It has been one year since Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. launched its first virtual learning platform to students in and around Bartholomew County, and the number of enrolled students continues to grow.
Columbus Virtual Pathway debuted in 2018 as an online educational offering using course content and curriculum through Edgenuity. The courses are accessed virtually from home and taught by Indiana certified teachers.
“We knew virtual education was ramping up around the state, we knew the options were out there — you see the commercials, you see the advertising,” said Angie Wieneke, Columbus Virtual Pathway director. “What we found was that over 140 students had left our corporation over the last few years for online options.”
Wieneke said the corporation knows there is more than one way for a child to learn. To prevent more students from leaving for other online options, BCSC honed in on how it could offer a digital pathway for its own students.
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District leaders identified several online learning vendors and tested Pearson Connexus Online its first year but discovered Edgenuity in the spring. Wieneke said Edgenuity better aligns with the corporation’s Universal Design for Learning framework.
In its inaugural year, Wieneke said the pathway accepted 15 students in grades 7-12. This year, that number has increased to 25 students, 21 of which are BCSC students. Three students have enrolled from surrounding school districts.
The pathway capped its enrollment of BCSC students at 21 this year to accommodate each individual students’ needs, but Wieneke said the corporation will continue to accept an unlimited number of students from surrwAll students enrolled in Columbus Virtual Pathway will receive a BCSC diploma upon graduation and are able to participate in BCSC programs, sports or other extra-curricular activities at the school where they are enrolled. Students have the option of being enrolled at Central Middle School, Northside Middle School, Columbus North High School or Columbus East High School depending on their grade level and district lines.
The course catalog is extensive. Students have access to general required courses, Advanced Placement courses, world languages and other electives.
The pathway is available at no cost to students and families, and there are no textbook or supply fees.
Students enroll in Columbus Virtual Pathway for a variety of reasons, Wieneke said. Some may want an alternative to a traditional classroom, or may have medical issues or mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.
When a student applies to enroll in Columbus Virtual Pathway, Wieneke said she collaborates with counselors at each school to determine if online learning would be a good fit for a student.
Ultimately, Wieneke said the corporation wants students to learn in the physical classroom and stay connected with the school if they can.
She uses a set of guiding criteria when learning about the pathway applicant. This criteria includes:
Level of support the student has at home to do the work;
Whether interpersonal interactions cause anxiety and/or stress;
Evidence that interpersonal skills are developed in outside school activities;
Evidence of independent work ethic;
Evidence of previous success in home-school or virtual learning environment;
Can articulate barriers to their learning or pace of learning in the current pathways;
Is tech-savvy and resourceful;
Evidence that the student is goal-oriented and strategic in their thinking;
Evidence that the student is purposeful and motivated.
“Online is not a magic answer to every student’s issues,” Wieneke said. “It’s when the physical building becomes a barrier but they love to learn and they’re motivated to learn, but there’s just something maybe preventing them from being able to learn in the physical building, online is a perfect fit.”
Finding the right fit
Junior Malaki Cahill, 17, asked his mom to be home-schooled as soon as he and his family moved from South Carolina to Columbus in November 2018, but Amy Hensley said she was skeptical.
“It was kind of a joke when we moved here and he said, “I want to be home-schooled,’ and I was like, ‘No, not happening. It just won’t work,” said Hensley, Cahill’s mother.
Growing up in a military family, Cahill said he had never stayed at one school for more than three years. When he moved to Columbus last fall, he enrolled at Columbus East but constantly found himself bored in the classroom.
“I just wanted to go to school and get done,” Cahill said. “I’d get on the bus at 6 o’clock (in the morning) and not get home until 4 p.m. School didn’t teach me real-life workforce stuff; it just taught me what I needed to know for a test.”
Hensley saw an ad on Facebook for the Columbus Virtual Pathway and was leery at first, but asked her son if it was something he would be interested in trying.
She reached out to Wieneke for more information and enrolled Cahill in the pathway. He started taking online courses in August and has already completed 40% of the coursework in each of his four courses. He currently is taking English 11, chemistry, economics and history.
“Now, I can go at my own pace; I can finish when I want; I can make my own hours,” Cahill said. “I can focus on activities outside of school and have more time to do things that interest me.”
Cahill spends about six hours a day online completing his school work. He currently works two days a week at Flo’s Diner in Columbus. Cahill said he would like to join Columbus East’s Best Buddies program and be a mentor to a student with special needs.
Hensley said she’s proud of her son for learning how to manage his time and excel in his courses. She completed her college degree online earlier this year, and she could recall moments when she wanted to do anything but pick up her computer and do homework.
“I knew he could do it,” Hensley said. “He’s at the point where he knows how to build his structure and schedule his day. I see him getting older, and I don’t want him to grow up too fast but I also want him to be prepared.”
A rough transition
The day starts as early as 7 a.m. for junior Rylee Taylor. She eats breakfast and fixes herself at her desk for a few hours where she makes progress on her coursework until noon.
At 12:30 p.m., Taylor is off to Columbus North where she takes a dual-credit class on teacher education offered by C4, BCSC’s career readiness program.
When the clock strikes 2 p.m., she’s off to her job at Little Lambs Child Care in Columbus until 6 p.m. She fits dinner in and finishes where she left off on her online classes.
Taylor grew up in Columbus until second grade when her family moved to Lawrenceburg. She moved back to Columbus last year to be closer to extended family, and she enrolled at Columbus North.
Coming from a school with only 600 students enrolled to a school with more than 1,000 students enrolled was an awakening to Taylor.
“I went to my school counselor and told her I was having trouble concentrating in my classes around the other students and I had anxiety,” Taylor said.
Her counselor recommended Columbus Virtual Pathway as an alternative to the traditional classroom.
“It’s really important because every students need an option to learn in the right setting for them” Taylor said. “Everyone learns differently.”
Taylor is currently enrolled in English, geometry, lifetime fitness, physics and history. She is also in her second year of the teacher education course at Columbus North where she spends nearly two hours in class learning about education, then will be a student teacher at a local elementary school during the second half of the semester.
While taking courses online is a method that works for Taylor, she said it may not be the best practice for everyone.
“Some people need to have a structure,” Taylor said. “Some people aren’t strict enough on themselves to make sure they get their work done and that’s something that’s really important. You have to continue to work and get your stuff done each day.”
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Columbus Virtual Pathway debuted in 2018 as an online educational offering using course content and curriculum through Edgenuity. The courses are accessed virtually from home and taught by Indiana certified teachers.
The pathway is open to Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. students in grades 7-12, and gives students the option to learn from home while still participating in extra-curricular activities at BCSC schools. Students from surrounding counties and school districts are also eligible to enroll.
Each student who completes Columbus Virtual Pathway receives a BCSC diploma. For more information, contact pathway director Angie Wieneke at 812-603-9283 or virtualpath@bcsc.k12.in.us.
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