Virtual School Policy

On February 18th, 2016, the Shelby County Board of Education approved the Virtual Shelby County policy as presented at the board meeting. The policy was created by the Shelby County Schools technology department, overseen by a small committee which included the high school coordinator and secondary program area specialist.The policy has similar aspects of other virtual options throughout the state but is also worded to allow for a lot of growing room. At this point in the process, students are registering for classes for the 2016-2017 school year and counselors are working on schedules. School administrators, counselors, and the school board will soon see how many students will sign up for virtual classes, and how many of those will actually be eligible. 

According to Moore and Kearsley (2012) strategic planning at the institutional level involves defining a mission, goals, and objectives for the program regarding distance education (p.175). Shelby County Schools' Virtual Shelby County policy has a clear long-term direction. In the first year of implementation (2016-2017) only English and history courses for sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be offered with an orientation module for freshmen. In the second year, math and science options will be added. In year three select electives will be offered with full course offerings in the fourth year of implementation (2019-2020). Although there is a clear long-term mission, there are still many questions to be answered regarding the new policy.


Since board approval, the policy has not be vastly shared or advertised, therefore, teachers, students and parents have questions about the repercussions of this new policy. Who will teach the courses? What learning management system(s) will be used? How will students' schedules be affected? In the first stage of the policy, the only clear information are eligibility requirements. Students must be enrolled in Shelby County Schools for at least their second year, read text at or above their grade level, have a cumulative 3.0 GPA and at least a B average in the most recent course in the online subject area, have no more than five unexcused absences during the previous year, be on track to graduate with his or her graduating class, have access to adequate technology at home, provide his or her own transportation, and demonstrate school-appropriate behavior and maturity (Virtual Shelby County, p. 2). Hopefully in the future, as the program emerges, Shelby County will develop a comprehensive overview such as Hoover City School's ENGAGE. 

In whatever ways Alabama schools determine to provide virtual schooling, the research is there: "Digital literacy goes beyond basic reading and writing skills to encompass being able to input information into a computer, phone, or other electronic device, and to be able to understand the output of such devices. This includes being able to navigate through screens, operate controls, troubleshoot problems. Until recently these were not skills taught in schools, so when technology is introduced to a population, there is a knowledge gap that can take considerable time to overcome" (Moore & Kearsley, 2012, p. 280).  

References: 

Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (2012). Distance Education. Wadsworth Cengage Learning: Belmont, CA.

Shelby County Schools (2015). Virtual Shelby County. Columbiana, AL. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxO1Xb1Dt7QqVGhSVE5tMGRFMmc/view

Education and Youth Affairs Act of 2015, Act No. 2015-89. (2015). Retrieved from https://web.alsde.edu/legislativebills/2015Regular/SB0072_ENACTED.pdf