Reaching the Unreachable Star :

2. Reaching the Unreachable Star: Helping Rural Students Achieve Post-Secondary Education Mr. Sam Brooks Personal Learning Coordinator Putnam County Schools, • Selected by the Center for Digital Education Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, & Trailblazers for 2014 • Selected to the Personal Learning Advisory Council by the Tennessee Department of Education Dr. Sharon Anderson Putnam County 6-12 Curriculum Director Putnam County Schools • Tennessee Teacher of the Year Finalist 2002 • Tennessee Education Association Distinguished Classroom Educator 2004

3. Why are WE here?

4. Tennessee Gains 2013

5. Barriers of Rural Students toattend college or technical Cost Feeling “not smart enough” Fear of the unfamiliar and unknown / culture shock No strong connection to anyone who has gone to college Reluctant to leave family, friends

8. How can YOU get started? • Start small, build in successes • Partner with others ALREADY there • Consider the DISTRICT approach • Small successes lead to increased populations • Identify your weaknesses and find a way digital education might help. • Look for great vendors and programs that can be for several needs……justify your purchases. • Identify strong personnel in your district and use them.

9. VITAL Beginnings…….2008 • District was using online credit recovery • Wanted to get into ONLINE delivery of curriculum • Identified personnel and got started with under 100 students district wide • Experienced NON-success at first…had to LEARN • Identified facilitators at all schools and began to grow NOW serving 500-750 students per 9-weeks

10. VITAL Virtual Instruction to Accentuate Learning -District Technology PD -Credit Recovery -Credit Advancement -Blended Learning -Distance Learning -Dual Enrollment VITAL Collegiate High School

11. Take a quick look…. VITAL Video

12. Components Feed Off Each Other • Interactive Video • Conference Options • ↓ • Dual Enrollment • ↑↓ • Credit Advancement • ↑↓ • Blended Learning • ↑ • Distance Learning IVC Live Classes

14. VITAL Components Dual Enrollment • In a Dual Enrollment course through the Putnam County VITAL, students will be taught university-level content by a college professor. • Course subjects are not typically available at the high school level. • Instead of a one-shot AP test at the end of the semester, you'll get an immersive experience with continual feedback via tests and assignments as well as the opportunity to interact with collegiate peers. • Grades are posted to both high school and college transcripts. • Graduate with distinction. Students will be recognized as graduating from high school "with distinction" if they attain a B average and earn 12 or more semester hours of transcripted postsecondary credit. Each local school board will develop a policy prescribing how students graduating with distinction will be noted and recognized.

15. Growing Dual Enrollments Putnam County Dual Enrollment Students

16. What’s working Begin conversation about DE options during early middle school Help students develop a plan that includes Dual Enrollment Communicate needs to community college partners, identify stakeholders Provide school site support – Onsite Facilitator

17. Onsite Facilitators at Each Building • High Schools have Onsite Facilitators for Online Learning at each building who are VITAL employees and serve as site administrators for program. • Control of VITAL program at their building • Answers to Virtual Learning Coordinator • Handle all components of online and distance learning at their school • We feel this is the MOST Important aspect of our program

18. All other buildings have site facilitators identified by principal, but not official VITAL employee. • Serves as liaison between VITAL program and school • Helps to set up PD opportunities from VITAL program to individual school • Counselors and facilitators MUST work together to make program successful • Online and distance options is not for everyone, must work together to identify possible online and distance learning students…..RECRUIT!! • Together they provide and identify options for students to take control of their learning path

19. ACT Prep Usage AP Test Prep Blended Learning Usage ACT/AP Cram Sessions

21. Backing Mandated Personal Finance Course with SHMOOP • Mandatory online class in Putnam County • 450/800 students served per year. • Hard to staff position for both PF and ACT Prep • Now EVERY Putnam County student will get ACT Prep through SHMOOP!

22. Unexpected Benefits Higher expectations for all students Mentoring relationships Culture change Increased scholarships for DE students Increased expectation for skills based learners

23. Sharing Success…..we are all in this together!!!

24. How can YOU get started? • Start small, build in successes • Partner with others ALREADY there • Consider the DISTRICT approach • Small successes lead to increased populations • Identify your weaknesses and find a way digital education might help. • Look for great vendors and programs that can be for several needs……justify your purchases. • Identify strong personnel in your district and use them.

25. Questions? ???

26. Sam Brooks- Personal Learning Coordinator • Principal-Putnam County Virtual School • Website: http://tinyurl.com/VITAL-K12 • Email: brookss4@pcsstn.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vital.pcsstn • Twitter: @vitalk12 • Dr. Sharon Anderson • Putnam County Curriculum Director 6-12 • Putnam County Schools • 931-526-9777 • Email: andersons17@pcsstn.com • Twitter: @VR2ldiva Contact Information