Virtual learning back at local schools

St. Mary Schools Virtual Learning Program enrollment numbers are down this school year. But in spite of district budget cuts, it continues to serve as a viable option accommodating students with schedule conflicts.

“It’s different from school to school, I’m sure,” said Morgan City High school counselor Kimberly Philbrook. “Here at Morgan City High, we have a list of the virtual student classes for the students to choose to take as an elective.

“Now this year with budget cuts, we were kind of strapped a little bit. We were only offering the elective courses to students who needed the class for graduation.”

Overall, the district program’s enrollment numbers have decreased from last year to this year, said St. Mary Technology Facilitator Sue Dupre.

“We’re encouraging traditional students in grades 9 and 10 to take courses at their local high schools,” Dupre said. “Because generally speaking, all the people enrolled are in grades 11 and 12. They need those courses for graduation.

“The part-time students that are enrolled in the program are enrolled because they need these classes to graduate and they’re unavailable at their school.”

As of Thursday, 78 students enrolled in online courses. High school students take classes per semester due to block scheduling. Junior high students take courses for the entire school year.

Nine full-time high school students are taking at least two and no more than four classes this semester. The number of high schoolers enrolled part time and taking one or two courses is 59.

On the junior high level, one student is taking five courses full-time in the program. Nine junior high students are taking one class online and is considered part time.

The total course enrollment delivered by the virtual learning program for fall 2016 is 104. The course with the largest number of enrolled students is science, with 31. Career and technical courses follow with 28 students.

Twenty-one students are enrolled in the other course categories, which includes foreign language, fine arts survey and STAR I and II.

The subject with the fewest students is social studies, with 5. And only seven students are enrolled in English courses.

“As a counselor, I make sure the kids have all the required courses that they need to graduate,” said Franklin High school counselor Bridget Madison. “And if there’s an issue, then we resort to possibly getting them to take it on virtual school.”

Approximately 20 teachers are working with the program. The instructors are paid a stipend for the services because it’s an additional responsibility they take on after traditional working hours.

An online instructor can have at least one student or as many as 15 to 20 students.

Students can begin taking virtual learning courses in junior high school.

“We have a few students at Patterson Junior High in band,” Dupre said. “And they never get a chance to take the computer literacy courses, like keyboarding, because their elective is band.

“Some students at Patterson Junior High requested to take our online courses for seventh and eighth grade in keyboarding or Journey into Careers. Some are working with the gifted teacher and some are working at home.”

There’s a misconception about how kids get enrolled in the program, Dupre said.

Dupre only processes the application. Everything prior to that is done on the school level.

“These kids are just part of the program,” Dupre said. “It’s not a school.”

As for taking courses online, “it’s required, if either one or two things are happening. We may not offer the course because they’ve transferred to us from another school or out of state where they’ve taken a previous course and they need the next course in line.

“Or there’s a schedule conflict with a course that they need with some other courses that they’re taking. So that’s the alternate route for them to get the course.”

“I love that flexibility of having options when their schedule has a big conflict,” Philbrook said. “So, not only is it elective courses, sometimes they take core courses when it’s a conflict.”

The Virtual Learning Program serves as a tool to keep students on the path of graduating on time.

“I encourage whatever is in the best interest of the child consulting with the parent,” Madison said. “But I definitely let them know every option that’s available to them.”

Students seem to love the virtual option.

“They do. They love the classes,” Philbrook said. “In fact, I was speaking with some the other day and they’re like ‘Ah, we wish we could take all of our classes like this.’ But they do, they like it a lot. It’s a different environment. It’s flexible. ...”

For more information about the virtual learning program, go to www.stmaryk12.net/vlp.