Collegial Collaboration in a Competitive Environment
http://coloradocyberschools.org/
Sarah Ault- Colorado Connections Academy
Leanna Christians- Branson School Online
Lori Cooney- Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families
Heather O’Mara- HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op
Panel Introductions
2001 Established by the School Board of Branson School District RE-82
Vision Lead innovation in education for the state of Colorado and
nationally to serve generations of young people.
Population served Currently we serve 400 K-12 students statewide.
Delivery Model Virtual teacher instruction both synchronous and asynchronous
delivered through the web in the home.
Staff to student ratio 1 Highly Qualified instructor to 24 students.
2002Established as a full-time online contract school. Currently
contracting with Mapleton Public Schools.
Who we areConnections Academy is a national provider of K-12 online
education. Colorado is one of 19 schools.
Population servedCurrently we serve 1,400 K-12 students statewide.
Delivery ModelVirtual teacher instruction both synchronous and asynchronous
delivered through the web in the home. Majority of the teachers work from an office in the Denver metro area.
Staff to student ratio1 Highly Qualified instructor to 30 students.
2005 ◦ Established as a full-time online school ◦ Currently chartered by the Douglas County School District
Vision◦ Recognizing that all students learn differently, Hope Online students access their
online school at a Hope Online Learning Center where they are supported by dedicated and experienced teachers and mentors.
Students◦ Hope Online currently serves 3,000 k-12 students at 50 Learning Centers
statewide.◦ 79% of students are minority and over 55% qualify for FRL.
Delivery Model◦ Students of Hope Online attend Learning Centers, operated by a variety of
community-based organizations. ◦ Hope Online students access standards-based curricula , receiving synchronous
and asynchronous instruction, in an adult-supported environment. Staff to Student Ratio
◦ 1 licensed teacher for every 100 students ◦ 1 qualified mentor for every 18 students
The Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families is group of dedicated parents who have come together to be powerful and vocal advocates for cyberschools and online learning in Colorado.
Protecting choice in public education.
Cyberfamilies
Branson School Online Colorado Connections Academy Colorado Virtual Academy (COVA) Guided Online Academy Learning Academy
(GOAL) Hope Online Learning Academy Co-Op (Hope
Online) Insight School Karval Online Education Monte Vista On-Line Academy
Colorado Coalition of Cyberfamilies PACE
Members
The Colorado Cyberschools Association (CCA) cooperatively assists cyberschools in providing a high-quality education to online students by sharing information about effective online education and program management, promoting studies that improve the quality of online programs, improving access to online programs, working with appropriate agencies to improve enrollment and attendance processes, and collaborating to address geographic issues inherent to online learning.
What we do
Why was CCA Established? Pioneers in the advancement of Online
Education in the state of Colorado Information sharing & Advocacy Identification, research & advancement of
best practices Leveraging common issues with decision
makers
What have we grown to be? Resource for members Resource for researchers Resource for families seeking educational
option Resource for those who want to really learn
about a variety of online educational models
Why Choose Collaboration? Why not Competition? Identify the student populations that can
best be served by each offering. Recognize that families have the right to
choose the educational model that best fits their student/family needs.
Support families in getting the best fit for their students.
Basic premise is that there is sufficient students to be served by all members.
Shared Activities Schools share approaches as to how to best
educate state decision makers Schools come together to provide PD for
teachers School leaders identify common obstacles
facing the families they serve and look for ways to leverage in combination
Activities for families that can be common such as Red Ribbon Week and Day at the Capitol
What are the pitfalls? The organization is a volunteer organization Officers are also leaders in their schools-
burnout Dues are used to benefit families of
member schools Requires significant effort and trust with a
focus on what is best for the students served across the community of members
Benefits versus Cost to members always in review and must stay in balance