Online/blended learning can open up access to courses important to preparing students for careers and college.
T
he global economy, 21st century skills, knowledge society, col- lege and career readiness, digi- tal and project-based learning
are all common terms to educators who are expanding their learning environments be- yond the classroom to meet the needs of all students. It is common knowledge that the rapid
technological advances of this century have replaced the industrialized model of educa- tion with one that is centered on mastery of competencies and knowledge through stu- dent individualized education plans. These plans integrate both core academics with high-level technical skills to ensure students become life-long learners who can be suc- cessful in postsecondary education and also adapt to an ever-changing workplace. This vision is the basis for the Ante-
lope Valley Union High School District’s (AVUHSD) mission statement: “To pro-
30 Leadership
vide a safe and secure learning environment that promotes a rigorous curriculum and enables our students to develop the neces- sary academic, technical, and work-related skills of the 21st century. Every student who graduates will be prepared to pursue college or any career to which he/she aspires.” This mission has driven the direction for the vir- tual portion of the newly formed Academies of the Antelope Valley charter schools, that addresses both college and career readiness.
Rigor and relevance A Title 1 district, located in the northern-
most part of Los Angeles County, spanning a geographic area of approximately 1,200 square miles, AVUHSD serves more than 24,000 high school students. The district consists of more than eight comprehensive high schools, three alternative schools and one early college high school. The importance of providing rigor and
relevance to their student population is evi- dent in the support of seven California Part- nership Academies, a strong employer advi- sory board and six schools with Project Lead the Way engineering programs. But even with this strong foundation,
it became increasingly more difficult for students who were placed in intervention courses and other programs to access career technical education courses. In addition, the onset of Tier 3 funding led to more innova- tive thinking that concentrated on CTE cur- riculum alignment across the district within each industry sector. All of these factors worked together to create a perfect storm opportunity to develop online/blended ca- reer technical education courses. Three CTE courses with approximately 60 students enrolled were piloted using dis-
By Elizabeth McKinstry
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