Aventa is great for students who just need a different learning environment.
— Julia Howelman, Granada Hills Charter School
Case Study: Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Preparing students for graduation, college, and the workforce are just some of the many challenges the Spotsylvania County Public Schools in Virginia are tackling head on. As part of the district’s strategic plan, officials searched for ways to incorporate online learning into the district’s program. By using Aventa Learning at one of the district’s alternative schools, the district has been able to help a wider variety of students and provide students who were having trouble in the classroom the chance to graduate.
"Aventa Learning has really allowed us to help meet the needs of our students," says Dr. Jan Streich, Director of Technology.
The district uses Aventa Learning for Credit Recovery and is expanding the program to include classes for seniors who are at risk of not graduating. Spotsylvania uses district teachers to deliver the program, and so far the program has produced excellent results.
While the program has now been shown to be successful, at first the program was met with skepticism. However, teachers were willing to try the program after Streich’s office convinced the instructors that students would benefit from the Aventa program.
"Whenever you introduce a new product there is always apprehension over whether or not it’s going to work," says Streich. "In order for any program to work, you absolutely must get your instructional staff excited."
After some initial skepticism, the program has taken off. Teachers and students have both indicated that the program is a success. At a recent school board meeting where the online program was reviewed, both teachers and students spoke directly to the board about their personal experiences with the program.
"A teacher who had more than 20 years of experience told the board that she started teaching for the online program and was very skeptical, but she finished the program thinking that every student should have this opportunity," says Streich.
Students also told the board about the positive impact of the program. One student told the board that without the program she would not have graduated. Stories like this are familiar to Misty Kelley, a teacher at the alternative school where students can take the Aventa program.
"We had a student who came to us as a senior. She was 2 credits behind, and had been expelled from her home school," says Kelley. "By coming to our school and using Aventa, she was able to get the Credit Recovery she needed in addition to her regular classes. She graduated on time."
This school year, as the program expands to offer more Credit Recovery courses to students, teachers at the school are confident they will be able to help additional students and improve the school’s test scores. One of the greatest benefits of Aventa is the ability to teach students at different levels at the same time. Mike Joos, a math teacher at the alternative school, is amazed at how much he can differentiate his instruction.
"I am able to teach 9 separate subjects as one teacher," Joos says. "There is no way I could do that by myself without the help of the online program."
The district would like to expand online learning to all high school students and give every student the chance to experience virtual learning.
"Our students love online learning," says Streich. "Every teacher I’ve talked to has said the program has benefited their students. When it comes to the potential benefits of online learning for students, the sky is the limit."
