Test. Test. Test. To what end?

What started the movement to evaluate teacher performance by test scores?

For the last several decades, as far back as the 1970s, researchers have been estimating teachers’ impact on their students’ standardized test scores, and have found substantial variation among teachers. The students of some teachers consistently made more growth on tests than the students of other teachers did. They also generally found that teachers’ ability to raise test scores was only modestly correlated with concrete characteristics, such as experience and education.

Continue reading this article from The 74 here.

Active Learners

Originally, we were going to post this to show the rapid rise in technology and make a point about how online education harnesses that potential. Supposedly, this image juxtaposes photos of the last two times a new Pope was announced. But, virtual school administrators, teachers and enrollees know that just because something is on the internet doesn't make it factual. Our students don't sit idly by as passive learners in front of a screen. They're active learners, understand the scientific method and are intellectually curious. So, like them, we kept digging to get at the truth. Here's the rest of the story about these photos... https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/aaf1067a-8cf9-11e2-9f54-f3…

A great team.

Virtual schooling in Wisconsin is not just learning over the Internet. Engaged students, well-trained public school teachers, attentive learning coaches and supportive families make for an incredible team. The policy makers in Wisconsin have said ‪#‎ITrustParents‬ and have given us options. But our effort does not end with enrollment. Together, we are committed to the success of our young learners, and the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families is proudly with us every step of the way.

List of Virtual Schools (From the State DPI)

Some of these schools are run by and for the students within the sponsoring district. Others primarily enroll students from throughout the State of Wisconsin, via our Open Enrollment law.

 

From the State Department of Public Instruction:

Online learning takes many forms and has many names. There are online courses, programs and schools, which may be called online, virtual, cyber or blended education, to name a few.

A virtual charter school is defined in Wis. Stats. § 115.001 (16) as “a charter school … in which all or a portion of the instruction is provided through means of the internet, and the pupils enrolled in and instructional staff employed by the school are geographically remote from each other.”

In addition, state statutes contain specific requirements that must be met by virtual charter schools.  See Wis. Stats. § 118.40 (8).

In Wisconsin, a virtual charter school is a specific form of online learning. It is the only form of online learning in which an open enrolled pupil may participate from home, that is, without having to physically attend school in the nonresident school district during all the days and hours that school is in session.

Any form of online learning that does not meet the statutory definition of a virtual charter school and all of the requirements of Wis. Stats. § 118.40 (8) is not a virtual charter school. That does not mean that open enrolled pupils cannot attend online classes or programs, however, the pupil cannot access these programs and courses from home; they must go to school.

School - Grades - Sponsoring School District

21st Century eSchool  K-12  Middleton-Cross Plains

Advanced Learning Academy of Wisconsin  K-12  Barron Area

Appleton eSchool  7-12  Appleton Area

Arise Virtual Academy  K-12  Janesville

Bobcat Virtual Academy (proposed)  PK-12  Birchwood

Bridges Virtual Academy  PK-12  Merrill Area

Cameron Academy of Virtual Education (CAVE)  K-12  Cameron

Central Wisconsin Virtual School  4-12  Tomorrow River

CrE8 Charter School  PK-5  Gillett

De Soto Virtual School (proposed)  K-12  De Soto Area

eAchieve Academy  6-12  Waukesha

eAchieve Elementary  K-5  Waukesha

George D Warriner High School  9-12  Sheboygan Area

George D Warriner Middle School 6-8  Sheboygan Area

GOAL - Gillett's Occupation and Leadership Academy  6-12  Gillett

HACIL - Hayward Ctr for Individualized Learning K4-12  Hayward Community

iForward 6-12  Grantsburg

Island City Virtual Academy  PK-12  Cumberland

JEDI Virtual Charter School  K-12  Whitewater

Kenosha eSchool  K-12  Kenosha

Kiel eSchool  7-12  Kiel

KM Global School for Global Leadership and Innovation (KM Global)  9-12  Kettle Moraine

Link2Learn Virtual Charter School  PK-12  Chetek-Weyerhaeuser

Mighty River Charter School  K-12  Prairie du Chien

Montello Virtual Charter School  K-12  Montello

Northwood Virtual Charter School (proposed)  K-12  Northwood

Richland Online Academy  6-12  Richland

River Falls eSchool  6-12  River Falls

Rural Virtual Academy  PK-10  Medford Area

Saint Croix Academy of Virtual Education  K-12  Saint Croix Central

Spooner Area Virtual Education Academy (SAVE Academy)  K4-12  Spooner

Wauwatosa Virtual Academy  6-12  Wauwatosa

Wisconsin Connections Academy (WCA)  K-12  Appleton Area

Wisconsin Virtual Academy High School (WIVA High School)  9-12  McFarland

Wisconsin Virtual Academy K-8 (WIVA K-8)  K-8  McFarland

Wisconsin Virtual Learning (WVL)  PK-12  Northern Ozaukee

Is Virtual School the Right Choice for Your Child?

It's never too late to explore your options...

 

Joshua McMurtry was a strong student, receiving high marks from his elementary school teachers. But the Milwaukee fourth-grader still didn't feel confident academically, expressing concern to his parents that he was uncertain about what he was getting out of school.
After researching various options and talking with family and friends, Joshua's mom, Cheryl, decided to enroll him in the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, a full-time, tuition-free online public charter school for grades K-12 open to students statewide.
"It was the best decision for him and for us. During his middle school years, we wanted to ensure that he was getting what he needed," said Cheryl McMurtry.
The McMurtry family is one of thousands of Wisconsin families who have turned to online education as an alternative to the traditional brick and mortar school. The state had 32 virtual charter schools in the 2014-2015 school year with more than 7,000 students.
Each school is authorized by a school district, and students can enroll anywhere in the state through Wisconsin's open enrollment provisions. The largest virtual schools in Wisconsin are the McFarland School District's Wisconsin Virtual Academy, Waukesha's eAcheive Academy, Appleton's Wisconsin Connections Academy and Northern Ozaukee's Wisconsin Virtual Learning.
Leslye Moraski Erickson, the head of the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, said the reasons families opt for online education are varied, but the allure is its customization and flexibility.

 

 

Read the rest at MetroParent Magazine.