Mississippi Virtual Public School Using tomorrow’s technology for today’s learning…

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Mississippi Virtual Public SchoolUsing
tomorrows technology for todays
learning www.mvps.mde.k12.ms.us
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Todays Goals

• Explore the rapid growth of online learning
• Reflect on the history and growth of online
  learning in Mississippi
• Examine the plan for continued success for
  Mississippis virtual students

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Here we grow
A 2006 report called Keeping Pace with K-12
Online Learning A Review of State-Level Policy
and Practice (from the North American Council
for Online Learning NACOL) says enrollment in
online courses has increased by as much as 50 in
some states.
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38 states have state-led online programs,
policies regulating online education, or both.
Standards matter Guidelines for high-quality
online teaching have been developed by the
Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the
National Education Association (NEA).
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Why a virtual high school?

• More choices for students
• Equitable learning opportunity
• Address local teacher shortages
• Distribute and model online teaching and learning
• Flexible scheduling
• Enhanced course selection
• Critical graduation credit
• Accommodate alternative learning styles
• Prepare 21st-century employees

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The history of online learning in Mississippi

• Mississippi Online Learning Institute (MOLLI) was
  launched in 2000.
• In 2006, the new Mississippi Virtual Public
  School was launched.

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Senate Bill No. 2602
It is the intent of the Legislature that the
Mississippi Virtual Public School established
under this section provides Mississippi families
with an alternative choice to access additional
educational resources in an effort to improve
academic achievement.
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What is the MVPS?

• The first state-wide public virtual high school
• An educational alternative offered at no cost to
  districts, students, and parents
• An innovative plan to increase opportunities for
  under-served populations, including rural
  schools and low-performing schools
• A way to support class-size reduction and
  equitable educational access initiatives

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• MVPS is an educational service managed by the
  MDE.
• All enrollments come through local public high
  schools.
• Credit is granted by the local high school.
• There is a shared responsibility for student
  progress and success.

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More about us

• Our course management system Desire2Learn
• Our curriculum Aventa
• Our teachers Mississippi-certified teachers -
  many teach at local high schools during the day

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Going to Class
Students have a unique username and password to
access their courses. Once they have logged in,
they are brought to a home page. From here they
can access email, the pager, news information,
preferences, and more.
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Going to Class
Students click on these links to access their
individual MVPS courses.
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Inside the classroom
This is an example of a course home page. This
is Earth Science.
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Inside the classroom
From the course home page, teachers can
communicate with their students about the weekly
assignments and expectations.
Mr. McKammon is RCSDs Teacher of the Year!
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Students access all course materials online.
Students can save or print materials if they
choose.
Links to additional course content
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Discussion Boards simulate classroom discussion.
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Virtual Dropbox
Students use the Dropbox to submit assignments to
the teacher the teacher also returns graded
assignments (with qualitative and quantitative
feedback) to the students within four days.
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Assessment
Students can take course quizzes and often
receive immediate feedback. All midterm and
final exams, however, are proctored at the local
high school site.
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Summer 2007
Priority Summer Registration March 5-16, 2007
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Future academic initiatives

• Expanded Advanced Placement course offerings
• MVPS teachers will update curriculum on a regular
  basis, beginning Summer 2007
• Development of an online Mississippi Studies
  course
• Course offerings for 7th, 8th, and 9th graders

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The MVPS Team

• Gwenda B. Purnell
• Special Assistant to the State Superintendent
• Office of Leadership Professional Development
• gpurnell_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Jackie Mangieri Connie Ratcliffe
• IT Planner IT Planner
• jmangieri_at_mde.k12.ms.us cratcliffe_at_mde.k12.ms.us
  
• Lavern Fortson Demetrice Watts
• Educational Specialist Sr. Special Projects
  Officer II
• lfortson_at_mde.k12.ms.us mvpssupport_at_mde.k12.ms.us
  

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• Questions?