91制片厂视频

Special Report
College & Workforce Readiness

Ala. Opens Wide Access to Blended Learning

By Robin L. Flanigan 鈥 October 23, 2012 7 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Belgreen High School in Russellville, Ala., stands in one of state鈥檚 most rural pockets. It serves 400 students in K-12 and has been losing teachers every year because of budget cuts. But about 20 students are taking the same courses offered to those in more affluent suburban and urban areas through the .

ACCESS鈥攆or Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide鈥攐ffers free Web-based and interactive videoconferencing courses to students in grades 8-12, removing education inequities that have put many of the state鈥檚 students at a disadvantage.

鈥淏ecause of our lack of personnel and the way that Alabama chooses to fund the educational process in our state, our students would not be as competitive once they reach college otherwise,鈥 said Belgreen Principal Myra Frederick.

With one-third of Alabama public school students in rural schools, the Innosight Institute, an innovation consulting firm based in San Mateo, Calif., conducted a case study on ACCESS, which was launched in 2006 and by the end of 2010 had become the third-largest state virtual education program in the country.

鈥淲e had this theory that online learning is particularly suitable in its early stages, where there are literally no alternatives for taking higher-level courses,鈥 said Heather Staker, the senior research fellow for Innosight and co-author of the study, published in 2011. 鈥淲hat we found out corroborated that theory, and now we have a way of reaching students we couldn鈥檛 before.鈥

By the end of 2010, ACCESS had 29,415 for-credit enrollments and 11,746 noncredit enrollments. That figure has since jumped to roughly 44,000 for-credit enrollments, a 30 percent spike in 2011-12 alone. (Foreign-language courses draw the most interest.)

What鈥檚 more, the number of Advanced Placement test-takers in Alabama public schools almost doubled from 2004 to 2010, the number of African-American test-takers more than quadrupled, and the number of qualifying exam scores more than doubled. In addition, Alabama鈥檚 high school graduation rate climbed from 62.1 to 69 percent between 2002 and 2008, a gain that was 4.3 percentage points higher than the national average. Although grants and other factors may have contributed to some of those advances, Innosight credits ACCESS as the driving force in bringing advanced coursework and alternative education options to the state鈥檚 students.

But there have been challenges.

Students who are not self-motivated have not done well with the online option, money has to be found for continuous equipment purchases and upgrades, and teachers need sufficient training. (Three regional support centers around the state address the latter, using blended models for professional development.)

Even so, ACCESS has gained international attention for the way it is preparing students for the 21st century, as well as its role in reversing statistics that place Alabama among the lowest-performing states for high school and college graduates. In 2003, three years before the program鈥檚 official launch, Alabama administered just 99 AP exams for every 1,000 juniors and seniors, ranking 14th out of 16 Southern states.

鈥楩illed a Void鈥

The idea for ACCESS came from then-Gov. Bob Riley, who had grown up in rural Clay County, a place that had two high schools and yet, by his inauguration in 2003, had never offered AP courses, with the exception of one AP English class. Knowing that situation was not an anomaly, Gov. Riley, a Republican, directed the state superintendent of education to convene a task force to write a plan that would use distance learning to bring equitable, high-quality instruction to every part of the state.

Results

In 2010, four years after its launch, the Alabama ACCESS Distance and Blended Learning Initiative had become the third-largest state virtual program in the country. As it was intended, ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide) was removed education inequities that have put many of the state鈥檚 students at a disadvantage.

The number of Advanced Placement test-takers in Alabama public schools more than doubled from 2004 to 2010, the number of African-American test-takers more than quadrupled, and the number of qualifying exam scores more than doubled. In addition, Alabama鈥檚 high school graduation rate climbed from 62.1 percent to 69 percent between 2002 and 2008, a gain that was 4.3 percentage points higher than the national average. The program, which has gained international attention for preparing students in one of the nation鈥檚 lowest-performing states for the 21st century, now has roughly 44,000 enrollments.

BRIC ARCHIVE

SOURCE: College Board

Originally funded as a $10.3 million line item in the state budget for fiscal year 2006, ACCESS received $18.5 million in fiscal year 2013 from the state. It also has undergone a name change since its early days. Recognizing that blended learning has become a transformative approach to teaching in many places around the country, the task force assigned to launch and operate the initiative changed the name in 2010 from ACCESS Distance Learning to ACCESS Distance and Blended Learning.

鈥淲e knew we were on to something early on, but that we needed to work toward expanding, to bring face-to-face components to all of our online courses as much as possible,鈥 said task force member Earlene Patton, the coordinator of technology initiatives for the Alabama Department of 91制片厂视频, which supervises the program.

The task force has found that since ACCESS started, five times more low-income students are taking AP exams, and three times more are scoring 3 or higher on a 5-point scale.

鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously filled a void for us,鈥 said Don Hulin, another task force member and the principal of the 2,630-student Hoover High School in Hoover, Ala., a suburb of Birmingham. The school has an 11 percent transient population, most of whom arrive as juniors or seniors, 鈥渟o ACCESS has been a tremendous help in getting these kids to where they can graduate on time with their class,鈥 Mr. Hulin said.

