Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. will offer online instructional courses for seventh grade through high school in the hopes of retaining some students who leave the school system.
The Columbus Virtual Pathway will allow BCSC students to complete course requirements and meet state standards learning from home, said Angie Wieneke, the school corporation’s Columbus Virtual Pathway and elementary library coordinator.
Fifteen students will be accepted during the program’s first year, which begins Aug. 16. There will be no cost for students and families, and there are no textbook or supply fees, Wieneke said.
“We are targeting students outside of our district and also students who live in the Bartholomew Consolidated district who have left for various reasons,” Wieneke said. “BCSC also believes it is important to offer a virtual option to current BCSC students and their families who feel an online learning environment would be a better fit.”
BCSC has lost 143 students in the district to virtual or online schools, said Bill Jensen, BCSC secondary education director.
The district already offers online credit recovery courses for individuals who have failed a class, Jensen said. Those classes are self-paced with no teacher assigned to them, he said.
The Columbus Virtual Pathway assigns a certified teacher to each course and is for full-time students, Wieneke said. The district plans to use the Pearson Connexus Online and Blended Learning platform. The pathway will cost the district $4,250 for each full-time student.
“The course catalog is extensive as students have access to AP (advanced placement) and elective courses,” she said. “Students will receive grades for the online courses and will be accessing the courses on their own schedule, but (students) must be online six hours a day, five days a week per state requirements.”
People who are interested in signing up for the pathway are encouraged to contact Wieneke since some individuals may be outside the district and will need to transfer in. All applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and students with disciplinary issues will be considered if they apply, she said.
BCSC data has shown some families want online instructional options for their children and the school corporation wants to keep them, Wieneke said.
Students will receive a BCSC diploma upon graduation and will be able to participate in BCSC programs, sports or other extra-curricular activities at the school where they are enrolled.
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Families interested in learning more about Columbus Virtual Pathway are asked to contact Angie Wieneke at 812-376-4388 or e-mail [email protected].
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