LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE GUIDE

Transcription

1 TITLE: Online Programs for Secondary Schools ROUTING NUMBER: ISSUER: DATE: July 17, 2015 Dr. Ruth Perez, Deputy Superintendent Division of Instruction Gerardo Loera, Chief Academic Officer Division of Instruction LD Instructional Superintendents Administrator of Instruction LD Instructional Directors LD Counseling Coordinators LD Instructional Technology Specialists Secondary School Principals Assistant Principal, SCS College Counselors Guidance Counselors PURPOSE: MAJOR CHANGES: BACKGROUND: PROCEDURES: The purpose of this Reference Guide is to inform schools of changes to online course titles and numbers, to understand the different online program delivery models (virtual, blended and mastery/prescriptive courses), to provide online course implementation procedures, and outline procedures for obtaining access to licenses that have been purchased by the Office of Instruction. This Reference Guide identifies approved online vendors for LAUSD: Edgenuity, Apex Learning, and SCOUT, procedures for contracting with other online vendors and identifies transcript abbreviation changes in My Integrated Student Information System (MiSiS). LAUSD schools offering online courses have used transcript abbreviations that identified the online publisher and the specific online instructional setting. The District has gone through the vetting process to approve online courses that are available to schools. LAUSD has approved selected courses from Edgenuity, APEX, and SCOUT. The online publisher and modality of instruction for online learning is identified in the course name field in MiSiS. For A-G online courses, refer to REF for submission dates and deadlines. As with any other A-G approved course, schools must first ensure that the online course being offered appears on their UC A-G approved list which is located on the Course Management Portal. I. Models of Implementation Online courses are offered in the instructional settings defined below. For each model, the principal must identify a designee to work with the local district Instructional Technology Specialist. A. Virtual Courses: Course offered online with an online instructor provided by the vendor. These courses are intended for students needing original credit but are Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 1 of 10 July 17, 2015

2 unable to include a specific class into their regular schedule. These courses can also be offered as a credit recovery option for eleventh and twelfth grade students who have been identified for NCAA eligibility. Although these courses provide an online teacher with the appropriate subject credential, the school must identify a credentialed teacher (in any subject area) to serve as a mentor for students. These courses are NCAA approved. Some online courses require materials to be purchased. To monitor student progress in virtual courses, schools should designate staff to serve as mentors for students enrolled in these courses. Online courses in MiSiS will be identified with the transcript abbreviation and vendor abbreviation followed by an L. For example, an online Edgenuity course would appear as follows: Course Name CC ALG 1AB EDGL Online Publisher EDGENUITY Note: EDGL appears at the end of the transcript abbreviation. B. Blended Learning Courses: Instruction is delivered by an LAUSD credentialed instructor where some or all of the content is provided by the online vendor. There are two versions of blended learning courses offered throughout the District: core and mastery-based/prescriptive. Blended learning courses may be used for original credit or as an option for credit recovery. Schools must provide the appropriate subject area LAUSD credentialed teacher to be the primary instructor throughout the courses in this model. The subject area credentialed teacher must be programmed into a period with the students. Blended learning courses are not NCAA approved due to the implementation model. Some courses require materials to be purchased. A. Core Blended Learning Model: Schools using the core blended learning model should set up their programs to ensure that the course will satisfy the instructional time requirement which states that students must complete 60 inseat hours to earn five numerical credits for a course. When using this model, all activities in a semester-long course must be completed per the District s default settings. A portfolio containing written assignments and the overview report must be maintained for auditing purposes. Core Blended Learning Courses in MiSiS will be identified with the transcript abbreviation and the vendor abbreviation. For example, the core version of an Edgenuity course would appear as follows: Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 2 of 10 July 17, 2015

