Connecticut Begins Offering Online High School Classes

 http://www.ct.gov/cen/cwp/view.asp?a=2215&q=401080

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ― Connecticut high school students can now enroll in online courses taught by state teachers.

The pilot program offers courses in basic subjects for students who need credits to graduate. It also offers other electives, such as Mandarin Chinese and "Shakespeare in Film."

The idea is to allow students who have fallen behind to catch up online rather than in summer school and also to provide interesting electives that are not widely available.

"We want to use online courses to increase access to high-quality content so that every student in Connecticut will have access to the courses they need when they need them," said Gov. M.  Jodi Rell.

This is the state's first effort to develop a Connecticut-focused online program staffed by state teachers. The program, called the Connecticut Virtual Learning Center, is funded by an $850,000 state grant and is free for school districts and students.

The Connecticut Virtual Learning Center is offering 21 courses for its first semester, beginning Jan. 23.

Students can only participate if their local school districts are enrolled in the program, and private school and home-schooled students can not yet take courses.

Students will get help with time management from pacing charts that will tell them what work should be completed when.

Vincent Mastaro, senior state associate for policy services at the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, said virtual schools are quickly becoming part of the landscape of American education.

"There are some school systems with very small high schools.  That extremely limits what they can offer," he said. "You can offer it online, it can be offered to so many students in so many schools."

Florida established the first state-funded online learning program in 1997, and 32 other states now offer them. Michigan requires every student to take at least one online course to graduate high school.