DCPS Virtual Academy ‘intense’ but successful, officials say

August 31, 2020 | 12:10 am

Updated August 31, 2020 | 12:28 am

Graphic by Owensboro Times

When Chad Alward was named director of the Daviess County Public Schools Virtual Learning Academy, he only had three weeks to develop a plan for the 1,245 students who were enrolled. Since then, Alward and his staff said things have gone incredibly well for those involved. 

For one thing, Alward said the DCPS Virtual Academy gives students an “incredible” amount of flexibility they wouldn’t get in a conventional classroom setting. 

“The Virtual Academy gives them an unlimited amount of space so we can develop a schedule to fit the students’ needs,” he said at a Thursday DCPS board meeting. “It’s given us some liberties that a traditional [school schedule] would not.” 

For the K-8th graders involved in the online academy, the schedules vary a little depending on which grade is being taught. The virtual doors open at 8:15 a.m. each day for K-2nd graders, with reading and language arts taught from 8:30-9:50 a.m., science from 10-11 a.m., lunch and recess from 11-12:30 p.m. and math from 12:30-1:50 p.m. The same teacher stays with these students all day long. 

The rest of the students are set up on block schedules with different teachers teaching different subjects. There are 59 “incredible” staff members involved in the Virtual Academy, Alward said. 

“Our days are like everyone else’s,” he said. “I’ll be honest — the first day was intense, but it was a good intense. It’s still intense.” 

Alward said it was important to him and his staff that none of their students fall behind. 

The Virtual Academy had more students from 7th and 8th grade enroll than any other grade, Alward said. One reason the academy works so well for students of that age is because of their comfort level with technology. While 167 7th graders and 166 8th graders are enrolled, only 92 kindergarteners are currently learning through the Virtual Academy. 

DCPS asked for nine-week and semester-long commitments from those who enrolled, so whether the number of students will remain the same in October is yet to be seen. 

Worries about whether the VA students would appear in their middle school yearbooks was put to rest, as Alward said each student’s photo would be included in their “home” school’s yearbook. But those in the VA will be involved in some projects that are selective to the program as well. 

“Some chose this because of a health condition they have,” Alward said. “We’ll make sure those kids are still connected to their home schools. Students can still participate in cocurricular activities but we have to clear it with the schools first, so we can protect all of our students.” 

So far, attendance for the VA has been high, coming in at 90% in the first three days. 

August 31, 2020 | 12:10 am

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