Implementation of the Texas Virtual School Network txvsn

1. Implementation of the Texas Virtual School Networkwww.txvsn.org

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. TxVSN Receiver LEA TxVSN Provider LEA • Districts, 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Partnership: Course Review

11. 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

12. TEKS Alignment

13. 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

14. 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

15. Partnership: Central Operations

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

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

21. Partnership: Professional Development

22. 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

23. Partnership: TxVSN Advisory Council

24. Advisory Council • Professional Organizations and Higher Education • District Roles • Campus Roles

25. TxVSN Contact Information • Central Operations • Barbara Smith, ESC Region 10 • Laura Hodges, ESC Region 10 • Angela Clark, HCDE www.txvsncentral@txvsn.org 1-866-938-9876www.txvsn.org • Course Review • Brent Bakken, ESC Region 4 coursereview@esc4.net