WVL- A Call to Act!

A Call to Act!                                               May 27, 2011 Assemblyman André Jacque Writes Bill to Remove Virtual School Student Cap We need your help! During the past two weeks, we have been in close communication with members of the Wisconsin legislature to bring attention to the 2,712 students currently on the Department of Public Instruction's waiting list to enroll in a virtual charter school. Our hopes were to get as much support as possible for the bills already written concerning removal of the virtual charter school student cap. However, we got more than we hoped for! After speaking with us last week, Assemblyman André Jacque agreed to write a bill focused solely on the removal of the virtual school student cap. While there are other bills in Madison that propose to remove the cap, they all contain additional proposals that may slow the process. We are extremely excited about the prospect of this bill moving quickly. Representative Jacque contacted us today to let us know that the bill is already written and he is ready to move forward! More importantly, he asked us to provide him written testimonials in support of removing the virtual charter school student cap. As families of Wisconsin Virtual Learning, whether new or returning, on the waiting list or already accepted, we hope you might be able to take a few moments over this extremely busy holiday weekend to write a short testimonial on why virtual education is important to your family. Why did you choose this route? Why will virtual education be a better fit for your child? Many of you have already been instrumental in helping shape virtual education in Wisconsin, and this is one more opportunity to bring about meaningful reform for Wisconsin families and students. Representative Jacque would like as many testimonials as possible to share with his fellow representatives, in hopes of gaining support for this bill and aiding in its quick passage. He believes hearing the voices of the students and parents affected by this waiting list will be the easiest way to get the other legislators to understand the urgency and the need to remove the cap. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. If you would like to contribute, please email me your testimony at jberish@nosd.edu by noon on Tuesday, May 31st. I wish you a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend! Sincerely, Jessica Berish Director of Admissions Wisconsin Virtual Learning jberish@nosd.edu Phone: (262) 416-8648 Questions on the waiting list? Read our recent blog post by clicking below: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL WAITING LIST

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL WAITING LIST

1.      Why is there a waiting list for attendance at a virtual charter school? 

2007 Wisconsin Act 222 established a limit on the number of students who can attend virtual charter schools under the open enrollment program. 

2.      May students who are currently attending virtual charter schools under open enrollment continue to do so under open enrollment?  

Students who are already attending a virtual charter school under open enrollment (and who intend to continue attendance in the following school year) are not affected by the enrollment limit.   That is, students who are currently attending virtual charter schools under open enrollment may continue to do so even if the limit has been reached or exceeded. 

3.      Are siblings of students who are currently attending virtual charter schools affected by the enrollment limit?

New applicants who are siblings of students already attending a virtual charter school under open enrollment are not affected by the limit.   That is, even if the number of current virtual charter school students and their siblings exceeds 5,250, these students may attend virtual charter schools, but no additional students may be approved. 

4.      What is the enrollment limit?

With the exception of students currently attending a virtual charter school under open enrollment and their siblings, no more than 5,250 students may attend virtual charter schools under open enrollment in any school year.  

5.      What if a student is attending a virtual charter school but not under open enrollment; that is, under a tuition agreement or under a tuition waiver due to a move?

Students and siblings of students who are attending a virtual charter school, but not under open enrollment, are subject to the enrollment limit and will be included in the group of students who may be subject to random selection. 

6.      May students who are currently attending one virtual charter school attend a different charter school if the student applied and was accepted to attend a different virtual charter school? 

Yes. 

7.      Must siblings of virtual charter school students attend the same virtual charter school in order to be exempt from the enrollment limit? 

No.  Current open enrolled virtual charter school students and siblings are exempt from the limit, even if they attend different virtual charter schools. 

8.      How is it determined whether the enrollment limit has been reached?

First, the Department must determine the number of students who are currently attending virtual charter schools under open enrollment in the 2010-11 school year and who intend to continue to attend virtual charter schools under open enrollment in the 2011-12 school year.  That number is 2,554 students. 

Second, the Department must add the number of siblings of students currently-attending virtual charter schools under open enrollment:  2,554 current students plus 307 siblings = 2,861 students who are not subject to the enrollment limit and who may immediately be assigned to virtual charter schools.   

