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Minnesota on course for online courses in schools
Staff Writer Only 15 ninth- through 12th-graders in the Brainerd School District took online courses during the first semester this school year.
If Gov. Tim Pawlenty's online learning initiative is approved, every student in the state will have to take one online course during high school beginning in 2013.
This is what the Brainerd School Board's Curriculum/Student Activities Committee learned Tuesday. Debra Lechner, the district's director of teaching and learning, updated committee members on the district's online learning program, which allows students the opportunity to take up to half of their credits online.
Lechner said the state requires districts to offer students certain online choices, even if the district already offers the specific course.
Lechner said the district's online provider has been MnCOLA, which is now known as Infinity. Lechner said eight school districts partner with Brainerd in the online learning program - Aitkin, Crosby-Ironton, Pequot Lakes, Pillager, Pine River-Backus, Little Falls, Isle and Onamia.
The district pays Infinity $3,000 a year for its services and the tuition cost per course is $350. If students in non-member districts want to take an online course through Infinity the cost is $488 per course.
Last year, 18 online courses were offered and 40 students participated. The most popular classes were health/wellness, study skills, creative writing and U.S. history.
Committee members questioned why students take online courses. Susan Williams, director of Infinity, said there are several reasons why students take online courses, such as the course isn't offered at their school, tight class schedules don't allow them to take the courses they want or the student learns better through online learning.
Superintendent Steve Razidlo said if Pawlenty's proposal is approved, he hopes that it won't be another unfunded state mandate.
In other committee business, a recommendation will be made to the school board to have the Brainerd Basketball Association take over the operation of the middle school boys' and girls' basketball programs for the 2008-09 school year. The agreement with the association will be considered annually.
Heard that the school board will conduct the first reading on a new staff development policy and an addition to the video use policy, regarding criteria for use of commercial/education videos. The criteria in the policy includes that all videos shown to students must be directly related to the curriculum and not be used as a reward, entertainment or a time filler; teachers must give advance notice to parents of any commercial videos that would be shown and the parents may restrict their own child's viewing of the videos.
The purpose of the staff development policy is to coordinate district staff development efforts and expenditures by providing a process for input, discussions and decision-making.
Heard about remedial opportunities for students regarding the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment II graduation tests and data on the number of students who did not pass the test. There were 154 juniors who failed their original MCA test and they must pass the test in order to receive their diploma. Students who fail the test have the opportunity to retake the test every other month. Currently, there are 102 students who have to retake the test, including 52 special education students.
Lechner said the district offers several avenues to help students pass their test.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerd dispatch.com or 855-5851.
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