The Anne Arundel County Public Schools Virtual Academy has graduated 100% of its students and expects that trend to continue with the upcoming third class of graduates, school officials announced Wednesday.
Virtual Academy is an online learning platform provided by the Anne Arundel County Public School System. We offer students the opportunity to participate in virtual education, offering a flexible and personalized approach to learning. Launched as a post-pandemic learning alternative, the academy has become a viable option for hundreds of students across the county who find the flexibility of workflow and course materials better suited to their schedules.
The school board approved the academy in June 2021, allowing students in grades 3 through 12 to apply for the program.
“What makes us different is that we are more than just a school at Virtual Academy. We are an educational community,” said Lindsey Drager, Virtual Academy principal.
On Wednesday, Draeger and Pat Crane, director of educational options and school environment for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, gave a presentation to the school board highlighting accomplishments at the academy. The school initially started in 2021 with over 550 students enrolled. Although that number has dropped to 425 this year, 150 students recently enrolled and the school is expected to return to nearly 575 students next year.
Crane said the drop in numbers could be due to some students returning to in-person learning.
The program is represented by each cluster in the county, with the highest concentrations of students in the Glen Burnie, Meade, North County, and Old Mill clusters.
With the addition of 64 staff members in May of this year, all Anne Arundel County Public Schools educators are skilled at designing and implementing creative student supports that best meet their unique learning needs and academic development. Drager said.
“Their skill in leveraging available educational technology to maximize student learning and their focus on continually improving their instructional practices based on the feedback provided is commendable to us. is having a positive impact on the Virtual Academy students we serve every day…” she said.
The Maryland Department of Education awarded Virtual Academy four stars out of five for both the 2021 and 2022 school years. The academy was one of 12 schools in the county to show improvement. They showed academic growth in both middle school and high school, and their percentile rankings increased at all three levels.
“Obviously there's been a lot of heartache due to COVID-19,” said District 4 school board member Melissa Ellis. “A lot of students were really struggling with virtual learning. But we were able to recognize that we have students from different backgrounds, different learners. This is good for some people. It's clear that this is the case, and we appreciate your efforts to address this.”
Virtual students can now participate in sports as a result of a state bill passed last year.
“Thank you for your hard work,” said Joanna Bache Tobin, Annapolis School Board member. “I'm happy, [Virtual Academy] Gave this a chance. As we know, there are teachers who really thrive in a virtual environment. They may be a minority, but they do exist. ”
The goal of the Virtual Academy is to help ensure positive outcomes for students, which ultimately includes graduation. Draeger said the feedback the school receives from families is a testament to the school's efforts to foster a sense of belonging for all students who attend.
“This program embodies Drs. [Superintendent Mark] Bedell’s vision for our school system to belong, grow and succeed,” Draeger said.