Third, since the total number of currently-attending students and siblings is less than 5,250, the Department must determine how many additional applications may be approved.   5,250 minus 2,861 current students and siblings = 2,389.  This is the number of additional students who may be assigned to virtual charter schools under the open enrollment program.   

Fourth, the Department must determine the number of new, non-sibling open enrollment applicants who have been approved by at least one of the virtual charter schools to which they applied.  There were 5,101 such students.  

Finally, the Department must determine how many of the 5,101 students may be immediately assigned to virtual charter schools and how many must be placed on a waiting list.   5,101 total new non-sibling applicants minus 2,389 new students who may be assigned to virtual charter schools = 2,712 students who will be placed on the waiting list. 

 (Note:  a student may apply to up to three nonresident school districts under open enrollment, but a student who applied to more than one virtual charter school is counted only once in determining whether the limit has been reached and is included only once in any random selection.)

9.      What happens if there are more applications than can be approved under the statute? 

In that case, the Department must conduct a random selection of new non-sibling applicants to (1) determine which students’ applications may be immediately approved and (2) establish a waiting list of students whose applications may be approved if any students decide not to attend a virtual charter school under open enrollment.

10.  How and when will the random selection be done? 

All new, non-sibling applicants (5,101) were chosen in a random order using an algorithm based on portions of 3 different pieces of data.  Selection was not related to the student’s position in an alphabetical list or related to the order in which they had applied for open enrollment.  When each student was chosen, a random number between 1 and 5,101 was chosen using a random number program supplied with the Department’s database management system (Oracle).  This random number was assigned to the student, unless the number had already been assigned to another student.  This process was repeated until all students were assigned a number.

The student data was selected from the OPAL database on Wednesday, May 11^th, by one of the Department’s information technology professionals. The random numbers were assigned to students shortly thereafter.  The data is stored in a manner where it cannot be altered.  The open enrollment program consultant was then allowed read-only access to the information to aid in administration of the applications to the virtual charter schools.

11.  Will the random selection include a mechanism to ensure there is a relatively equal distribution of selected students among the virtual charter schools? 

No.   The statute does not authorize such a mechanism. 

12.  If a student is selected randomly for assignment to a virtual charter school, will that student’s siblings also be assigned to a virtual charter school? 

Each student is individually included in the random selection

13.  How will the virtual charter schools be notified of the names of students who may be assigned to virtual charter schools? 

The Department has sent four lists (spreadsheets) to each virtual charter school*: 

·         List 1 includes the names of the 270 students who have submitted applications and been approved to attend different virtual charter schools than the ones they are currently attending.  These applicants are already included in the 2,554 currently-attending students. 

·         List 2 includes the names of new applicants who are siblings of current open enrolled virtual charter school students.  These applicants may be immediately assigned to virtual charter schools.  

·         List 3 includes the names of the 2,389 non-sibling new applicants who were randomly selected and may be immediately assigned to attend virtual charter schools. 

·         List 4 includes the names of the 2,712 students who have been placed on a waiting list in the order they were randomly selected.   

*Each virtual charter school will receive only the names of students who are currently attending the specific virtual charter school or have applied to attend the specific virtual charter school.   

14.  How will parents be notified if their children will be immediately assigned to virtual charter schools or will be placed on the waiting list? 

The virtual charter schools will either send a school assignment to the student or send notification that the student is on the waiting list. 

15.  If a student receives a virtual charter school assignment from more than one virtual charter school, may the parent choose which assignment to accept?  

Yes. 

16.  How long does the parent have to decide whether to accept assignment to a virtual charter school? 

The first group of students who receive virtual school assignments must notify the virtual charter school no later than June 10 whether the student will attend the virtual charter school.   If a parent notifies the virtual charter school that the student will not attend, or has not notified the virtual charter school on or before June 11 whether the student will attend the virtual charter school, the virtual charter school shall notify the Department that the student will not attend the virtual charter school in the 2011-12 school year. 

17.  How and when will the virtual charter school notify the Department if a student has decided not to attend the virtual charter school? 

