The Learning ManagerAdvisor Model for an Online High School Setting

1
The Learning Manager-Advisor Modelfor an Online
High School Setting
iNACOL ConferenceNovember 2009
2
INTRODUCTIONS

• Tracy Quarnstrom
• Director
• tquarnstrom_at_chisagolakes.k12.mn.us

3
INTRODUCTIONS

• Brenda Swanson
• Dean of StudentsTesting CoordinatorWeb-master
• bswanson_at_chisagolakes.k12.mn.us

4
INTRODUCTIONS

• Emily Stull
• Lead Learning ManagerQuality Compensation
  Coordinator
• Visual Arts Specialist
• estull_at_chisagolakes.k12.mn.us

5
What we hope to accomplish today includes the
following

• From the conference bookletA model that has
  been successful for over ten years in a rural
  Minnesota charter school will be highlighted in
  this presentation.
• We acknowledge from the beginning of this
  presentation that some of the strategies
  presented will work in your school setting and
  others may not. We do not present our model as
  the only model for successful high school online
  learning experiences, but instead as one model
  that has shown success for our students over the
  past few years.
• Later in the presentation we will ask for members
  of the audience to share their own methods of
  motivating and reaching students in online
  settings. We hope you enjoy the presentation and
  leave with a few ideas to contemplate for the
  future.

6
About TRIO Wolf Creek

• Wolf Creek Online High School
• www.triowolfcreek.com
• Located in Chisago City, MN
• A Charter School since 2001
• An Online Learning Program since 1996

7
What makes us unique

• Campus/lab setting available for local students
• Charter School entity that is sponsored and
  supported by the local school district in which
  it resides.

8
Enrollment Demographics

• 140 students in grades 9-12
• Majority in grades 11 12
• Serve students up to age 21

9
Enrollment Demographics Continued

• Special Education rate 13
• 15 eligible for Free/reduced Lunch
• 75 of students labeled as at-risk (according
  to MN state law)

10
Types of Students Choosing Online Learning With
Wolf Creek

• Students who have not fit into a traditional
  school model
• Teen Parents
• Students who have passed their graduation date
• Gifted Students
• Former home-school students

11
Types of Students Choosing Online Learning With
Wolf Creek

• Students who work outside the home to help
  support the family
• Students with medical conditions
• Students who have opportunities outside the home
  (modeling, competitive sports)
• Anyone who desires something different

12
Concerns

• In 2001 we had a similar number of students
  enrolled and found that only 45-50 of students
  were passing their classes in our online high
  school.
• Although this compared with the national
  completion rates for online learning it concerned
  us and we wanted to make changes that would lead
  to increases in the completion rate for courses.
• We asked ourselves how we could motivate online
  students to succeed in completing courses at our
  online high school.

13
Motivating Students

• Does anyone in this room hope to be able to
  better motivate students in their online
  classrooms next week?
• Do you at times feel that you are doing more work
  than your students?

14
Motivating Students Continued

• In discussions with our staff and other online
  teachers in Minnesota, it became apparent that
  motivating students online was a major concern
  for online providers across Minnesota.
• So our staff set out to investigate motivating
  students and here is what we did

15
Implementation
What follows is an in-depth look at what we have
implemented and the success we have found at Wolf
Creek Online High School
16
Learning Manager Model

• The premise of all advisement at Wolf Creek
  revolves around the Learning Manager Model.
• The Learning Manager Model believes that each
  student must have a single caring adult in their
  life that can make the difference between their
  success or failure in school.
• Based on our school population many of our
  students do not find this caring adult in their
  home situation.

17
Learning Manager Model Continued

• Each student is assigned a LM when they enroll at
  Wolf Creek.
• The LM begins communicating with the student and
  family even before coursework begins.
• They are the primary contact for all questions in
  any academic area.
• Before a student starts any classes, she meets
  with her learning manager to discuss goals,
  classes, and expectations

18
Student Expectations

• Personal responsibility for academic achievement,
  actions, attitude, and attendance
• Maintaining a clean, safe, and peaceful
  environment
• Developing honesty, integrity, and accountability
• Showing respect towards oneself, other students,
  and staff
• Showing self-worth in clothing, personal choices,
  and expressions of affection

19
Student Expectations Continued

• To work 25 or more hours per week on school work
• To work 5 hours per week on campus or have a lab
  waiver.
• To check email daily and email Learning Manager 2
  or more times a week.
• To complete weekly OTIS (Online Technology and
  Internet Skills) course assignments.
• To complete lessons on time with satisfactory
  grades.
• To notify Learning Manager of any computer
  problems, address changes or of upcoming
  vacations in order to get any work available.
• To attend lab on assigned testing dates, in a
  timely manner.

20
Communication is the Key

• We believe that communication is the key to
  connecting school and school success.
• The main point of contact for communication with
  school is the Learning Manager (LM).
• How does the LM communicate with students?

21
Communicating with Students

• One on one Individual Graduation Plan (IGP)
  meetings and goal setting meetings fuel how we
  communicate with each student at Wolf Creek.
  These meetings can take place in person or via
  Elluminate, phone, chat, facebook, etc.
• Email, text, chat (2 or more times each week)
• Telephone conversations
• On-site lab component ( unique to Wolf Creek but
  other schools in MN have a face to face component
  that may involve monthly field trips or virtual
  field trips)
• Discussion boards and communication using our
  e-learning platform for course work (Moodle)

22
Communicating with Students Continued

• LMs are willing to use any form of communication
  that will work for a particular student that may
  include more conventional methods such as paper
  Hallmark cards, e-cards, and prizes ( that may be
  placed in the mail)
• LMs may send a Monday weekly email and ask for
  the 9th response to receive a prize.
• E-cards for a variety of accomplishments are sent
  to students.
• From time to time we send US mail card to
  students as a different form of communication and
  our high school students respond well to these
  methods.

