An Exploration of At-Risk Learners and Online EducationMichael Barbour, Wayne State UniversityLeanna Archambault, Arizona State UniversityDaryl Diamond, Broward County Schools (Florida)Cathy Cavanaugh, University of Florida

IntroductionMichael BarbourWayne State University

The Issues Brief Process•Identification of a topic that the research

committee feels needs further investigation

•Examination of the relevant literature

•Collection of data or individual cases

•Description of the data in a broad manner

What This Brief Isn’t•A set of best practices

•A road map for how other virtual schools should address at-risk learners

•A reliable and valid research study

What This Brief Is•An initial exploration of how virtual

schools are focusing on at-risk students

•Based on data collected by the research committee on what individual virtual schools believe to be effective in dealing with at-risk students

•A starting point for future investigations

Agenda• Working with At-Risk Student Populations in

Online Environments: An Exploration of Strategies, Experiences, and Recommendations

• Trends and Instructional Practices for Teaching At-Risk Students in K-12 Online Programs: An Exploration of Teaching Practices, Instructional Strategies, and Online Design and Delivery Methods

• Initiatives and Resources

Working with At-Risk Student Populations in Online

Environments

Leanna ArchambaultArizona State University

Definition of “At-Risk”• Academic

▫ Lack of progress/struggling to keep up▫ High absenteeism▫ Not meeting grade level requirements/risk of dropping

out• Personal/Family

▫ Special needs▫ Racial/ethnic minority groups (may be proxy for low SES)▫ Behavior issues▫ English as a second language▫ Frequent moves/transiency▫ Teen pregnancy▫ Absentee parents

Brief Methodology▫Web-based survey instrument

Open ended items regarding interventions, strategies, policies, recommendations, experiences, challenges

▫Distributed to iNACOL virtual programs via email

▫Responses reflect 22 different programs, primarily cyber-charter schools, from 14 states and British Columbia

Strategies for Working with “At-Risk” Students•Use of Supportive Faculty/Staff

•Individualizing Instruction

•Instructional Philosophy/Strategies

Use of Supportive Faculty and Staff•Need for ongoing communication and

support from teachers, learning coaches, counselors, tutors, and special education coordinators.

•Faculty/staff who take a direct role in overseeing student progress and success throughout the online program

Individualizing Instruction•Maximizing the use of

technology/curriculum to individualize instruction▫Using one-to-one and small group direct

instruction to remediate key concepts▫Online curricula such as My Reading Coach

and Lexia as helpful for addressing problems of comprehension and fluency

Instructional Strategies•Mastery learning to ensure student

success▫Classic pedagogical approach that focuses

on learning rather than performance▫Students can revise their work based on

specific feedback until they meet the targeted outcomes

▫Online classes offer flexibility to students who need expanded learning time to master complex content

Suggested School Level Interventions•Increased communication between

teachers/mentors/learning coaches and students/families▫Direct communications with students and families

to explain program benefits and responsibilities▫Specific clarification so that students understand

expectations▫More teacher-student contact to support

struggling students▫Accountability to ensure communication occurs

Suggested School Level Interventions•Identify students who may be at-risk as

early as possible to ensure that they receive the necessary attention and support needed for their success

•Ability to implement strategies from the onset

Successful Results for Programs•Increased class completion from students

who were not successful in face-to-face •Higher graduation rate•Less attrition•Closer ties between students and

teachers/school

Implications•Need for:

▫Professional development for virtual teachers, tutors, facilitators, counselors, and other school support staff

▫Improvement of comprehensive data systems to inform and guide teaching practices

▫Increased accessibility to online classes▫Research focused on learning environments

that support at-risk students

Identified Trends and Instructional Practices for At-

Risk Students•Increasing Mentoring and Tutoring

•Using Data to Evaluate Student Needs

•Screen, Identify and Evaluate At-Risk Factors

•Instructional Practices

Mentoring and Tutoring•iMentors, supervising teacher, and school

counselor; in addition to class teachers•Collaborative team effort regularly

checking on student’s progress•Online individual tutoring•Site-based tutoring sessions•Academic coaches•Online extra curricular activities

Does your online school utilize a screening process to identify at-risk students?

