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Managing Growth in Online & Blended Learning Programs (It’s not about how much to buy!) Thomas Nixon, Fresno Unified School District Twitter: @tcnixon
Managing Growth in Online & Blended Learning Programs
(It’s not about how much to buy!)
Thomas Nixon, Fresno Unified School District Twitter: @tcnixon
2 Contact Information
Tom Nixon ([email protected])
Twitter: @tcnixon
Facebook: Facebook.com/FUSDOnline
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
3 What will I be talking about?
Fresno Unified School District and what it looks like.
Describing our current programs
Analyzing our mistakes
What have we learned
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
4 What does Fresno Unified look like?
72,000 students
3,200 teachers
106 schools
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
5 What does Fresno Unified Online Learning look like?
A variety of programs including: Online credit recovery (w/ some original credit)
Virtual School (in pilot stage; very small)
Expanded Learning Summer Program
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
6 Online Course Providers
Apex Learning
Edgenuity
Compass Learning
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
7 Completed Enrollments Since Fall 2010
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
8 Completed Enrollments 2013-2014
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
9 Credit Recovery
At any given time we have 800 students taking online courses.
What does that look like?
10 Online Learning Seats*
2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2013-2014 2014-2015
250 400 800 1000 1000
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
*Apex Learning
11 J.E. Young Virtual School
2014-2015
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Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
Why so few?
12 Expanded Learning Summer Program
Three potential times for summer school Day (8:00-1:55) Mid-Day (2:30-6:30) Evening (4:30-8:30)
How did this look early on?
How successful?Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
13 Should you buy in early and large?
Have you done your due diligence?
What policies do you have in place?
Where does it live and with whom does it live?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
14 Should you pilot small groups first?
Have you done your due diligence?
What policies do you have in place?
Where does it live and with whom does it live?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
15 How many online seats should you purchase this year?
This is the wrong question (or probably the wrong question).
Show me the data!!!
16 Mistake #1: Be careful what you wish for!
Or “What not to say to your superintendent”
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
17 Mistake #2: It’s not about saving money
Why are you doing this?
Why should you be doing this?
How does that relate to managing growth?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
18 Mistake #3: It’s not about fewer teachers
Most common teacher question.
Reality in many cases.
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
19 How do you decide which schools will get online seats?
Does everyone get the same number of seats?
How does this relate to equity and access?
Do you manage growth by site, by district, or by something else?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
20 How do you decide where students will work?
Will they work at home?
Or
Will they work at school?
(And how does that affect the design and growth of your program?)
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
21 How do you select students?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
The “M” city in the Valley
Do you have a process?
What have we found is the best indicator for success?
22 Confess Your Sins Article: http://
edsource.org/2011/making-online-learning-work-fresnos-tale-of-trial-and-error/1336
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
23 Continuing to confess sins
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
24 CTA Magazine
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
25 5 Things I have Learned: #1
Decide who is in charge for the district
When you decide who is in the charge, let them run the program.
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
26 5 Things I have Learned: #2
How and who selects teachers is incredibly huge.
What do sites use to select teachers?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
27 5 Things I have Learned: #3
How important is teacher training?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
28 5 Things I have Learned: #4
How much time does the coordinator need to devote to the program with site visits?
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
29 5 Things I have Learned: #5
Sell your program.
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
30 Contact Information
Tom Nixon ([email protected])
Twitter: @tcnixon
Facebook: Facebook.com/FUSDOnline
Managing Growth in Online/Blended Learning Programs
