Implementation of the Texas Virtual School Network

www.txvsn.org

Share Your Virtual School Experiences

• Divide into four groups• Please discuss at your table the following:

– Group 1: Your virtual school model– Group 2: Online instructor training/accreditation– Group 3: How courses are evaluated and

identified– Group 4: Your funding model

• Choose a person to serve as the group reporter

Completion Time: 3 minutes

Texas Virtual School Network

• Senate Bill 1788

• Education Code Chapter 30A-State Virtual School Network

• Supplemental Program• Distance Learning options offered under

other law still available

• Funding and attendance rules to be established by Texas Education Agency

TxVSN Fundamentals

• LEAs are course providers– Private providers eligible via districts

• Districts and Open Enrollment charters may receive courses

• Priority for the network:– 9-12 courses beginning January 2009– 4 X 4 courses– Preliminary planning for Summer 2009

TxVSN Receiver LEADistricts, Open Enrollment Charter

Schools, Education Service Centers, Public and Private Higher Education

Institutions:

• Have online Instructors • Texas-certified in course subject/grade

• Professional Development completed

• Have TxVSN-Approved Courses

• Have online school processes in place

• Will scale for statewide capacity

Districts Open Enrollment Charter Schools

• Have students with academic need

• Provide a TxVSN site coordinator

• Provide Funding for courses

• Retain related services responsibility

• Keep responsibility for accountability

• Assign credit upon completion

TxVSN Provider LEA

Establishing the TxVSN

• Request for Proposal from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to identify:

• TxVSN Course Review • TxVSN Central Operations

• Request for Qualifications from TEA to identify professional development providers

Course Review

• Awarded to Region 4 ESC–Project Manager: Brent Bakken

• Rigorous Course Review– 100% TEKS Alignment (AP Audit Approved)– Meets or Exceeds the NACOL National

Standards• TEC §30A.102 requires electronic courses submitted by

a provider school district or school to be offered through the network to be reviewed

TxVSN Central Operations

• Awarded to ESC 10 and Harris County Department of Education

• TEC § 30A.052. The commissioner shall: (1) employ a limited number of administrative employees in connection with the network; and (2)(c) contract with a regional education service center for the service center to operate the network.

Professional Development Providers

Awards:• Education Development Center, Inc.• ESC Region 4• ESC Region 11• Harris County Department of Education • Texas A&M Center for Distance Learning

• Purpose:– Instructors must successfully complete the

appropriate professional development course before teaching an electronic course offered through network.

Partnership: Course Review

Electronic Course• Instruction and content are delivered primarily over the

Internet

• A student and teacher are in different locations for the majority of the student’s instructional period

• Most instructional activities take place in an online environment

• The online instructional activities are integral to the academic program

• Extensive communication between a student and a teacher and among students is emphasized

TEKS Alignment

NACOL National Standards

• Standard A – Content• Standard B – Instructional Design• Standard C – Student Assessment• Standard D – Technology• Standard E – Course Evaluation & Management• Standard F – 21st Century Skills

Course Review Ratings• Review Teams• Data Collection and Aggregation• Clarification and Confirmation• Course Rating

– Approved– Approved With Minor Modifications– Not Approved, Needing Major Modifications– Not Approved

• Follow-up with Provider District

Partnership: Central Operations

Central Operations Responsibilities

• Coordinate the course registration and student enrollments

• Create and maintain the infrastructure for central registration

• Create and maintain an electronic catalog that matches the receiver districts and provider district courses.

• Facilitate agreements and payment from receiver districts and pay provider districts– Maximum cost per TEC Chapter 30.A

Central Operations Responsibilities

• Populates approved courses into the statewide catalog

• Receiver district site coordinator reserves seats for students

• Central Operations collects registration and payment information

• Established advisory council

Data Elements • Data collection

– Student wish list – Counselor survey (wish list)– Site Coordinator registration data– Catalog elements

• Examples– Student teacher ratio, NCAA approved, Dual credit,

Enrollment type

Data Reporting Requests

• Student satisfaction surveys• Provider and Receiver districts surveys• Evaluate course takers and student

accountability results• Financial information

– Average course cost and range– Courses purchased by rural vs urban districts– Courses titles purchased regional

• Course content– Developer type– LMS types– Enrollment types

TxVSN Processes

• TxVSN.org– Site Coordinator registration– Student course request and wish list– Financial accounts registration– Provider district information– Receiver district information

Partnership:

Professional Development

Professional Development Providers

• Have the skill to deliver professional development that will enable online educators to meet the National Standards of Quality for Online Teaching approved by NACOL

• Demonstrated significant past effectiveness in providing professional development preparing teachers to teach in the online environment

Partnership:

TxVSN Advisory Council

Advisory Council

• Professional Organizations and Higher Education

• District Roles

• Campus Roles

TxVSN Contact Information

• Central Operations– Barbara Smith, ESC Region 10– Laura Hodges, ESC Region 10 – Angela Clark, HCDE

www.txvsncentral@txvsn.org1-866-938-9876

www.txvsn.org

• Course Review– Brent Bakken, ESC Region 4

coursereview@esc4.net