Montana Digital Academy

Montana Digital Academy

at Lincoln County High School

WHAT IS THE MTDA [Montana Digital Academy] SCHOOL?

Located in a classroom in the main high school building, LCHS MTDA School was created to meet the diverse needs of our high school students. It is designed to be a place where students can successfully complete the required high school courses outside the regular classroom. Students work independently which enables them to take ownership of their own learning.

The atmosphere within the MTDA classroom is comfortable and conducive to learning. We

respect the rights of everyone to the best education possible. It is "a safe and respectful learning environment where students are proud of their achievements; where there is accountability for both students and teacher." We truly exemplify - "Whatever it takes!"

WHY DO STUDENTS ATTEND THE MTDA SCHOOL?

Credit recovery: This is for students in the district to complete a course that LCHS requires for graduation. It also can include students that failed a required course.

Schedule conflicts: Sometimes students cannot fit a necessary course into their existing schedule. When this happens, the MTDA School can provide an opportunity for the student to complete the year.

New Students: Students that enroll during the middle of the semester cannot always fit into the mainstream classroom. The MTDA School enables them to retain their credits because of our individual study format.

Enrichment: Courses, such as Oceanography or Veterinary Science are not offered in the regular high school but are offered in the MTDA school through MTDA and NDCDE

Dual Credits: Through FVCC and MTDA some college course are being offered to high school students. The student will receive both high school and college credit for the same course. The courses are accredited through the Montana University System (MUS) and can be transferred to two year or four-year colleges and universities. These courses require tuition to be paid.

Medical needs: Students with specific medical needs and have a 504 identification can be accommodated with a different attendance profile at MTDA School.

WHAT THE MTDA SCHOOL IS NOT

The MTDA School is not a place for students who are not willing to work. All MTDA students must be a quarter done by first midterm and half done at the quarter. Any course that is not completely finished by the end of the semester will result in no credit for the course and a possible "F" on their transcript.

The MTDA School is not a replacement for the regular classroom. Because a student doesn’t want to be in a certain classroom is not grounds for consideration. We work together with the classroom teacher to supply the best possible education for each student

WHAT IS TAUGHT AT THE MTDA SCHOOL?

The Montana Digital Academy – The MTDA is a Montana state-sponsored, an online school that provides a large variety of courses for Montana high school students. Regardless of the size of their high schools, the MTDA enables students from rural schools to have the same access to courses that a large high school offers (and courses that are not offered elsewhere, such as Chinese) These classes are accessible 24 hours a day / seven days a week with a certified Montana teacher available for any questions. These courses are approved by the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) and transfer to any high school. There is no charge. Currently, there are 200 courses available with over 4000 students enrolled.

MTDA COURSE CATALOG to view all classes offered

Independent study courses also supplement what is available through the MTDA School. A high school curriculum is available from core courses to electives. These courses are available, with permission from the guidance department, for sophomore through senior students

HOW DO THE COURSES WORK?

MTDA courses are available each semester. With parent’s approval, students need to fill out an enrollment form that can be obtained from the MTDA School or guidance office. It is necessary for students to have an e-mail address because all communication is done through this. There are enrollment and completion deadlines. Students also need to schedule a period for MTDA school to take these courses. We have found that this overseeing is an important part of the success of online courses. MTDA Connect courses are just for credit recovery – for students who have failed to pass a course in the classroom. These courses are more flexible enabling students to enroll at various times throughout the semester; however, the semester completion deadline is the same as regular MTDA courses.

DO I HAVE TO BE IN AN MTDA SCHOOL CLASS TO TAKE THEIR COURSES?

Yes. We have found that having a teacher oversee the progress of the students is important to the success of both programs.