23
Additional ways we communicate

• Community Clips
• http//communityclips.officelabs.com/
• Bubble Guru
• http//bubbleguru.com/

24
Additional Supports
Other methods beyond the LM model that we
implemented to support our students
25
Student of the Month

• Each month staff choose 2 students who have
  displayed significant personal and/or academic
  progress at Wolf Creek.
• Those students have their name and photos
  displayed prominently on a plaque at the school,
  are highlighted on our website, have their
  picture and an article included in the local
  newspaper, and receive several prizes.
• Students are very proud to win this award!

26
Response to Intervention

• In 2008-2009, Wolf Creek instituted an RtI
  process to help students who needed additional
  supports in a variety of areas.
• Areas for support include
• Academic
• Organization
• Motivation and Situation
• We have created an online class that many RtI
  students participate in called Check and Connect.

27
SAT Student Assistance Team Processes

• Each month staff members review student progress
  and bring concerns to the larger group.
• Mental health workers employed by the school also
  attend the SAT sessions.
• At each session, we brainstorm possible
  interventions and after SAT, individual LMs and
  other staff members implement the interventions.
• At times SAT and RtI will overlap

28
Specific Classes for Motivation

• Wolf Creek has also created specific classes for
  Motivating students.
• These include
• OTIS
• Back On Track
• Power of You (Elluminate)
• Check in Connect (Elluminate)

29
Student Responses to Elluminate

• Its like email, but you can see each other and
  its like using instant message - your answers
  get to you faster.
• It could help me if I had extra questions for an
  assignment and needed something explained or
  shown to me. Also, I could talk to other
  students and see what they thought of what we
  were learning too.
• I liked Elluminate because it is handy and has
  many options. I like having the choice of whether
  to talk or not, and being able to draw is cool
  too.
• I think it could help you a lot to have meetings
  with your teachers and send stuff to them.
• I wouldn't have to email or pick up the phone and
  call I could just talk through the mic and be
  able to get my answer.
• If you are unable to come into lab often or
  because of sickness and still need hands on help,
  then it benefits you greatly.
• It could help you when you need help with
  something and someone else can help you out and
  go through it step by step.
• - Elluminate was pretty cool. I think that
  Elluminate could help a lot of people just
  because you can actually TALK with people and
  your learning manager for help and problems that
  you are having with your work.
• - It is just like being in class, but in my PJ's.
  I can get questions answered all nice and easy!

30
Success
Data and anecdotal evidence of success at Wolf
Creek
31
Why We Think the LM Model is Successful

• Data
• In 2001 we had a passing rate of near 50
• In 2008-2009 we had a passing rate of 63
• With nearly the same number of enrollments and
  the same types of students.
• Passing rate for 2008-2009 is at 63. This is up
  over the past three years by almost 15!

32
Why We Know the LM Model is Successful

• Because at Wolf Creek we judge success one
  student at a time
• We had a 21 year old student who had been
  unsuccessful in traditional settings and came to
  us with very few credits. She had few life
  skills and became pregnant in high school, giving
  birth to a special needs baby. With all of these
  obstacles she persevered and graduated with us
  using our Learning Manager model.

33
Success Stories Continued

• Because at Wolf Creek we judge success one
  student at a time
• We had a male student who came to us with a
  negative attitude toward school and staff members
  in general. He did not know if online learning
  would work well for him he did not possess many
  technology skills and needed help academically.
  He found success and made up needed graduation
  credits and graduated with us this fall. This
  student is currrently looking forward to college
  and taking the ACT test based on guidance from
  his LM. He turned his attitude around and became
  a pleasant and polite young man, who thanked all
  of us for helping him when he received his
  diploma.

34
Success Stories Continued

• Because at Wolf Creek we judge success one
  student at a time.
• We had an 11th grade young lady who came to us
  slightly ahead on credits in her junior year. She
  started with us as a supplemental student
  (part-time) and found that online learning was a
  great motivation for her. She decided to
  complete her junior and senior years in one year
  at Wolf Creek. In order to do this, she worked
  with her LM to finish all state-wide testing for
  juniors in one years time along with enrolling in
  and passing the needed additional credits. She
  completed all needed credits and received a
  diploma one year early and went on to start
  culinary training.

35
What Wolf Creek Students Have to Say About Their
LMs

• A few responses to the spring 2009 student survey
  question
• What is the best thing about Wolf Creek?
• The teachers are fun and cool and like to help
• The teachers are always there to help and they
  really care about you.
• The support, friendship, and guidance from LMs.
• The LM are very attentive.
• My LM and the way Wolf Creek is set up for
  learning.
• That the teachers are always wanting to help and
  make sure you're doing okay. And they listen and
  don't get mad when you're frustrated.

36
Resources
Websites and materials for reference
37
Looking for Online Classes?

• ISEEK
• The Internet System for Education and Employment
  Knowledge (ISEEK) is Minnesota's website for
  career exploration, education and training,
  employment and business information
• http//iseek.org/sv/index.jsp

38
Looking for Minnesota Online Communities?

• Minnesota K12 Online Learning Alliance Website
• www.MnOLA.org provides valuable information for
  students, parents, and providers of online
  learning courses.

39
Motivating Students Who Dont Care
Successful Techniques for Educators by Allen N.
Mendler
40
Wolf Creek Online High School

• www.triowolfcreek.com
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Mailing Address
• 13750 Lake Boulevard
• Lindstrom, MN 55045
• School location
• 10363 Liberty Lane
• Center City, MN 55045