“Many people in the education-reform community see blended delivery as a great model to bridge total virtual instruction and total direct instruction,” Bennett said.

“What they use is very much a breakthrough as it pertains to technology. Namely, it’s the ability to access data from technology — they utilize student data generated from virtual instruction — and from that, they group students according to their needs to meet with students in small groups.”

For the rest of the article, go to Charter school coming to Indy blends technology and traditional teaching

Achieve Virtual, Indiana’s first virtual public high school, opened in the summer of 2011 in the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. Since it was launched, more than 150 students have taken courses through the school on a full-time or part-time basis. Achieve Virtual students can now be found throughout the state of Indiana. VU and Achieve Virtual Education Academy signed a Memorandum of Understanding creating the partnership on April 24.

“Achieve Virtual has grown much more quickly than we had anticipated; most likely because it serves students with a wide variety of needs,” said MSD of Wayne Township Superintendent Jeff Butts. “It is helping students recover credits so they can stay on track to graduate. It is also providing new options for students in rural areas whose schools may not offer some of the courses they’d like to take. Now, Achieve Virtual will give high school students an option that’s in increasing demand: college credit.”

This is not the first partnership between the MSD of Wayne Township and Vincennes University. The two first forged a partnership several years ago to create Ben Davis University High School, the early-college high school in Wayne Township. In 2011 Ben Davis University had a 100 percent graduation rate, which was the highest in the state. In addition, the vast majority of Ben Davis University students earned two-year associate degrees.

For the rest of the article, go to ‘Virtual’ High School to Offer College Credit

Carpe Diem Schools provide two unique experiences via online and campus opportunities. The Carpe Diem Meridian Campus in Indianapolis will be a tuition-free school serving grades 6-12 consisting of on-site teacher-facilitators and a web-based learning and management system. Carpe Diem Online will be a tuition-free virtual school serving grades 6-12 providing students the freedom to complete coursework when and where they like. Both experiences are NCA accredited and include Education2020′s comprehensive instructional content; uBoost’s online recognition and reward system; and a secure online portal to provide parents with real-time student data, including attendance, grades, and academic progress. Carpe Diem’s unique opportunities for career concentrations in Information Technology, Science and Engineering, Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Digital Arts and Entertainment, and Health Sciences also allow students to explore career pathways and take college preparatory courses, giving students the edge to thrive in the global marketplace and in high-demand professions.

For the rest of the article, go to Carpe Diem Meridian Campus to Open in Indianapolis for 2012-2013 School Year

The third session runs from May 1 to June 29. Registration closes May 4.

Virtual School allows students to work at their own pace, providing a chance to earn credits for classes that don’t fit into their daily schedule or to accelerate their learning and graduate early.

For the rest of the article, go to IPS Virtual School’s third semester registration begins

Principal Melissa Brown says enrolled students take classes from their homes via the internet.

For the rest of the article, go to Virtual Indiana Charter School Growing In Enrollment

In the Indianapolis and Muncie programs, students attend a learning center where they enjoy face-to-face instruction two days a week with state-certified teachers, while the remainder of the weekly instruction is facilitated off-site with a responsible adult/parent referred to as a Learning Coach. The virtual program is a fully online program where learning can happen at home, on the road, or wherever an Internet connection can be found.

For the rest of the article, go to Hoosier Academies Now Accepting Applications for 2012-2013 School Year

These “virtual” students are supported by public funds, have online teachers, and gather at sites around the state to take ISTEP and End of Course Assessments. They take world languages, participate in Advanced Placement courses and receive Special Education services. Participating families are also provided with community events scheduled to bring students together to meet their teachers and administrators.

Lynn Black is Head of Schools for Indiana’s online charter school, and he has oversight of all areas associated with a public school district: finance, operations, human resources, curriculum and instruction, as well as professional development.

For the rest of the article, go to GREGG: Hoosier Academy charter school fits learning to student’s lifestyle

“I get to wear my pj’s in school,” Lucie said with a smile.

For the rest of the article, go to Some parents say flexibility of virtual school is perfect fit for their families

With only about a month left in the session, a few education-related bills appear to have strong support while many others have dropped off the list.

Three bills that will be heading to the post involve making the state’s intervention law tougher; adding a virtual class requirement for schools; and changing how often students are counted for state funding purposes.

First up is accountability. The General Assembly passed the state’s original law in 1999.

Currently, schools rated in the lowest performance category (F) for six consecutive years can be taken over by state education officials, merged or face other options. Performance is based on annual student achievement test scores. This year was the first time takeover was implemented when the board voted in August to put private operators in charge of four schools in Indianapolis and one in Gary.

Some legislators and the Indiana Department of Education are looking to accelerate the accountability law so that any school receiving a combination of D’s or F’s four consecutive years is subject to takeover and other intervention.

For the rest of the article, go to Education bills less sweeping this year

In addition to enacting the Choice Scholarship Program—which boasted the highest first-year enrollment of any voucher program in history—legislators expanded the state’s scholarship tax credit program in 2011. This school year, more than 4,000 students participated in Indiana’s two private school choice programs.

For the rest of the article, go to Governor Daniels, State Legislators, and Education Reform Advocates Celebrate Victories, Pledge to Fight for Additional Reforms