Vol. 42, No. 15
March 10, 2008
CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
Open Registration for Virtual Classes Begins Next Week;
Summer Options and Middle School Classes Have Been Added
MoVIP teachers will convene this week at Lake Ozark
Students who want to join the growing ranks of those who are taking classes online will soon be able to sign up for a place in Missouri’s state-sponsored “virtual school” program.
State education officials announced today that open registration for Missouri Virtual Instruction Program classes for the 2008-09 year will begin March 17. Open registration is for students who are not currently taking a “MoVIP” course.
Registration for returning students (those already in MoVIP classes) is occurring now, March 3-16.
Students may enroll for one or more state-funded MoVIP classes. The state-funded seats will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached.
Students also will be able to sign up this month for 2008 summer school classes, but these courses will be available only for grades 9-12 and on a tuition basis. There is no state funding to support the summer program.
This is the first year of operation for a state-sponsored virtual school. More than 2,000 students are now participating in a wide variety of courses in grades K-5 and grades 9-12. Classes for middle school (grades 6-8) are being added for 2008-09, rounding out the full K-12 slate of course offerings.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education oversees the virtual program. Courses are provided by private vendors and taught by Missouri-certified teachers. The Missouri legislature approved $5.2 million to support the start-up of the virtual program this year.
“We are delighted with how well the first year of the MoVIP program has worked. There have been a few glitches, of course, but we have begun an exciting new chapter in Missouri education,” said Curt Fuchs, director of virtual schools for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Of the more than 2,000 students currently in MoVIP classes, 78 percent are taking high school classes, and 22 percent are in elementary classes. Eighty-three percent are part-time students; 17 percent are full-time.
MoVIP classes meet a wide range of needs, Fuchs said. For example, online classes are practical for students who have serious medical conditions or have an extended absence because of injury.
The program is serving students who need advanced or specialized classes (such as Advanced Placement) and schools that are unable to offer such classes. Online study also meets the needs of home-schooled children and those whose parents are deployed out of the state for military duty.
The legislature is now considering an increased budget for MoVIP in 2008-09, and Fuchs said he expects the number of students enrolled next year to exceed 3,000.
Beginning this summer, he noted, students will be able to take a quarter-credit virtual course in driver education. Beginning in the fall, a quarter-credit “ACT Prep” class also will be available to help students prepare for the college-entry exam.
MoVIP Faculty to Convene for First Time
About 50 MoVIP teachers, academic coaches and state education officials will meet this week for the first time since the program began last summer.
The first MoVIP Conference will be held March 12-14 at the Resort at Port Arrowhead, Lake Ozark. The keynote speaker (Friday morning) will be Susan Patrick, president of the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL). Rep. Brian Baker, the legislator who championed the creation of MoVIP, will meet with the educators Wednesday evening.
For more information
A complete list of MoVIP course offerings and instructions on registering for summer or 2008-09 classes are available on the DESE Web site.