3 Course Name CC ALG 1AB EDG Online Publisher EDGENUITY Note: EDG appears after the transcript abbreviation. B. Mastery-Based/Prescriptive Blended Learning Model: These courses are the same as the core version with a test-out feature. The mastery-based/prescriptive course option is only available for students as a credit recovery option. This model cannot be used to obtain original credit. This delivery model should only be used as credit recovery option for students who are deficient in two or more A-G courses. Due to the test-out feature, the benefit of this model is that it would allow a student to complete multiple courses within a semester. Schools should explore alternative credit recovery options for students who are only deficient in one A-G course. Due to the test-out feature, this model provides students with the opportunity to complete a course at their own pace. Students who opt to complete a mastery-based course will be exempt from the 60 hour in-seat requirement and will obtain five numerical credits upon completion of the course. Mastery-Based courses are not NCAA approved due to the implementation model. Some courses require materials to be purchased. Mastery-Based/Prescriptive courses in MiSIS will be identified with the transcript abbreviation and the vendor abbreviation followed by a P. For example, a mastery-based Edgenuity course would appear as follows EDGP. Course Name CC ALG 1AB EDGP Online Publisher EDGENUITY Note: EDGP appears after the transcript abbreviation. II. LAUSD Approved Online Course Publishers: Currently approved online course publishers include: Edgenuity, APEX Learning, and SCOUT. The district is providing licensing for Edgenuity courses only; however, schools must provide funding for appropriate staffing. Schools may purchase APEX Learning or SCOUT with their own funding. Schools that choose to purchase licenses with other publishers must refer to section III below for the course approval process, complete and submit Attachment A to your local district counseling coordinator. The approved Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 3 of 10 July 17, 2015

4 online course codes for Edgenuity, APEX Learning, and SCOUT are listed on the Division of Instruction website at: Schools must refer to the approved online course list prior to enrolling students in online courses. If your school would like to offer a course that does not appear on the approved online course list they must adhere to the process outlined in section III. A. Edgenuity (Licensing provided by the District) LAUSD has purchased a limited number of licenses from Edgenuity for school site implementation. Edgenuity courses that appear on the Districts approved online course list have also been approved by UCOP. Edgenuity courses that are offered using the virtual delivery model only are NCAA approved. Schools must refer to the online course link at: for approved courses prior to enrolling students in Edgenuity courses. Below are examples of course title abbreviations for Edgenuity courses. CC ALG 1AB EDGL (Online) CC ALG 1AB EDG (Blended) CC ALG 1AB EDGP (Mastery-Based) B. APEX Learning (Licensing is not provided by the District) Although LAUSD has not purchased any licenses from APEX Learning, schools may independently contract with APEX Learning using their own school-site funding source. APEX Learning offers courses in the three settings. Their online courses are offered through their online school name: Apex Learning Virtual School (ALVS). Their blended courses are named Class Tools Achieve (CTA) and their mastery-based course offerings are named Prescriptive. APEX Learning courses that appear on the Districts approved online course list have also been approved by UCOP. APEX Learning courses that are offered using the virtual delivery model only are NCAA approved. Schools must refer to the online course link at: for approved courses prior to enrolling students in APEX Learning courses. Below are examples of course title abbreviations for APEX Learning courses: CC ALG 1AB APXL (Online) CC ALG 1AB APX (Blended) CC ALG 1AB APXP (Mastery-Based or Prescriptive) C. SCOUT (Licensing is not provided by the District) Although LAUSD has not purchased any licenses from Scout, schools may independently contract with Scout using their own school site funds. Scout offers free content-only courses as well as courses with an online instructor. Scout courses that appear on the Districts approved online course list have been approved by UCOP. Only courses offered in the virtual delivery model are NCAA approved. Schools must refer to the online course link at: Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 4 of 10 July 17, 2015