Yes

No

Pre-Screening and Continual Screening

• Lexile Framework for Reading- Using Lexile scores with each student upon entering the online school

• Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)- Designed to gather information about students’ learning and study practices and attitudes

• Response to Intervention (RtI) – 3- tiered intervention approaches

Identifying At-Risk Students• Enrollment questionnaire• Teacher referral• Local school registration for students retaking courses• Recommendation from school districts• Intake interview• Consultation with parents and school personnel• Testing• A red-flag process including: attendance, progress,

academic testing performance, IEP status on application• Ongoing modifications done depending on the level of

student performance• Intervention specialist sent to work with students

Instructional Practices• Synchronous learning activities• Web conferencing• Mandatory face-to-face meetings between teacher and student• Students work on a reduced number of courses taken at one time• Student assistance program coordinated by counselors and

teachers• A team member assigned to monitor work and facilitate solutions• Creating smaller pieces of assignments- “chunking” the work• Offering flexible setting and time to complete assignments• Granting extensions when needed• Building computer literacy skills

Summary:• There is a contrast between what is required to be

successful in an online course and the traits most at-risk students possess

• There is a definite need to develop specific programs within virtual schools that cater to non-traditional distance learning student and at-risk students

• Without these supports, the promise of virtual schooling providing access to high quality educational opportunities will be out of reach for many at-risk students

Initiatives and Resources

Successful At-risk and ESE Students

•Depend on teachers who understand their needs and use strategies to differentiate

•Depend on course and program structures that provide flexibility, time, and attention

•Depend on school supports to fill academic and other gaps

Benefit from 5Cs

Connect practices in virtual schools•Senior seminar course to help students in

goal-setting and planning for life after high school.

•Preparing students for success in a technology-based economy,

•Emphasizing life skills and work readiness.

•Partnering with community organizations to provide trade skills to students

Climate practices in virtual schools•Focus on safety and respect•Weekly data reports to guide teachers in

their student meetings, interventions, and contracts.

•A team approach that includes instructional coaches and intervention teachers

•Small group intervention classes or one-to-one interventions, based on each student’s academic data.

Control practices in virtual schools•Decreasing absence, truancy and other

behavioral issues by identifying causes of these issues and developing action plans to correct them.

•A Response to Intervention program and a life skills program to meet behavioral and emotional needs of students

Curriculum practices in virtual schools•Grouping students to provide specific

skills and strategies for academic success.

•Developing differentiated scaffolds for each student, monitored by a teacher-mentor, and supported by an orientation in time management and task prioritizing.

Caring Community practices in virtual schools

•Mentoring for student success.•Positive communication between

teachers, students and parents. •Policies to ensure regular, proactive

communication.

Helping Teachers•Specialists in at-risk student transition,

ESE, and online learning are developing an online professional development course for online teachers who have at-risk and ESE students in their courses.

•The PD course addresses strategies specific to each student group and their success in learning online.

Helping Schools•Specialists in at-risk student transition,

ESE, and online learning are developing an online orientation course for at-risk and ESE students who are new to online courses.

•The orientation course addresses strategies specific to learning online.

Areas For Future Research•Explore how the identification of at-risk

students affects the attrition and course completion rates in virtual schools and what measures virtual schools take once a student has been identified as being at-risk.

•Identify the assessment and prediction tools, models, and instruments used to remediate students’ knowledge, skills and abilities to enable success in the online environment.

Areas For Future Research•Determine specific design and delivery

models of virtual schooling that have empirical evidence of improving completion and attrition rates with at-risk students.

•Examine the factors that facilitate high levels of student engagement and contribute to the development of a positive learning community in virtual school environments.

Resources• iNACOL Research Committee Issues Brief: An

Exploration of At-Risk Learners and Online Education

• Promising Practices in Online Learning: Using Online Learning for At-Risk Students and Credit Recovery

• Access and Equity in Online Classes and Virtual Schools

• Dropout risk factors and exemplary programs: A technical report.

• Exceptional learners: differentiated instruction online, What Works in K-12 Online Learning ISTE.

Questions?

Speakers• Leanna Archambault –

leanna.archambault@asu.edu

• Michael Barbour – mkbarbour@gmail.com

• Cathy Cavanaugh – cathycavanaugh@coe.fl.edu

• Daryl Diamond – daryl.diamond@browardschools.com