A Virtual High School in San Diego

National School Boards Assocation T+L Conference
Denver, CO
I arrived at the convention center as the sun was coming up for the first session of the day. I shook off the melting snow from hat, scarf, coat and gloves to a warm welcome from Darryl LaGace, Chief Information and Technology Officer at San Diego Unified School District. I’ve been following Darryl’s innovative projects since 2000 when he helped transform Lemon Grove School District. The great thing about Darryl’s projects is that they are not just pilots. He thinks big and he thinks long-term.

At San Diego, the 2nd largest district in California and the 8th largest in the country, the school board committed to developing a comprehensive online high school program over a 3-year period. Drop outs were increasing. According to LaGace: “We wanted to provide an opportunity for kids in our school district rather than refer them to a resource we couldn’t manage (such as an unaffiliated virtual school).” iHigh is a blended approach with facilities on high school campuses as well as satellite locations, offering core courses, AP courses, and extracurricular options. In year 1, 2008-2009, 3933 students completed 5052 courses for credit recovery. iHigh also engaged 20 full-time students and 200 part-time students. LaGace shared lessons learned after the first school year: 2008-2009.

Create a brand that sticks and speaks to kids. The district advertised credit recovery opportunities on YouTube and Facebook with the message: My School, My Way.

Work with universities to make sure credits will count. The district obtained high school articulation agreements with universities in writing to ensure that online credits would be counted.

Get everyone on the same train. Counselors, principals, teachers, and parents all have to understand that online learning is an option and that the curriculum and assessment are rigorous.

Combine curriculum to get the best. No single provider offered all of the curriculum the district needed.

Make it seamless. Automation of enrollment is essential. When students sign up online, they can’t wait 2 weeks to be enrolled. iHigh students have a virtual desktop with everything they need and a single sign-on. If needed, they also have a loaner laptop with filtered broadband access over a 3G wireless network.

Invest in the future. The school board invested in the teachers and curriculum to get the program started and expect to achieve return on the investment within 3 years by recovering ADA and enhancing graduation rates by providing more educational opportunities with equitable access for all.

www.ihighvirtualacademy.com