5 for approved courses prior to enrolling students in SCOUT courses. Below are examples of transcript abbreviations for Scout. CC ALG 1AB SCTL (Online) CC ALG 1AB SCT (Blended) CC ALG 1AB SCTP (Mastery-Based) District course numbers for enrollment in MiSiS and the online publisher s web portal can be found at: Students must be enrolled in MiSiS using the appropriate District number(s) and in the respective online publisher s web portal (if applicable). III. New online course approval process: Schools that choose to begin an online program must participate in the District s online professional development provided by the online course publisher prior to enrolling students in the courses. Schools should contact their District Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) for specific online course publisher professional development dates. A. To obtain an online course that does not already appear on the District s online approved list at: or if you choose to contract with an online publisher other than Edgenuity, APEX or SCOUT, the APSCS or designee will: Review the guidelines for creating a new and experimental course in bulletin Complete attachments B and C from bulletin Log into the Course Management Portal at: and click on the submit new course tab. Follow the prompts to complete the following: (1) basic course information, (2) course description which is prepopulated, (3) course materials, and (4) review course summary. The designated staff at the school site will then submit the course. This submission will forward the course to the school site s course list manager who upon review and approval will submit the course electronically to the District office via the Course Management Portal. Once the course has been granted LAUSD and UCOP approval, a transcript abbreviation and district course number will be assigned and the course will be available for the school to use in MiSiS. Note: Schools that choose to purchase licenses from an online publisher other than Edgenuity must also submit Attachment A to the Division of Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 5 of 10 July 17, 2015

6 Instruction. B. Schools have the option of adding additional UC approved courses to their schools approved course list. In order to update the online course list at the school site, the APSCS or designee will: Go to the UC A-G Course Management Portal (CMP) at: to review and print the schools current A-G course list. To add courses to the A-G course list: Identify the online courses that will be offered that do not appear on the school s current course list. Either directly on the list or on Attachment A, clearly print or type the course titles, District course numbers, and transcript abbreviations, for all online courses that are to be added (refer to Reference Guide for Attachment A and additional instructions). To delete courses from the course list: Identify courses that are on the school s current course list that will not be offered in the upcoming school year. On Attachment B, print or clearly type the course titles, District course numbers, and transcript abbreviations for all courses that are to be deleted (refer to Reference Guide for Attachment B and additional instructions) The designated course list manager at each school site who has administrator access on the Course Management Portal (CMP) will revise the school s online course list and submit it through the CMP. When the course revisions have been completed, send a copy of the school s revised course list, and/or the UC/CSU A-G Approved Course List Forms (Attachments A and/or Attachment B) to your local district counseling coordinator.. Refer to Reference Guide Revision of the UC/CSU A-G Approved Course List for more information on the process for updating school site A-G approved course list. Once approved, schools will be issued transcript abbreviations and district course numbers to be used for student enrollment. Upon approval, the course number will appear in MiSiS and on the LAUSD approved online course list at: * Do not enroll students in an online course until the course name and course number appear on the approved online course list. IV. Accessing District purchased online learning licenses: Instructional Technology Specialist at each local district will distribute allocated licenses to schools based on the needs of students. The Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 6 of 10 July 17, 2015

7 Instructional Technology Specialist will assess school usage reports and grant additional licenses if needed based on the availability of additional licenses within the local districts. A. Procedures for accessing Blended Learning Licenses: To access the blended learning licenses, the school site administrator must request student licenses from their local district Instructional Technology (IT) Specialist using the online form at: bit.ly/blendedrequest. Upon approval of the school sites request, the teacher of record for each online course must complete the form via the following link: bit.ly/edgenuity teacher, to create a teacher account. All Blended Learning teachers must attend training prior to enrolling students into their class. Visit lz.lausd.net for upcoming Edgenuity teacher training dates. The following criteria should be used to determine distribution priorities for blended learning licenses at the school site: a) Priority #1: 12 th grade students who are not on track to graduate (ex. Students who have failed a course required for graduation and/or students who have not completed courses required for graduation in prior years). b) Priority #2: 11 th grade students who are not on track to graduate (ex. Students who have failed a course required for graduation and/or students who have not completed courses required for graduation in prior years). c) Priority #3: 9 th and 10 th grade students who are not on track to graduate (ex. Students who have failed a course required for graduation). d) Priority #4: 9 th through 12 th grade students who are not meeting the A-G grade level benchmarks with a grade of C or better. B. Procedures for accessing Virtual Learning Licenses: Virtual learning licenses are for one time use only. The district has purchased a limited number of virtual learning licenses. To access virtual learning licenses, the school site administrator must submit their student request to the Division of Instruction by using the following form: bit.ly/virtualrequest. Request will be processed and upon approval, the school site will be notified. The following criteria should be used to determine distribution priorities for virtual learning licenses at the school site: a) Priority #1: 12 th grade students should receive primary consideration. b) Priority #2: Consideration should be given to the reason a student needs the course (graduation or to satisfy graduation or NCAA requirements). c) Priority #3: Consideration should be given to identify the availability of the course through an alternate setting. Note: Schools requiring additional virtual learning licenses, beyond the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 7 of 10 July 17, 2015

