Overview
The Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center (SVLC) is a public school within the Arlington School District offering Kindergarten through 12th Grade Alternative Learning Experiences through its Online, Campus, and Home programs.
For information about our online program (AOP) please visit our website and look for the information sheet that is posted. For grades K-8 we offer two ALE (Alternative Learning Experience) options, Onsite and Remote. Typically, our onsite option involves coming to campus two days a week (for K/1) or three days a week for students in grades 2 - 8. While on campus our teachers will design a classroom experience much like you would find in a traditional, general education setting. Students will learn through the use of projects, learning through play and exploration, instruction, small groups, sharing, presentations, etc. In the “onsite” format, our teachers will do most of the instruction, and rely on the parents for support during the home learning days (Mon/Wed/Fri for K-1 and Mon/Fri for 2-8).
As we begin the 2020-21 school year, we will be engaging in learning via the Distance Learning 2.0 model, rather than having students on campus. With our Distance Learning 2.0 model, the learning will continue to be teacher led, and supported by parents. We will have regularly scheduled class times, there will also be dedicated home learning days where students will not be required to connect virtually. Our updated schedules will be posted on our website.
Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center
Vision Statement:
Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center envisions a partnership between home, school, and the community where each is an active participant in student-centered academic and social-emotional growth.
Mission Statement:
With student learning as our primary focus, we are committed to:
A unique instructional design where individual student needs are met.
Project and problem-based learning opportunities to promote deep understanding by means of rich tasks.
Long-term relationships with families to encourage life-long learners.
Weekly Contact/Check In
Washington state law requires personal contact between the certificated teacher and each enrolled student on a weekly basis. This contact might consist of students attending online classes, zoom meetings, or email exchange.
Attendance is one example of what sets our ALE program (Alternative Learning Experience) apart from the traditional classes in general education programs. With ALE we are not required to have "seat time" attendance, we count weekly contact, and anticipated learning hours instead. This allows us to create a schedule where students are on campus some days, and working at home with their family on other days. Because we only have students on campus two or three days a week, there is a portion of their instruction/student work that will be done at home. Our teacher will supply the learning activities and document the progress from the learning done at home. Please understand, however, that attendance in class meetings, is still very important! When a student is signed up for distance learning, it is important that they attend each scheduled class.
Written Student Learning Plans
Another important aspect of our ALE program is that each student will have their own individualized Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP). This plan outlines the educational classes, activities, materials and objectives that the student is expected to learn throughout the year. Each WSLP is monitored weekly, and progress is reported monthly. Each student will be assigned a WSLP Consultant.
The Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP) Consultant is a state certificated teacher who meets with students, and families, individually to create the student learning plan. The Advisor will monitor necessary changes to the WSLP, as well as evaluate, document, and communicate monthly progress for the learning plan.
Monthly Progress Evaluation
Monthly progress is determined by the teacher or consultant by looking at the following indicators of progress:
● Attendance
● Engagement
● Home Learning Completion
● Assessment
Failure to have satisfactory monthly progress will lead to an intervention plan.
Intervention Plan
An intervention plan is developed between the WSLP Advisor and the student within 5 days of the following month when a student receives an unsatisfactory monthly progress report. The goal of the intervention plan is to identify steps to support the students so they can be successful and thus, satisfactory at the end of the following month.
FAQS What does it cost to be a student at Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center?
SVLC is a public school within the Arlington School District. Students that attend our school are public school students, therefore, it doesn’t cost anything.
What is the ratio of teacher to kids at SVLC?
Our classes are generally smaller than a traditional general education classroom. Our elementary grades have combined grade levels (K/1; 2nd/3rd; 4th/5th) and our middle school courses are single grade level. In the 2019-20 school year, all on-site classes had less than 15 students.
Does the family need to purchase any workbooks or supplies?
We provide the learning materials. For our students who choose to participate in the onsite program, the only supplies we ask them to bring is a backpack and possibly a lunch if they prefer cold lunch. Otherwise we provide all the supplies. For the remote program - we provide most of the curriculum. We are required by law to include district approved materials on each WSLP, we will provide those materials to all families. Occasionally parents decide they would like to use a curriculum for extension, reateach, or enrichment that we can't purchase (we have some limits on what we can pay for). Most of our students do not buy any supplies or workbooks. For our students in grades 6-12, they will engage in online instruction via AOP (Arlington Online Program).
Do SVLC students participate in district and state assessments?
Because we are a public school, we do all of the testing required by the state. These tests may include the Smarter Balanced Assessment, and others. For our district assessments, we use an iReady diagnostic three times a year to give us a snapshot view of where each student is at. The assessment will show results for both reading and math, we will see what grade level the student is proficient in, and areas that might need more attention. This also gives us good information that informs our teaching/lesson plans. Our teachers/consultants will share the results with students and families. These results will inform our individualized learning plans. Generally, our parents appreciate the information we receive from those assessments.