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The Defense Department’s newest high school is devoid of walls or windows, but yet has opened its “doors” this year to students throughout the world.
The DOD Education Activity’s virtual high school is an accredited distance learning program for military students, whether they’re geographically separated, transitioning between schools or just dealing with a scheduling conflict.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to close gaps and enhance students’ educational experience in a 21st century environment,” said Marilee Fitzgerald, the activity’s acting director. “I think it opens up possibilities for learning that we have yet to understand, yet to explore.”
The virtual school offers students 48 online courses in a wide range of disciplinary areas, including foreign language, math, science, social studies, language arts and physical education, as well as 15 advanced placement courses.
The school also is equipped to offer English as a second language and special education, said Patricia Riley, the chief of the activity’s distance learning and virtual school.
The school is primarily designed for students eligible to attend a DOD school but are living in remote locations, Ms. Riley said, noting that students from as far away as Australia and Papua New Guinea already have enrolled.
Most attend local schools but need courses such as U.S. history to graduate, and the virtual high school can help to fill this gap, she said.
Next up on the priority list are students currently attending DOD schools, Ms. Riley said. Students are asked to seek traditional, in-school classes first but can request online access when there’s a scheduling conflict or if a required course isn’t offered in the school.
The virtual school also is useful for students transitioning from overseas to stateside, or from a DOD school to public school, who need to ensure they meet the requirements for their new school, she said.
“This school is particularly important for military dependent students who do move more often,” Ms. Riley said.
The courses are self-paced, but students still receive support every step of the way. Teachers are located in three hubs: Wiesbaden, Germany; Camp Humphries, South Korea; and Arlington, Va., – they offer real-time online support to students scattered worldwide in a range of time zones, Ms. Riley said.
“We strategically placed them in different parts of the world to be closer to where students are,” she said.
This live support enables Web conferencing, peer-to-peer data sharing and question-and-answer sessions with teachers.
“They’re also there to simulate the true classroom experience of a face-to-face environment,” Ms. Riley said.
The school has a model of 20 to 25 teachers per 1,000 students, but is far from full capacity, Ms. Riley said.
Additionally, the school has a “virtual counselor” who works in concert with counselors at local schools, she said. The counselor can help students identify possible voids and fill those requirements with virtual classes, she added.
Plans are in the works to make the virtual school diploma-granting, which would require the school to offer all of the courses needed to meet graduation requirements, Ms. Riley said. The virtual high school currently operates as a supplemental school, meaning it’s intended to fill in the gaps rather than replace DODEA’s brick-and-mortar schools.
“The majority of students only need supplemental courses,” she said. “However, we also want to accommodate those students who are in isolated situations and might need the ability to acquire a diploma from a distance.”
Officials also hope to create virtual elementary and middle schools down the road.
“But this high school is a great starting point and increases education opportunities for our students,” Ms. Riley said.
Ms. Fitzgerald called the virtual high school a “great step forward.”
“It’s an important contribution to the way we educate children in the 21st century DODEA,” she said.