8 allocation provided by the district may use school site funds to purchase additional licenses. V. Steps for enrolling students in online courses: To enroll students in online courses, schools should contact their local district Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) or refer to the online course list website at: Special Education Accommodations for online courses Students in special education or students with 504 plans who intend to complete online courses must submit the Accommodation Plan Form to the instructor during the enrollment process. VI. VII. Accredited Online Schools A. Most accredited online schools are private institutions that offer A- G courses accepted by UC/CSU and LAUSD B. Students may complete courses at any accredited online school if: The accredited online school has an active A-G list on the course management portal at: The online course(s) to be completed are listed on the online school s A-G approved course list. The accredited online school issues a transcript at the end of the course. The online course is equivalent to a course found on the LAUSD course catalog. C. Students must receive approval by the principal or designee prior to enrolling in an A-G course offered by an accredited online school. D. Transcripts are not automatically sent to the high school of attendance. It is the responsibility of the parent and the student to submit transcript(s) to the appropriate office. E. Courses completed by concurrently enrolled students in an accredited online school may not be computed in the students LAUSD official GPA and/or ranking. Online Physical Education Online Adv. PE 1 AB and Adv. PE 2 AB courses have been developed for students who have scheduling issues or lack the needed PE credits required for graduation. Students who have failed physical education at the school site may not be eligible. These courses are offered to students after school in a concurrent enrollment program. Contact the Physical Education Advisor for enrollment guidelines at: Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 8 of 10 July 17, 2015

9 VIII. Adult School Online Program Implementation Beginning with the school year, The Division of Adult and Career Education (DACE) will pilot the implementation of the blended learning model at selected school sites. Only a limited number of A-G courses will be made available to schools for implementation during the pilot year. Blended learning courses will be offered in two versions, core and mastery based. Course enrollment will be open to concurrently enrolled high school students as an option for credit recovery. Course enrollment will also be available to adult students. The pilot program will be evaluated at the end of the school year and data generated will be used to inform the future expansion of DACE blended learning course offerings. For the pilot year, the Division of Instruction will provide DACE with licenses for secondary students, necessary hardware (e.g. media servers), technology support and ongoing professional development for teachers. IX. Student Portfolio Requirement for Blended Learning and Mastery Based implementation models. Schools are required to maintain student portfolios for online coursework completed for a minimum of 4 years. The content of the student portfolio shall include: A. Print out of student progress (transcript) B. Essays C. Graded Tests and sample assignments D. Journals E. Labs ASSISTANCE: For additional information about virtual and blended learning, contact The Division of Instruction at: (213) For information about counseling or programming, contact The Office of College and Career Education at: (213) REF , Revision of the UC/CSU A-G Approved Course List, May 9, 2014 Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 9 of 10 July 17, 2015

10 Online Publisher Approval Form Attachment A High School: CEEB/ATP Code: Date: Principal: Signature: Instructional Director: Signature: Local District Superintendent: Signature: Online Publisher Name: Number of Licenses to be purchased: Total Estimated Cost: List courses purchased (Use another sheet if needed): Course Title As it appears on UC doorways website UC/CSU Approved NCAA Approved Mode of Instruction Online, Blended, Ex. Algebra 1 YES YES Online Final Approval To be completed by OCISS Ex. Algebra 1 YES NO Blended Note: This form in conjunction with an electronic file that contains the course outlines for all courses purchased and Attachments B and C from BUL must be submitted to The Division of Instruction no later than June 1 st. Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and 10 of 10 July 17, 2015