NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Educators from Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA), a nonprofit online
public school program of Union
County Public Schools, joined together with other virtual
school leaders at a two-day virtual learning conference sponsored
by Metro Nashville Virtual School in a show of support for all the
state's online public schools.
The event included a joint display of unity among all the
state's virtual schools in support of reauthorization of the
Virtual Public Schools Act, along with the signing of a policy
document – delivered to Governor Haslam, Commissioner of Education
McQueen, and state legislators – calling for Tennessee to establish accountability
standards for virtual public schools that are equal to other public
schools.
At the conference, TNVA teachers and educators presented how
they successfully made significant academic gains in every area
using a combination of interactive small group instruction,
rigorous content, and customized assessments.
From 2013 to 2014, TNVA increased its school growth measure in
all subjects. The online public school also met 5 of its 6
Annual Measurable Objectives and saw its overall composite trend
jump 36 points since the school first opened. Data also shows
that student progress increases the longer they are with TNVA, with
second and third year students making academic gains at a higher
level. TNVA is now one of the fastest improving public
schools in the state.
TNVA educators credit the strong gains to new and innovative
instructional techniques, personalized learning programs, increased
teacher support, and more effective use of data to measure and
increase student learning.
"Our school has made real academic progress and is on an upward
track," said Josh Williams, TNVA
Head of School and administrator at Union County Public
Schools. "The data is clear that from 2013 to 2014, our
public school achieved higher academic results in every area.
We are a fast-improving public school. Our teachers are doing
an excellent job working with students at an individual level,
providing each one the instruction, support and services they need
to achieve, and we are seeing the results."
Mr. Williams was joined by Robin
Norris, a TNVA academic administrator from Corryton, TN in northeastern Knox County, along with two TNVA teachers who
also presented on behalf of Union
County's online public school.
"In addition to giving every student a personalized learning
program, our teachers are using web-based technology to conduct
small group, synchronous classes every day to give students maximum
support," said Ms. Norris. "We are using rigorous content and
relevant data to drive instruction and intervention. Our
teachers are also building stronger student relationships and
delivering wrap-around support services for families. This is
especially important since our online public school provides full
educational services to special needs students and serves a higher
percentage of economically disadvantaged students than the state
average."
At the conference, TNVA joined the state's nine virtual public
schools in a new, unified coalition named, "Partnership for the
Advancement of Virtual Learning in Tennessee," to sign a policy document calling
on the state to renew the Virtual Public School Act, and ensure
every online public school can continue to be an option for
students. The policy document, which was sent to the
Governor, Commissioner of Education, and legislative leadership,
included recommendations that the accountability standards for
virtual public schools should be equal to every other public school
in the state. Further, it called for the elimination of the
sunset provision and codified that Tennessee's school districts are best equipped
to provide and oversee their own virtual public schools and should
have autonomy as the sole establishing and creating
entity.
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SOURCE Tennessee Virtual Academy