Brittany Kelley
KYLE — Hays CISD is offering a new opportunity that will further benefit students this upcoming school year: virtual learning.
The district has always offered what director of Curriculum and Instruction Emily Herrin describes as “à la carte” online classes. These were opportunities for students to take select courses, such as Health or Speech, in the evening or over the summer. Students would often sign up for these as a junior or senior, when both their independence was higher and a two-period class block was needed for an extracurricular activity or a Career and Technical Education course, said Herrin.
“À la carte” options were strictly outside of school hours, due to the way school funding was determined by the state legislature, which is through in-person attendance. However, Herrin noted that in the most recent legislative session, minutes could now be counted toward attendance, opening the opportunity for the district to begin considering virtual learning options, without losing the minimal funding received by the state.
“What we learned during COVID-19 was that the structure of the four walls brought a lot of consistency for [some] students, [but] the students who were successful in COVID didn’t need to come to school. They were the ones that have the skills that you need to time manage, stay on top of things, communicate and advocate for themselves,” explained the director.
Those high school students and families who feel as though online learning would be a good option can fill out an application, which considers grade history, attendance, career and personal goals and whether there are any extenuating circumstances that contribute to this request.
If the district agrees with the notion that the applicant would thrive in this environment, two options are available:
• A hybrid schedule that allows students to come to school for half the day and participate in extracurricular activities, while completing core classes virtually. Though, Herrin stated that the district will need to fit each of the extracurriculars into the same portion of the day, which is not always possible.
• A fully virtual experience, with students having complete control over the pace and time in which classes are completed.
Though, this could bring a potential barrier for families, Herrin noted, as students could ride the bus in the morning or in the evening, but would need to be picked up or dropped off midway through the day, to ensure security and safety.
The courses are completely online and instructed by the same teachers as Live Oak Academy. These professionals would check in regularly to ensure students are performing well and offer additional instruction, if needed. At the same time, a virtual teacher facilitator will check in with the students at the end of each week to keep students on track with the timeline of the courses, similar to a counselor.
“We tried to model the system around what we already have in place with our à la carte model and then, model what Live Oak does and find the happy medium. System wise, it’s definitely a team approach. So, everybody has a little role in it,” she said, adding that each student would still be tied to the high school in which they are zoned to, even if they are virtual. “The counselors, they’re at the point in their scheduling of students, where they’re hand-scheduling students now.”
Although the district is not prioritizing any grade level, Herrin did share that the majority of those requesting the program are juniors and seniors, but the reasoning for applying is vast. One student noted that they needed to get a job to support their family and this would provide flexibility, while another wanted to take on an apprenticeship. As of July 22, 30 students have completed the application, while another 100 are in the process.
The director did state that the legislation requires that no more than approximately 30% of a school’s population can be virtual.
In reviewing these applications, Herrin stated that staff has also able to find students that may succeed more at Live Oak than the virtual option, such as those who may not have the best grades or attendance and are looking for an alternative.
“Live Oak Academy fits the needs of a lot of students [because] it's a small environment. They do traditionally have to come in person a little bit, but we're talking much smaller class sizes and you get to know your teachers very well. That in-person environment is such a different experience than a traditional high school [and] that's where we capture students who are kind of in between,” she explained. “We're going through the applications and saying, ‘Okay, this student missed a lot of school. [It] might not be a hybrid opportunity for this student, but this student sounds like a really good Live Oak student because maybe they just need that support’ … It really is looking at this at the individual student level.”
Some families that previously switched to homeschooling have also applied, seeing this as another chance for their student to receive an education that works for them.
The application and registration for virtual learning will be open until the first day of school, which is Aug. 13. Herrin did state that the students must be committed to complete at least one semester in the virtual option chosen, but can reevaluate at the spring mark, if a change is needed.
“I know that COVID opened our eyes to the flexibility that virtual learning offers students … Every family knows their children best and probably within their family has a student who would do really well [online] and a student who would not,” she said. “I know we have groups of students who this would be helpful for and so, that's where it's nice to be able to offer this because now we can meet the needs of more children.”
For more information on Hays CISD’s virtual learning program, visit bit.ly/4wcffJ2.
