Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Ancora High School Partners with McGraw Hill to Launch New Online High School for Adults

ARLINGTON, Texas/PRNewswire/ — Workforce solutions provider Ancora has developed a new relationship with McGraw Hill to launch Ancora High School. The flexible, individualized and 100% online learning experience is open to learners aged 18 or older who have completed 9th grade. Students can apply on a rolling basis throughout the year and complete coursework on their own timeframe. Ancora High School is an online high school that offers a Texas high school diploma and is accredited by Cognia™.

In 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the high school dropout rate was 5.3% amongst those between the ages of 16 and 24, meaning approximately two million people in that age range had not completed a diploma and were not enrolled in high school. The economic consequences of not receiving a high school diploma or alternative credential like a GED is significant for the individual and society. For example, according to a separate report by NCES the median annual earnings for full-time workers ages 25 through 34 who had not completed high school were $26,000, compared to $32,000 a year for those whose highest education level was high school completion. Additionally, the average high school dropout costs the economy approximately $272,000 over his or her lifetime in terms of lower tax contributions, higher reliance on Medicaid and Medicare, higher rates of criminal activity, and higher reliance on welfare.

“Keeping in line with our prioritization on preparing students for further education or entering the workforce, Ancora High School helps to lay the groundwork for those who need it most,” said Bill Nance, CEO of Ancora. “With approximately 30 million adults without a high school diploma in the United States, we believe focusing on this important mission will provide communities with the opportunity to develop individuals with knowledge, skills, and upward career potential.  We recognize the positive personal, economic, and community impacts of earning a high school diploma, and we are proud to provide this affordable opportunity for busy adults to earn their diploma with flexibility that fits into their busy lives.”…Read More

Online learning can help schools retain students

There were 1.3 million fewer students enrolled in U.S. public schools in fall 2021 than there were before the pandemic began–a drop of nearly 3 percent. Given that educational funding is tied to enrollment, this development has serious implications for the availability of resources in our schools.

Some of this decline may be the result of changing demographics. But much of it can be attributed to families who have opted out of public schools during the pandemic, choosing private schools or homeschooling for their children instead.

On top of these losses, traditional school districts also have lost about a quarter of a million students to charter schools since the emergence of COVID. An analysis by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools found that charter school enrollment increased by more than 7 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2020 as families found other alternatives for their children’s education.…Read More

5 ways to prep students for online learning success

Students who attend online school today range from homeschoolers, to those seeking an alternative to in-person public schools, to learners who want to mix virtual schooling with in-person learning. Also, some districts have decided to keep an online option open for students who choose that method.

And while numerous parents and students have chosen to make online learning part of their education, the transition can be challenging. As someone who’s been involved with online schools for more than eight years, here are five common areas of concern and tips for how teachers and parents can navigate these challenges successfully.

Organization and Scheduling are Vital…Read More

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4 tips for online learning success in schools

Our school has been using online learning since the mid-1990s when we became one of the first to sign up for VHS Learning. Since then, we’ve expanded our use of the program and involved more students.

Here are four tips for success that I’ve learned along the way, and that other schools can use to get the most out of their online learning partners:

1. Involve all types of learners. Online learning isn’t just for high-performing students who want to earn more credits or expand their learning horizons. We use it for learners of all levels, and it can serve as a successful alternative for struggling students, allow students to explore specific areas of interest not offered at our school, and for those who want to take more Advanced Placement (AP) courses than we offer on campus. I always have several students who are interested in AP classes that we don’t offer at our school, but I also make sure that I keep half of the online semester elective courses open for students who are interested. I want to make sure that students at different levels have an opportunity to learn online as well.…Read More

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FEV Tutor Announces Strategic Acquisition by Alpine Investors

WOBURN, MA & SAN FRANCISCO – JULY 20, 2022 – FEV Tutor (“FEV”), the K-12 market leading research and evidence-based online tutoring platform, today announced its partnership with Alpine Investors (“Alpine”), a people-driven private equity firm that is a Certified B Corporation committed to building enduring businesses. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Alpine’s partnership will help further FEV Tutor’s mission to develop high-quality, online learning solutions that drive change by positively impacting learning outcomes for students from all backgrounds. As part of the transaction, Jim Tormey of Alpine will be the new Chief Executive Officer at FEV Tutor, with Co-Founders Anirudh Baheti and Ryan Patenaude continuing in leadership roles.

For more than a decade, FEV Tutor has transformed the lives of K-12 disadvantaged and at-risk students through its high impact virtual tutoring model and expansive suite of district services. FEV partners with schools and districts to provide high-quality, structured 1:1 online tutoring solutions, delivered by an extensive 24/7 network of highly trained tutors. FEV provides high-touch client support, tailored program design, data analytics, and ongoing formative assessments for its K-12 customer base. FEV Tutor’s products meet the Level Two Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the national education law that helps ensure success for students and schools.…Read More

How online learning can bridge the math gap

As the U.S. moves toward more normalized learning and day-to-day life, we know many students continue to feel the impact of remote and hybrid learning. The lingering effects of remote learning during the pandemic have left many students behind, particularly in essential math and reading skills.

In a 2021 study, more than half of public-school K-12 teachers said the pandemic resulted in a “significant” learning loss for many students. Other evidence shows that the pandemic widened pre-existing learning gaps in key subjects such as math. In fact, the World Bank projects $10 trillion in lost future earnings for children due to the pandemic if they do not make up lost or delayed skills like math.

During the initial phase of COVID-19 lockdowns, Generation Alpha (born 2010-2024) and Generation Z (born 1995-2009) had to pivot to virtual-only school platforms. While these students were heavy technology users, they were unskilled remote learners, with many never having the experience of online-only learning. Schooling outside of higher education was mainly following an in-person model. …Read More

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3 ways tech fosters student engagement

As we enter the second half of the 2021-2022 school year, many of us are still reeling from the 2020-2021 school year, which was defined by massive changes to the learning landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders meant that students and teachers alike were forced to shift to online or hybrid learning overnight. Now, more than a year later, educators, students, and parents have been able to reflect on their experiences with online learning. 

While many have faced obstacles in integrating distance learning—any abrupt change operates on a learning curve—it’s also become clear that technology-based learning is essential to education to allow students to learn from wherever they are and prepare them for the future. These key benefits allow us to engage students and bring them in as active participants in their continued education more fully. 

Allow learning to happen anywhere…Read More

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