[As if today's teens weren't already fantastically more tech-savvy than the rest of us fuddy-duddies ...]
According to a January 2nd story in eSchool News, Connecticut students can now enroll in free online high school classes through a recently launched pilot program called the Connecticut Virtual Learning Center.
"The
courses are aimed at students at risk of falling behind as well as
those who are interested in electives not offered at their own schools.
Each Connecticut high school will decide whether to give students
credit for taking the courses.
The pilot program offers courses
in basic subjects, taught by state-certified teachers, for students who
need credits to graduate. It also offers other electives, such as
Mandarin Chinese and “Shakespeare in Film,” through a partnership with
an out-of-state virtual-schooling provider.
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."
The article also notes that "students can participate only if their local school district is
enrolled in the program. Private school and home-schooled students
cannot yet take courses."
Also of interest is the fact that "with the launch of its Virtual Learning Center, Connecticut
becomes the 31st state to offer such a state-led program. Although many
of the state’s students have been taking online classes through the
Virtual High School for some time, this is Connecticut’s first effort
to develop an online educational program funded entirely by the state
and staffed by its own teachers."