Hoover High piloted a blended approach to instructional delivery in 2010-11, in which 50 seniors had the option of taking 12th grade English and/or 12th grade economics and U.S. government. They met face to face with their teacher once a week and completed assignments and held discussions online using Facebook, Twitter, Edmodo, and other online networks. The pilot was successful鈥攖here was a waiting list of interested students鈥攄espite the complications of finding enough teachers, equipment, and computer-lab time to accommodate demand.

With Alabama having one of the fastest-growing rural populations in the country, ACCESS, which plans to focus more heavily on blended learning in the years ahead, has been lauded for representing its title well.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful acronym,鈥 said Roy Black, an ACCESS and AP computer science teacher at the 486-student Loveless Academic Magnet High School in Montgomery, Ala. 鈥淭his program is providing access to an education these kids wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise. There really is nowhere else they can turn.鈥

When Mr. Black began teaching AP computer science courses through ACCESS four years ago, he had a handful of students. That number rose to 40 in 2011-12, and 50 for 2012-13. The courses are rigorous鈥擬r. Black estimates that about 40 percent of his ACCESS students drop out鈥攂ut for those who persevere, the rewards expand beyond the blended classroom. Two years ago, for instance, Mr. Black invited some of his ACCESS students to participate, along with his magnet school students, in a statewide high school programming contest hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

鈥淚 thought they鈥檇 just get a great experience, but one of my ACCESS kids actually won the entire thing,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 was so proud of him.鈥

Enrollments Rising

ACCESS program administrator Larry Raines said enrollment increases every semester, in part because of new middle school offerings and a new credit-recovery program. A pilot of four credit-recovery courses offered in the summer of 2011 went well, prompting the state to expand the number of course options to 19 in 2011-12. That year, 71 percent of the 2,227 half-credits that were attempted were earned back. The number of courses has remained at 19 for 2012-13, which has seen a nearly 18 percent increase in credit-recovery requests.

The credit-recovery program is vital to students who transfer from other districts that have different course requirements, explained Stan Stokley, the principal of Sweet Water High School in Sweet Water, Ala., where 88 of the K-12 school鈥檚 650 students take at least one ACCESS course.

鈥淲e may teach 10th grade English only two times during the day, and if your 11th grade science class is during that time slot, there would be no way to fit it into your schedule,鈥 he said.

Mr. Stokley also appreciates that his students can pursue their interests even if his staff doesn鈥檛 have the time or ability to make that happen.

Junior Andrea Landrum has known for some time that she wants to be an accounting major in college, for example. Five days a week during her sophomore year, she took an ACCESS accounting course in her school鈥檚 computer lab taught by someone in another part of the state鈥攖he only student at Sweet Water to do so.

鈥淚 got the chance to see what accounting would be like, and it made me even more interested in it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t was a privilege to have the opportunity to take a class that my school doesn鈥檛 offer.鈥

A version of this article appeared in the October 24, 2012 edition of 91制片厂视频 Week as Ala. Makes Access a high priority

Events

Recruitment & Retention Webinar Keep Talented Teachers and Improve Student Outcomes
Keep talented teachers and unlock student success with strategic planning based on insights from Apple 91制片厂视频 and educational leaders.鈥
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 91制片厂视频 Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Families & the Community Webinar
Family Engagement: The Foundation for a Strong School Year
Learn how family engagement promotes student success with insights from National PTA, AASA鈥痑nd leading districts and schools.鈥
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 91制片厂视频 Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special 91制片厂视频 Webinar
How Early Adopters of Remote Therapy are Improving IEPs
Learn how schools are using remote therapy to improve IEP compliance & scalability while delivering outcomes comparable to onsite providers.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness The Common App Used to Be Primarily for Private Colleges. That鈥檚 Changed
Educators advising students in college applications should know that the Common App has expanded its membership beyond private schools.
4 min read
In this May 5, 2018, file photo, graduates at the University of Toledo commencement ceremony in Toledo, Ohio. On the bumpy road to repayment this fall, student loan borrowers have some qualms. Borrowers filed more than 101,000 student loan complaints with the Federal Student Aid office in 2022 鈥 more than double from 2021 鈥 and that number is poised to increase further as October payments approach.
In this May 5, 2018, file photo, graduates at the University of Toledo commencement ceremony in Toledo, Ohio. New Common App data show that more high school students are applying to public institutions.
Carlos Osorio/AP
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 91制片厂视频 Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Sponsor
Merrimack College SGA Successfully Lobbies to Add American Sign Language to Curriculum
The Student Government Association鈥檚 Academic Affairs Committee (SGA) worked with faculty and the Office of the Provost to include American Sign Language (ASL) as part of the College鈥檚 foreign language requirement starting in spring 2024.
Content provided by Merrimack College
Warriors - Merrimack ASL
Image provided by Merrimack College
College & Workforce Readiness Here's What Happened with AP African American Studies in Georgia
State law allows for exemptions from "divisive concepts" rules for AP and similar advanced coursework.
5 min read
Georgia Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods speaks to reporters, Jan. 5, 2024, in Atlanta.
Georgia Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods speaks to reporters, Jan. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. This summer Woods created some confusion over whether and how teachers could teach AP African American Studies.
Jeff Amy/AP
College & Workforce Readiness 'Just Try It Out': What's Behind a Shift Away From 4-Year College
Some high school students choose options other than college. Here's what recent graduates are saying.
6 min read
Illustration of high school student walking on path.
iStock