Virtual charter schools will make this notification on the Open Enrollment Application Log (OPAL), the open enrollment internet-based reporting system.   Beginning on June 10, virtual charter schools must notify the Department whether or not the student has accepted assignment to the virtual charter school.   This should be done as soon as possible after the virtual charter school receives notification from the parent. 

18.  What happens when the Department is notified that a student will not attend a virtual charter school? 

If Student A’s parent has notified all of the virtual charter schools to which Student A has applied that Student A will not attend the virtual charter school, the Department will remove Student A from the waiting list and will notify the virtual charter schools to which the next student on the waiting list (Student B) has applied that the virtual charter school may assign Student B to the virtual charter school.  

 

The Department will notify the virtual charter school by email if Student B may be assigned to the virtual charter school.   The email will be sent to the person designated as the school district’s OPAL contact. 

The virtual charter school must then send the parent a notice of assignment to the virtual charter school.   The parent must respond within 10 days after receiving the notice of assignment.  

19.  May a parent, who has notified a virtual charter school that the Student A will not attend or has failed to notify a virtual charter school that Student A will attend, be permitted to later request that Student A be permitted to attend a virtual charter school? 

Once a parent has notified (or failed to notify affirmatively) all virtual charter schools to which a Student A has applied that Student A will not attend, the next student on the waiting list (Student B) will be selected.  Student A will not be eligible to attend a virtual charter school in 2011-12 under the open enrollment program. 

20.  How likely is it that a student on the waiting list will be offered a space? 

This is unknown.  Last year, the waiting list of 1,756 students was exhausted in August.  However, there is no way to predict whether or when that might occur this year.   

21.  How can a parent check to see the progress on the waiting list?  

The public school open enrollment web site at http://dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html will contain information about the progression of the waiting list. 

Because of the procedures necessary to notify parents, for parents to notify virtual charter schools and for virtual charter schools to notify the DPI, the list does not necessarily progress from day to day.   Thus, the web site may not be updated on a daily basis, but will be updated when there is information to report. 

22.  What happens if a student’s application was denied by the virtual charter school?  

Only students whose applications were approved by at least one of the virtual charter schools to which the student applied will be included in the random selection. 

23.  What happens if a virtual charter school reverses its decision and approves the student’s application?  

A student whose application was denied by all of the virtual charter schools to which the student applied will not be included in the random selection.  If a virtual charter school reverses its denial for the student, the student may not be assigned to a virtual charter school unless, prior to September 1, the waiting list has been exhausted and the total number of students assigned to the virtual charter school is less than the limit.   

24.  What happens if a virtual charter school’s denial is overturned by the Department on appeal?  

A student’s whose application was denied by all of the virtual charter schools to which the student applied will not be included in the random selection.  If the Department overturns the school board’s denial, the student may not be assigned to a virtual charter school unless, prior to September 1, the waiting list has been exhausted and the total number of students assigned to the virtual charter school is less than the limit.   

25.  What happens if a student’s application was denied by the student’s resident school district?  

As long as the student’s application was approved by at least one of the virtual charter schools to which the student applied, the student will be included in the random selection.  If the student’s resident school district approved one or more applications, the student may accept assignment to a virtual charter school to which the resident school district approved the student’s application.

26.  What happens if a resident school district’s denial is overturned on appeal or if the resident school district reversed its decision? 

Any student whose application was approved by at least one of the virtual schools to which the student applied will be included in the random selection, even if the student’s resident school district denied the application.  Thus, these students will receive either a virtual school assignment or a notice that the student is on the waiting list. 

If the parent filed an appeal (and if that appeal has not been decided), it is recommended that the parent respond affirmatively to a school assignment.  If the department affirms the school board’s decision, the department will enter “will not attend” for that student for the virtual charter school for which the resident district denied open enrollment. 

If the parent did not file an appeal, the department will enter “will not attend for that t will not attend” for that student for the virtual charter school for which the resident district denied open enrollment. 

27.  Will the waiting list continue into the school term?  

No.  After September 1, no more students will be notified that they may attend virtual charter schools. 

