On Tuesday May 4, Superintendent Cheryl Jordan announced via email the creation of the MUSD EducatEveryWhere v. 4.0 Virtual Learning Pilot program for students who thrive in a virtual learning environment. This program will be implemented alongside normal in-person learning even after the pandemic is over, as an alternative option for some students, according to the email. Students in the program will be supported directly by the district and not at a particular school, Jordan said..
On Monday May 10, an informational meeting was held that provided more information about the Virtual Pathway program, led by Aven Magana, the Virtual Pathways program coordinator, and Karisa Scott, Educational Options and Milpitas Middle College High School principal. The program will consist of about 90% asynchronous learning via the Edgenuity platform and 10% in-person learning via weekly check-ins with a teacher, Magana said at the informational meeting.
“[The Edgenuity program] is A-G approved courses, which is very important,” Magana said. “It is a rigorous curriculum, just as if you were in person, only it is online,” Magana added.
Students participating in the Virtual Pathway program will be expected to continue participating on a consistent basis, attend weekly check-in meetings, continue to complete and turn in work on time, and communicate any need for support, Magana said. Qualities of a student that will be successful in the program include the ability to work well independently, the ability to self-monitor, and good time management, she continued.“Attendance hours are based on productivity. So, where this differs is, usually people are used to coming to class, and we count every hour they’re in the class. It’s a little bit different with this program because it is based on a student’s productivity in the program. Just remember that, productivity equals attendance hours, so we want to see that progress each week,” Magana said.
Students will also be allowed to continue to participate in the virtual class based on how they are doing, Magana clarified. The district wants students to continue to thrive, succeed, and make progress with their education, she added. Students in the program are fully committed to it for one semester, in order to keep the grading period system intact, and will also still be able to participate in clubs, sports, and other extracurriculars, Magana continued.