SILOAM SPRINGS -- At least 530 students will be going back to school online this fall through Siloam Springs School District's new online academy.
Classes for students in kindergarten through senior in the online academy will be using curriculum from private companies taught by local teachers, according to Amy Carter, vice superintendent. Students will be able to learn at home while still enjoying the benefits of public school, such as extracurricular activities, fine arts, transcripts, diplomas and graduation, Superintendent Jody Wiggins wrote in a letter to parents in June.
The online academy has been in the works for some time as a way to serve students but preparations sped up when the coronavirus hit and school closed for in-person instruction in March, Carter said. The circumstances made it a higher priority to put a program in place that could be sustained for multiple years and serve students in the best capacity possible, she said.
Siloam Springs' online academy is a long-term vision for the district rather than something created as a reaction to the current environment, according to Adrienne Schlake, who was hired earlier in the summer to serve as director of the academy. Schlake, Carter and Valerie King, director of academic support and gifted and talented programs, have been working to make the academy a reality.
Initially, the district put a cap of 150 students on the academy, but there was so much interest after a series of parent meetings in June administrators decided to open enrollment to more students, Carter said. Now it has grown to nearly the same size as the district's elementary schools. In addition to the 530 confirmed students, principals are working to contact students who have enrolled but not confirmed their status and there's also a waiting list, she said.
Students enrolled in the program will need to be self-motivated, independent learners with strong parental support, according to the draft program guide posted on the district website. They will also need to be computer literate, good at managing time, effective communicators and personally committed, it states. Each student will be provided with a Google Chromebook but their family will be responsible for providing internet connection, it states.
The district contracted with Pearson to provide curriculum for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, which will be delivered by Siloam Springs teachers. Currently, one teacher per grade level has been assigned to teach online students, Carter said.
The school has contracted with Summit Learning for students in seventh grade through senior and Siloam Springs teachers in various areas of expertise will be delivering the curriculum, she said. Online academy teachers at the middle and high school level will be teaching both online and in-person students, with about three periods per day dedicated to online students, she said.
Students will have goals with their online curriculum they work toward at their own pace and there will be times they work synchronously or asynchronously with other students and teachers, Carter said. Attendance will be tied to the completion of weekly goals, the program guide states.
Students will be able to access all of the services Siloam Springs Schools offer in the brick-and-mortar schools, including special education, gifted and talented services and English language learning, Carter said. Students in seventh grade through seniors will be allowed to come on-site to participate in AAA sanctioned activities such as band, choir and athletics, as well as career and technical courses, she said. Students will have the option to take Advanced Placement courses in person or through the state online education platform, she said.
Students will also be able to access grab-and-go meals through the School District, Carter said.
Carter said the district intends the academy to be a presence in the School District for years to come.
"We are excited about the new challenge of getting this open," she said. "This is going to be a great thing."
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Adrienne Schlake
Adrienne Schlake was recently hired as the Siloam Springs online academy coordinator.
Schlake, who has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska, has taught subjects such as Spanish, English as a second language and STEAM (science, technology, engineering and math) in both private and public schools. She most recently worked at The New School in Fayetteville.
Schlake said she became passionate about using technology to educate students while working in Lincoln (Neb.) Public Schools in 2013, where she was an early adopter of Chromebooks, during the time the district began piloting integrating technology into curricular areas and offering each of the 40,000 students in the district their own device.
“I’m truly excited for the ability to support over 500 students virtually in a way that has not been done ever with the full support of a district backing a virtual academy program,” she said.
Janelle Jessen may be reached by email at jjessen@nwadg.com.