I got a couple of e-mails over the past few days from individuals who wanted to bring things to my attention and I’m going to post those items today. The first was from this individual in Utah…
Hi Michael,
I was looking through your blog, specifically your news sections, and a virtual high school I work for recently put out a release I thought might interest you. A couple weeks ago the New York Times ran a story on how states are falsifying their dropout numbers when they report to the federal government. What The American Academy said, and really it applies to every online high school, is that instead of just watching these kids fall out of the system, the states could give them a second chance via online high schools. Sometimes the brick-and-mortar system just doesn’t work for kids, and going at their own pace without the social pressures could be the resolution.
Either way, the point is that if states would simply take a step forward their dropout numbers (not to mention NCLB scores) could improve greatly. Let me know if you’d like more information on The American Academy.
Thanks,
XXXXX
[contact information]
States Can Lower Dropout Rate, Improve NCLB Standing With The American Academy
SALT LAKE CITY – April 2, 2008 – The New York Times reported that states are reporting inflated graduation rates to the federal government. According to the article (March 21, 2008), the states are doing this to avoid sanctions due to lack of compliance with federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. Only about 70 percent of the one million American students who start ninth grade each year graduate four years later, a number much lower than the NCLB-mandated graduation rates.
Professor Paul Zane Pilzer, economist and co-founder of The American Academy, said that states now have affordable, easy options to raise graduation rates and meet NCLB mandates by offering online options to students who can’t attend school during traditional hours or who need to make up credits.
“States, school districts, and even individual high schools can use online high schools to help students earn their diploma,” Pilzer said. “Students drop out when the traditional model isn’t working for them: some students need to work to support a family, some may have difficult social situations, and some simply don’t learn best at 8:00 AM.
“There are very simple ways for school districts to economically serve these students,” noted The American Academy Co-founder Anthony E. Meyer. “Our school offers 233 courses that students can take anywhere, anytime, on their own schedule. It doesn’t take more teachers or buildings or expensive summer school programs. The schools just have to commit to their students, and we’ll do the rest.”
The American Academy is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, which means that every credit earned will transfer to public and accredited private high schools across the country. The American Academy serves students throughout the U.S. and in several countries. Every student has access to licensed instructors and to tutoring available on-demand, 24/7.
Enrollment is now open at The American Academy, and classes begin every Monday. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.
About The American Academy
The American Academy is an accredited online high school built on a system that has served more than 80,000 students since 1994. It serves students worldwide who want to supplement their high school program or earn their high school diploma. The American Academy offers a flexible educational experience along with a high quality, engaging curriculum that aligns with state standards. Through its relationships with long-standing education institutions, including the Utah State Board of Education, The American Academy provides leading-edge resources and access to licensed, experienced instructors. For more information, please visit http://www.TheAmericanAcademy.com.
After receiving this message, and before posting it, I investigated the American Academy and the specific news release that is linked in to the message. After looking into it a bit, I sent this chap the following reply.
I got the following response.
You’re correct. TAA is basically the private, national-facing version of UEHS, but not continually associated with them. While for now it’s essentially private-labeling, the plan is to expand upon the base with more internally-developed courses down the road. Part of the partnership is TAA has agreed not to enroll Utah students.
The founders of the school wanted to create a more accessible, cheaper alternative to Kaplan, Insight, etc… so they picked Utah in large part because of the success in avoiding dropout factories and the track record of UEHS.
I hope this helps a little bit. [and the message continues with some specific contact information and an offer to get connected with the virtual school's principal]
I’m posting this today because I think this arrangement is an interesting one and the Utah Electronic High School is one of the oldest in the country, and one of the more successful (at least based upon what I’ve been able to determine). So this mechanism to allow out-of-state students to take advantage of these opportunities is worth noting as a model.
