South Carolina Online High Schools

Charter school offers educational choice

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:24:31 +0000

The school day will run from 7:05 a.m.-4:55 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday morning. There will also be an optional half day of instruction on Saturday, Wicks said.

“The first 45 minutes and last 45 minutes of each day will be used to work on individualized things. There won’t be any homework because the children will have spent the day being very physically and mentally active and when they leave they should be able to be children again,” she said. “And the teachers won’t have a lot of homework, either. People forget teachers also have a lot of homework.”

Seeking students

With the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, the school will be one of seven new public charter schools, joining the 13 schools operating within the South Carolina Public Charter School District. Program emphasis varies among the schools and includes a Chinese immersion curriculum, creative arts, gifted and talented, and several virtual schools that provide online instruction.

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3 finalists named for online K-12 teacher award

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:36:48 +0000

The finalists are: Leslie Fetzer from North Carolina Virtual Public School, Tracy Seiler from the South Carolina Virtual School Program and Asherrie Yisrael from Georgia Virtual School.

The winner will be announced March 1 and will receive a trip to the Virtual School Symposium in October.

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Technology growth a continuing priority for Horry County Schools

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:10:56 +0000

Edi Cox, HCS director for online learning and instructional technology, was one of the presenters and said technology and instructional information must be talked about in concert for 21st century learning.

“We have to talk not just about hardware, but about what that hardware does for student achievement and engagement in the classroom,” said Cox, who oversees the Horry County Virtual School, another choice for parents and students in grades nine through 12.

The virtual school is in its third year of providing supplemental courses for students who need the flexibility for various reasons, such as scheduling conflicts, and for those who want to graduate early, Cox said.

She said this also is the pilot year for the district’s full-time virtual program, which can accommodate 50 students. Guidance counselors are the point of contact with parents and students who want to sign up at the beginning of the school year. The program is for qualified students who need to work in an online setting for reasons such as illness or a family situation.

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Online learning a godsend

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:35:01 +0000

As a grandparent guardian, this holiday season I am thankful for virtual learning and how it has helped my child succeed. Our grandson is an active 10-year-old Boy Scout who participates in a bowling league and, as he says, “has one true friend.” That’s because he has Asperger syndrome, or high-functioning autism.

He is extremely bright, has a 95 percent average overall in all his classes and loves school. He attends South Carolina Connections Academy, a virtual public charter school that was recommended by his therapist, and it has been perfect for him. He was being bullied at school, had trouble with transitions, and after many discussions with administrators we were at our wits’ end.

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Rock Hill schools plan more choice for students

admin — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:46:06 +0000

ROCK HILL –

As Rock Hill schools continue adding a variety of academic options, two campuses are turning their focus to science, technology, engineering and math, while another opens its elementary International Baccalaureate program to any student in the district.

Starting in August 2012, Oakdale Elementary and Saluda Trail Middle will be STEM magnet schools. Rosewood Elementary will be a “school of choice.”

Any Rock Hill student will be able to attend. Because Oakdale and Saluda Trail are magnets, they will provide transportation to and from school for students living outside the attendance area.

Students outside of Rosewood’s attendance zone will have to find their own transportation.

For now, that’s all the district can afford, Associate Superintendent Luanne Kokolis said.

“We will monitor transportation costs and the number of shuttles needed,” she said. “It may be possible in the future to offer transportation to choice schools. … We are starting small and will determine how we move forward after reviewing the start up (of) 2012-2013.”

“Choice” among South Carolina schools has become a hot topic in recent years, particularly as traditional public schools face increased competition for students from a growing number of charter and virtual schools.

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Lexington One Students Improve Pass Rates on High School Exit Exams

admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:38:10 +0000

If a student doesn’t pass an exam on his or her first attempt, additional opportunities are given to retake any exam.

Students must score a Level 3 or higher to meet proficiency standards for federal accountability, according to the education department.

The HSAP, which is based on the state’s curriculum standards for ELA and math, is administered during a student’s second year of high school.

The Education Accountability Act of 1998 requires students to take the End of Course exams in what the State Education Department calls gateway or benchmark courses, which includes English and Algebra. All public school students in middle school, high school, alternative school, virtual school, adult education, and home schools who are enrolled in these courses must take the exam.

The End of Course results count for 20 percent of a student’s final course grade.

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Spartanburg County Public Virtual School students trade physical classroom for online one

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:07:14 +0000

No backpacks. No books. No bulletin board or rows of desks.

For students who enroll in the new Spartanburg County Public Virtual School, the only requirement for their “classroom” is a computer and an Internet connection.

The new virtual school is a collaboration of Spartanburg’s seven school districts and is available now to any student, in kindergarten through 12th grade, currently enrolled in any schools within the districts. Courses are entirely Web-based via Aventa/K12 Learning, a fully accredited online program, but students can supplement their online education with traditional courses at their zoned brick-and-mortar public school or with extracurricular activities in their home district, such as fine arts and athletics.

Students must enroll and get approved for virtual classes through the school they are zoned for in their school district. Once enrolled and approved for courses through the county’s virtual school, students can begin learning immediately.

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Leading Virtual School, Connections Academy, Launches Blog

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:47:47 +0000

Connections Academy, a leading national operator of K-12 virtual public schools, announced today the launch of a new blog geared toward families interested in K-12 virtual education and school from home. The blog is called Virtual Learning Connections and will offer insightful commentary about virtual school and learning from home, helpful tips for parents, celebrity guest bloggers, and more. Connections Academy presently operates fifteen public virtual schools in fourteen states as well as a national private virtual school.

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Extracurricular Activities and Online Learning

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:36:14 +0000

South Carolina Connections Academy

Palmetto State E-Cademy offers students alternative to traditional schools

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:14:51 +0000

“When I say I do online schooling, a lot of people are like ‘What?’ It’s kind of confusing to explain,” said Neeves.

She’s about to start her second year with the Palmetto State E-Cademy, a virtual charter school that couples self-paced learning with teacher support.

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