MyDistrict Virtual School

MDVS Expands Enrollment

Almost overnight, COVID-19 required districts to close schools and cancel traditional learning that takes place in school settings. Some districts opted to move students to an online environment. MyDistrict Virtual School, a service of NEFEC, collaborated with districts to provide guidance and virtual professional development to support educators as they moved to online delivery models. Successful virtual teaching requires that educators be familiar and proficient with their devices and remote-learning tools. Over the summer, MDVS staff provided a webinar series and companion website developed to provide an overview of virtual teaching pedagogy, tools and organizational best practices. Over 150 educators across the NEFEC districts participated in the three-part webinar series to prepare for the shift to fully online or blended instruction.

Most NEFEC districts offered families three options for school year 2020-2021. Many caregivers with family members who have underlying health conditions made the difficult decision to keep their school-age children home. As a result, MyDistrict Virtual School increased semester course enrollments by 300%. By the end of August, MDVS had more enrollments than the program has ever placed over the past 11 years since its beginning in 2009. Staffed with 62 contract instructors, we were unable to manage the expansion while keeping our average instructor to student ratio at an acceptable rate.

Early September, we hired an additional 22 instructors to work with students who were new to virtual school. Many of those hired were seasoned virtual instructors from across the state which made the move to online learning much easier for new families who were experiencing it for the first time. Unlike the rapid transfer of face-to-face curriculum into an online format, MDVS families experienced what a high-quality curriculum specifically developed for online delivery looked like. It is important to remember that K-12 virtual education is not suited for all students. A successful virtual student must be motivated, organized, and supported daily. The home environment can be a determining factor between a successful student and one who struggles. Students who thrive in the online environment have learned to advocate for themselves and can effectively communicate with their teacher in a variety of ways.

They possess the foundational academic skills and are computer literate. They are organized, intrinsically motivated, and self-directed. MDVS staff, in addition to teaching the required course content, coach students and parents on how to become a successful online learner.

The pandemic has impacted our education system and encouraged families to explore educational alternatives, particularly students who have health concerns. Through MyDistrict Virtual School, students are getting a high-quality education from state-certified teachers that will enable them to reach their potential.

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