An item from this “national standards” initiative.
Standard Highlight: Online Programs
Standard M: Learner and Parent/Guardian Support
M2: The program provides academic services and academic advising to address learners’ academic and developmental needs.
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| Short description:
The Wisconsin eSchool Network (WEN) is comprised of district-level online learning programs that have varying processes and practices in place to support students and inform guardians. A combination of strategies and tools are commonly used to monitor and communicate attendance, engagement, and adequate progress. The definitions, values, and strategies are subject to local decision making. In all of the instances below the outcome is only as good as the input, expectations, and interventions across users to ensure consistent application of these measurements. The integral components are the learner and parent/guardian supports implemented to motivate students towards success.
* Note that Wisconsin eSchool Network (WEN) does not provide legal guidelines on this topic.
By Sami Mantyla, Executive Director, Wisconsin eSchool Network
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Examples of Student Support Strategies from programs within Wisconsin eSchool Network
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Helpful Hints for putting the standard into practice
THE FOLLOWING HELPFUL HINTS AND RESOURCES ARE EXAMPLES FROM PROGRAMS ACROSS THE WISCONSIN eSCHOOL NETWORK.
- Proactively work with a local team to incorporate attendance and engagement expectations into student contracts/handbooks.
- Review the data points available to your program, and ensure the data entry process has been reviewed for validity.
- Ensure all stakeholders are aware of the engagement expectations, especially those that will be engaged with holding students accountable, progress monitoring, and communicating.
- Consider including initial awareness of expectations in the Student and Parent/Guardian Orientation process.
- Reiterate expectations with various touch points including: newsletters, course “Welcome” folder, etc.
- Determine local process for addressing students that exceed expectations, and for students that fall short.
- Make an effort to personalize template communications to foster relationships.
Support and Interventions:
- Establish and have students sign a Student Agreement that includes online attendance.
- Set up 1-on-1 discussions with students.
- Reach out to parent(s)/guardian(s) through letters, phone calls, emails.
- Develop improved education plans.
- Ask the student to develop a plan that will get them back on track.
- Implement supervised working sessions.
- Set up meetings for students with counselors and administration.
- Invoke state-wide non-participation
- Invite students to a physical location in order to provide more support and structure.
- Email progress reports to all stakeholders involved in supporting the student (sample).
- Involve district truancy (specifically for supplemental programs)
- Establish team of educators to help get the student back on track
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| Resources to support standard use
Links to WDLC Case Studies:
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Author and Organization Bio
Sami Mantyla is the Executive Director for Wisconsin eSchool Network (WEN). Previous to this role, her primary focus was supporting WEN programs to ensure partner success. WEN partners with districts and schools who believe that online and blended learning is a learning model that can elevate the role of the teacher and offer unlimited choices for students regardless of any constraint or aspiration. Our most successful partners hold a comprehensive vision for online and blended learning. Beyond addressing immediate concerns like credit recovery or retention, these districts are striving to create environments where every learner thrives—within the school and beyond.
Check out the NSQ Website and NSQ Professional Learning Portal for more resources.
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| National Standards for Quality Online Learning · 6024 Deer Trace Ct · Dunlap, IL 61525-9662 · USA |
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