28.  Will the open enrollment virtual charter school limit be repealed by the legislature?  

The biennial budget bills (2011 Assembly Bill 40 and 2011 Senate Bill 27), as well as 2011 Senate Bill 22, currently contain a provision that would repeal the limit.  However, unless and until a repeal of the limit is passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, it is state law and the department is required to administer it.  If the limit is repealed effective for the 2011-12 school year, the department will notify virtual charter schools that all students remaining on the list may be offered spaces. 

29.  Can a student who is not originally selected to attend the virtual charter school pay tuition to attend the virtual charter school?   If that student is later drawn from the waiting list can that student attend the virtual charter school under open enrollment? 

A student who is not originally selected to attend the virtual charter school may enter into a tuition agreement with the school district that authorized the virtual charter school* to pay tuition to attend the virtual charter school.   If the student is later selected from the waiting list, the student may attend the virtual school under open enrollment.  However:

·         The last day that a student may be selected from the waiting list is September 1. 

·         A student who attends a virtual charter school on a tuition basis will not be exempt from the enrollment limit in the 2010-11 school year. 

*Virtual charter schools are prohibited from directly charging tuition except to out-of-state students.

Prepared by:

Mary Jo Cleaver, School Administration Consultant

Public School Open Enrollment
Phone:  608-267-9101 or toll-free 888-245-2732
Email:  maryjo.cleaver@dpi.wi.gov

Congratulations WVL SMART Team!

Shannon Colton, Ph.D. from the Milwaukee School of Engineering sent a letter to Dr. Harbron, congratulating WVL teacher, Trish Strohfeldt, and her students for their successful completion of the SMART Team Program (Students Modeling A Research Topic), which brings together high school teachers, their students, and research scientists to explore molecular biology. The program consists of three phases: Qualification, Research and Model Design, and Presentation.  Shannon Colton, Ph.D., SMART Team Program Director, stated that WVL’s SMART Team gave an excellent oral presentation to the Medical College of Wisconsin on March 19. Dr. Colton commended Ms. Strohfeldt and her students for their motivation and curiosity. Visit the following link (and scroll down) to view a summary of the Wisconsin Virtual Learning SMART Team project, including a link to their poster:
http://cbm.msoe.edu/stupro/smart/previous/pre2010-2011.html

Congratulations to Kithara Vogel, Wisconsin Virtual Learning Freshman!

In January of 2010, Adventure Write (a group of freelance writers based in Alaska) announced a national writing contest for aspiring writers up to 18 years of age.  According to the rules, all stories were to begin with "So there I was..."  Kithara Vogel, a freshman at Wisconsin Virtual Learning (WVL), decided on a fictitious story about a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.  The procedure of writing the story itself took many hours to develop.  Kithara submitted her story, titled "Spirit Bear," on December 28, 2010. 

On February 15, Kithara was notified that out of over 200 entries, she received an honorable mention and would be published on the contest's website.

Question and Answer with the author, Kithara Vogel:

Have you had any real life experiences that helped with your vivid explanation of some of the scenes and experiences in Spirit Bear?

The one thing I can relate to in Spirit Bear is winter! Having went on many walks in the woods with snow on the ground, it wasn't hard to transfer that experience into the story. Otherwise, I have never been in a plane accident and have only ridden in a plane once. Multiple times I have come across black bears, though never at a very close range. Mainly I collected the details through stories from plane crash survivors and movies.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about his/her work?

Ally Carter is one of my favorite authors. Her books have many unexpected twists and are always full of adventure. She has an amazing talent for writing and her books keep me hooked from beginning to end.

What are your aspirations for future writing projects?

Through high school, I want to continue entering writing contests. I love writing short stories, but there are entire novel contests which I am also thinking of. Right now, I'm working on writing another short story for the same contest Spirit Bear was in. Eventually, I hope to publish a few books.

What are your plans for after high school?

After I'm done with high school, I plan on going to UW-Milwaukee to major in science. After that, I want to continue my education by entering veterinary school and becoming a vet.

Please CLICK HERE to read Spirit Bear, by Kithara Vogel!

WVL Spring 2011 Elementary Art Show