Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he is determined to keep students on the recommended track. More than 87 percent of DISD students graduate under the recommended or distinguished plans, compared with 81 percent statewide.

“We think it’s worth the cost,” Hinojosa said. “If a student gets in trouble, we’ll double-block them [provide a longer class]. We have summer opportunities and credit recovery opportunities.”

He said DISD is looking at a partnership with Texas Tech University’s online high school program to help students get the necessary credits.

While most parents, students and counselors debate the value of the recommended and minimum plans, a few students move into the distinguished plan.

For the rest of the article, go to Varied requirements mean Texas’ high school diplomas aren’t one-size-fits-all

Ensuring that Texas remains a leader in job creation depends on the development of our workforce. Gov. Perry has previously outlined several education initiatives for the 2011 legislative session, including:

• A $160 million expansion of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program, increasing the number and scope of T-STEM Academies and funding STEM scholarships to help ensure students receive a competitive education in these subjects.

• Expansion of the Virtual School Network (VSN) to create the Texas Virtual High School that will provide students who have dropped out of school an opportunity to earn a high school diploma through virtual courses, while improving access to high-quality courses for all students. The VSN was created during the 2007 Legislative Session to establish a statewide network of online courses available to students across the state. These virtual courses give students access to classes their schools may not offer, additional access to dual credit opportunities, and additional flexibility to help keep students in school. 

For the rest of the article, go to Gov. Perry Announces Launch of Texas Education on iTunes U

A new, accelerated high school that is opening this August as part of the Northwest Independent School District (ISD) in Texas has selected high quality courses and curriculum from Aventa Learning(TM) for the online component of its new hybrid learning program.

James M. Steele Accelerated High School, based in Roanoke, Texas, will offer students a variety of ways to learn, including web-based instruction using Aventa’s extensive catalog of online courses, traditional classrooms and dual credit opportunities through a partner community college.

For the rest of the article, go to Northwest Independent School District Taps Aventa Learning’s Online Curriculum for New Accelerated High School

“A teacher can easily monitor student progress and performance through a variety of programs,” Murrell said. “Through this analysis, they can tailor instruction to meet the needs of specific students and classes. Technology also allows teachers to use a variety of instructional strategies to help students learn. They can use examples from the internet, have them use interactive programs, research material and discover, create presentation and experience the beginning of on-line learning.”

Superintendent Don Stockton credits the data analysis capability with helping to achieve the exemplary rating for the first time for the district in 2009-10. The exemplary rating means that at least 90 percent of the district’s students passed the TAKS test, 95 percent of student graduated either in four or five year from high school and less that 1.8 percent of middle school students dropped out. The district went from a recognized district to an exemplary status in just one year.

For the rest of the article, go to Technology key to classroom learning at CISD

Distance learning is nothing new. Community colleges and other schools have allowed children and adults the ability to take courses at home for years. But Janet Manor believed iQ Academy heralded something new by offering a charter school approach.

“We found more structure with iQ Academy as opposed to the curriculum I administered,” said Manor, who home-schooled her daughters Asa, 17, and Rainy, 16. Once enrolled in iQ Academy, each student follows the same approach. They are loaned laptop computers and receive weekly assignments. When each assignment is complete, students print them out, scan them and attach the images to e-mails. All assignments are printed before they are returned to online instructors, who are certified by the Texas Education Agency.

“Ian really likes the fact that he’s got his own computer,” Manor said. “He can get ahead or slow down.”

For the rest of the article, go to Trophy Club student going to ‘virtual’ school

Instead of swapping summer vacation stories with friends in school hallways when public school begins Aug. 23, students from Amarillo enrolled in virtual learning programs will tackle classes with peers in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. They will e-mail and chat with teachers from across the state.

Since free online schools came into existence a few years ago, more and more Texas students are enrolling in classes administered online.

The Texas Virtual School Network provides courses to high school students who sit in a brick-and-mortar classroom but take a class offered by a school district miles away.

“It’s just kind of exploded,” said Jay Barrett, who oversees virtual programs for the Amarillo Independent School District.

This summer, Amarillo ISD provided online courses to 957 students, Barrett said.

The district provided three virtual courses to 680 students from more than 80 school districts, including students in Kress, Texline, San Antonio and Houston, through the virtual school network, Barrett said. About 280 Amarillo students took online courses, he said.

For the rest of the article, go to Intertwining via Web

You can create free live demos by completing your free online high school enrollment at Great Lakes Academy. You can then start taking your online high school classes that very same night after you make your initial payment of just $150. By completing your degree you will then have a sacs and casi accredited high school diploma. You will be able to have better access to employment, jobs, colleges, and universities as well as military jobs and beyond. We work hard to provide you the highest degree of excellence to help you gain your education. Whether you are a homeschooling family, a person living overseas, or an adult needing to back to high school, you will find you fit right in with the GLA online high schools.

For the rest of the article, go to GLA online high schools offer an opportunity for many different groups.

Imagine your child going to school without ever leaving home. iQ Academy Texas is a virtual, tuition free school that offers a public school education online. CBS 19′s Amanda Kost breaks down the high-tech approach to teaching.

It’s the classroom of the future, that’s enrolling today. iQ Academy Texas elementary, middle and high school students go to public school online. Learning coach, Christian Maiden, says they provide the laptop, teachers and curriculum. “All of their course work is online. Their textbooks are online. Their teachers will talk to them online. It’s live sessions so they can hear a voice but they’re completing work and in class. So the parent really doesn’t have to do anything but monitor the student,” explained Maiden.

For the rest of the article, go to iQ Academy Texas lets students learn from home

StraighterLine (http://www.straighterline.com) announced today that The Bridge School (http://www.thebridgeschool.net), a leading provider of online high school education based in Houston, Texas, has partnered with StraighterLine to offer a dual enrollment option for their students. Bridge School students who successfully complete StraighterLine courses will receive high school credit from the Bridge School and college credit from any of StraighterLine’s partner colleges or any of the one thousand or more colleges that award credit for courses approved by the American Council on Education’s Credit Recommendation Service.

The Bridge School is the first high school to partner with StraighterLine to offer high school students the ability to take college courses while still in high school. This program will provide high school students with college credits and save them thousands of dollars on their college degrees.

For the rest of the article, go to Straighterline and the Bridge School Partner to Offer High School Students Dual Enrollment for Online College Courses

The number of our of work Americans continues to rise and it is getting harder and harder to get a job, especially if you do not have a high school diploma. Many Americans are trying to put themselves in a better position to get a job or even gain post high school education and the first step for many is to get a GED or or general high school equivalency diploma. It is easier than ever before and big news is that GED are accessible by U.S. mail or online. Online GED work is more popular than ever before and GED acquisition on line makes it convenient for millions that have internet access either at home or their local library. With a high school equivalency diploma being a minimum requirement for most jobs today; for branches of the military, many State university systems and many employers, it is essential to gain a minimum GED to move forward in today’s down economy.

For the rest of the article, go to GED Online High School Equivalency Diploma in California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania Increase; GED Funding Down; GED Leads to Higher Pay