Virtual school, dual enrollment expansion possible for EHS

During a March 29 Enterprise Board of Education meeting, Dr. Brent Hanchey, director of secondary education, presented virtual school policy changes and expansions in dual-enrollment options.

In 2015, Governor Robert Bentley signed a law requiring schools to develop a policy focusing on virtual school options for students, forcing schools to address the topic.

Currently, the Alabama State Department of Education offers online courses for grades nine-12 through the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide (ACCESS) program.

The act states that ACCESS "shall be available to local school systems at no local cost, and shall include, at a minimum, required courses necessary for students in grades nine to 12, inclusive, to graduate."

According to Hanchey, the ACCESS program offers limited courses. Enterprise City Schools is currently looking at vendors that will provide credit recovery and intervention opportunities.

This partnership, according to Hanchey, could "make the curriculum more robust."

Hanchey said there are vendors available that also offer tutoring opportunities online for virtual students as well.

"We have to embrace a (technological) world," Hanchey said about the growth of interest in virtual education.

Virtual school could be an asset to students who are unable to physically go to school for any reason, such as being home or hospital bound, according to information provided by Hanchey during the meeting. It could also provide classes that EHS may not offer.

He said virtual school could also possibly help the high school provide AP courses to interested students that may not be available otherwise.

Hanchey said during the EBOE meeting that in order to participate in virtual school, students would be required to be actively enrolled with ECS and complete a virtual school application and screening. They must have a 2.5 GPA in all core content courses (math, science, English and social studies) in the previous academic year and complete a digital citizenship course.

He also stated during the meeting that the virtual school would operate on a 12-month calendar, and computers would be available for use and checkout on an as-need basis at the high school.

"Right now, we only want to open it to students in ECS," Hanchey said. "However, we can revisit that at a later date to make any changes."

Hanchey said twilight hours, from 3 to 7 p.m., could become available for virtual school students as well.

"This is just another option for them to have to advance their educational opportunities," Hanchey said. "We're really breaking the mold."

During the meeting, Hanchey also provided a proposal to further expand dual enrollment opportunities with the University of Alabama through its Early College.

Students and parents were able to provide input prior to the board's decision, through a survey and conversations with Hanchey.

Hanchey said Alabama would offer courses not offered at local junior colleges as well as counseling for online students.

"It takes the pressure off EHS counselors," Hanchey said.

Some class offerings would include Arabic, theater and website design.

Hanchey emphasized that local colleges would be priority for students.

"We want to steer our students toward local junior colleges," Hanchey said.

"We are looking for ways to be cutting edge and creative," Hanchey said during the board meeting, saying he hopes to work toward possibly making EHS a satellite school for universities.

"It would do nothing but help the local economy," Hanchey said.

EHS currently offers dual enrollment opportunities with Enterprise State, Lurleen B. Wallace and Wallace Community Colleges.

There will be 27 classes offered this year, 12 more than last year. If a contract with Alabama is approved, there will be three courses offered during the 2016-17 school year.

Hanchey said Alabama course offerings could grow based on student requests.

For the 2015-16 school year, there were 248 students taking dual enrollment courses. Hanchey said about 700 students have either completed the paperwork for or expressed interest in taking dual enrollment courses for the 2016-17 school year.

In addition to expanding dual enrollment, Superintendent Camille Wright said ECS was working with ESCC to develop a career tech center.

"ECS is making great strides in providing a myriad of educational opportunities to our students to give them choices about their future that have not been available in the past," Wright said. "We are developing a career tech center at the ESCC campus with courses provided by ESCC, Wallace Dothan, and LB Wallace Community College and funded largely by the State Department of Education and tuition grants through Work Force Development.

"The sky is the limit for what our students will be able to access. We are extending learning beyond the school and beyond the school day."