Edutopia - June/July 2008 - (Page 40)

PROVE IT Getting Personal In addition to in-class teachers, students will have access to instructors from Apex Learning, the school’s online content provider. Students can also take classes not offered at VOISE through Apex Learning, Aventa Learning, or Illinois Virtual High School. They’ll have “a full complement of courses even though our in-class enrollments won’t justify that many teachers,” says Jona. A student who enters high school with a ⇓air for Spanish, for example, or with a penchant for oceanography, can “get the bene⇒ts of a small school without any of the drawbacks.” Jona notes that the tech infrastructure will bolster many of the school’s core goals— individualized instruction, small class sizes, and close relationships with teachers and peers. In an effort to diminish the potentially dehumanizing aspect of a tech-reliant environment, the school plans to emphasize interpersonal relationships. That issue has come up during interviews with prospective teachers. “When I look at résumés, I’m envisioning teachers who have coached before, or taught special education, because they’re used to working one on one with students and building relationships,” says Todd Yarch, VOISE Academy’s newly hired principal and a former teacher at several Chicago high schools. “I have a feeling that VOISE students are going to be able to advance so much faster than other students because they will have had their individual needs met.” Throughout the spring, VOISE designers have been up to their laptops in the typical challenges of opening a new school in a large urban district: community outreach, teacher recruitment, student enrollment, fundraising, and a bit of bureaucracy to boot. The added layer of technology is challenging both from a ⇒nancial and a professional-development Early Success: Higher Attendance, More Grads VOISE is part of Chicago’s Renaissance 2010 effort to create innovative schools that provide high-quality educational options. These academies receive more freedom than traditional public schools in return for high levels of accountability. Early research shows that students in these new schools are more likely to attend school and go on to graduate. Their success includes: a higher attendance rate (2005–06 school year): • 95% Renaissance 2010 elementary schools vs. 94% district elementary schools. • 93% new high schools vs. 86% district high schools. a lower transfer-out rate (2005–06 school year): • 8% Renaissance 2010 schools vs. 14% district schools. a higher graduation rate (2005–06 school year): • 90% Renaissance 2010 schools vs. 73% district schools. Source: Ofﬁce of New Schools, Chicago FOLLOW THE STORY This is the ﬁrst portion of a multipart story following the inaugural year of a new and innovative tech-centric high school in Chicago. We will ﬁle online reports throughout the 2008–09 academic year that describe the highs and lows of the VOISE Academy launch. Look for them at edutopia.org/voise-academy “You can really get back into the art of teaching if you can take the best that technology has to offer ” . perspective. Potential partners for teacher training and ⇒nancial backing include the Chicago Community Trust, Adobe, and NACOL, which may be able to assist with the development of speci⇒c resources for other schools to tap into when the VOISE model gets off the ground. Uncertainties abound with any new school, but VOISE ups the ante, as there are few examples of best practices in an all-digital, in-person school environment. “There are very few hybrid, truly blended institutions out there,” says Sandi Atols, manager of distance learning for Chicago Public Schools and originator of the VOISE Academy concept. The school is committed, therefore, to creating in-depth and ongoing professional development for VOISE educators, starting with three weeks in the summer, two preparation periods per teacher per day, and a wholegroup professional-development session each week, in addition to periodic staff-development days the school district sets aside. It’s a tremendous cultural shift for all involved, but hopes are high: VOISE has already received roughly 200 student applications for the 150 available slots. The school’s primary focus is college preparation—and through technology-enabled, highly collaborative, and engaging work, as well as the differentiated emotional and academic support so vital to student success, designers are con⇒dent that the model will eventually gain traction nationwide. “So many students come into high school so downtrodden,” says Atols. “Our promise is that they will succeed—with our help.” 40 EDUTOPIA JUNE/JULY 2008 http://edutopia.org/voise-academy

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Edutopia - June/July 2008

Edutopia - June/July 2008 Contents UpFront Feedback Dispatches Sage Advice Ask Ellen Head of Class Cool Schools Design Young Minds, Fast Times Wii Love Learning No More Pencils, No More Books Tech Without Support All the Right Moves Room to Learn Heart & Soul Pop Quiz: Jeff Corwin

Edutopia - June/July 2008

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