance the worlds of virtual and traditional learning.
It’s not that the district hasn’t had some experience in virtual education. The Scott City Learning Center has provided adults - and an occasional teenager - with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma outside of the regular classroom. A growing number of SCLC students who have earned SCHS diplomas in recent years have lived outside Scott City and take their classes on-line.
Now the district is seeing a few more students who aren’t eligible for the SCLC opting for on-line courses being offered by a handful of high schools around the state. Last year, the district lost one or two students to virtual high schools. This year, Turner has had three students wanting to drop out of SCHS in favor of on-line classes along with inquiries from two middle school students.
“In the past, when kids want to take classes on-line, it’s generally because they don’t want to get out of bed and go to school,” says Turner. “Now we’re getting some students and parents who feel they can have more class options on-line.”
A Virtual Option
There are certainly pros and cons to be considered with a virtual education, which Turner discusses with students and parents considering that option.
Students who want to attend a Regents school (i.e., Kansas State University, Kansas University, Ft. Hays State University) are reminded they don’t recognize on-line classes on a student’s transcript and won’t accept a virtual diploma.
“As of now, they are laughing at on-line classes,” she advised the board of education at Monday’s meeting.
However, those students can attend a junior college and transfer to a Regents school. Transcripts with on-line classes are also accepted at vocational-technical colleges.
These Regents restrictions apply only to core classes - math, English, sciences.
Turner doesn’t see virtual education being a serious consideration for those students who are involved in extra-curricular activities such as sports, debate, music, FFA, etc. Though she says this is an area the Kansas State High School Activities Association and school districts may need to address.
“In Western Kansas our kids thrive on extracurricular activities like sports, forensics and debate,” she says. “That’s not always the case when you get into larger schools with a more diverse student population.”
Room for Compromise
In the meantime, Turner says the district is taking steps to meet the challenge from virtual schools.
For example, the Southwest Plains Regional Service Center, which operates the Scott City Learning Center, has said it is willing to make changes in its curriculum so it’s not aimed so much at adults seeking a high school diploma. Under the current format, she says the curriculum isn’t as diverse and doesn’t offer the advanced courses which are available through some virtual programs.
Turner is also meeting with students who have indicated they won’t be enrolling in the district, but are opting for virtual classes. She is seeing if they can reach a compromise that allows a student to pursue their goals while still being a part of this district.
One student, for example, will be enrolled in four on-line courses and four in-school core curriculum classes during the upcoming school year.
“The money we receive for keeping a student in the district will more than pay for the added software,” says Turner.
But Turner feels the real issue goes beyond a virtual education and the battle for state funds. The question that needs to be asked is: What’s best for the student?
“I’ll admit that in many ways we’re stuck in the 1950s and 1960s in terms of the traditional classroom. For many teachers it’s hard to change,” Turner acknowledges. “We are geared to teach to the average student.”
She says the district must be willing to help those students who are more motivated and who have greater expectations in the classroom. Likewise, there are those students who simply can’t adapt to a traditional classroom setting and if the district doesn’t offer an alternative, such as on-line classes, they will simply drop out of school.
“By keeping those students in our school, even with an on-line curriculum, we can monitor their progress and make sure they’re getting the work done,” Turner says. “Whether or not these kids are in our classrooms they are still our kids and we want to make sure they succeed.
“Can a virtual high school from somewhere else make that same claim?” she asks.
While the district will explore ways to expand the offering of virtual classes, Turner emphasizes the district’s first goal is to keep students in a traditional classroom. But, she adds, each student’s requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.