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Mississippi Virtual Public School
The Mississippi Virtual Public School (MVPS) is a free statewide virtual public school, located in the US state of Mississippi. It is partnered with the private Connections Academy for course provision, and (as of November 2010) was the first and only state virtual school to be entirely run by a private provider.
MVPS served approximately 2,863 students with 6,357 course enrollments during the 2009-10 school year. MVPS also offers supplemental AP preparation courses.
MVPS seeks to provide Mississippi students with access to a wider range of course work, with more flexibility in scheduling and with the opportunity to develop their capacities as independent learners. The school was established by State Board of Education legislation in 2006. MVPS was funded by state appropriation of $1.9 million in 2008-09, with some additional grant funding, and $1.8 million for 2009-10.
All students are required to gain approval from their local school before they can take an online course through MVPS. Private and homeschool students must meet the same requirement and must use the local public school for which they are zoned.
For the 2011-2012 school year MVPS reached maximum capacity as the school could not longer afford to bring in students using public funds. Mississippi students in Grades 9-12 and their parents may purchase online courses directly from the National Connections Academy private online programme, which has established a course list and discounted pricing for Mississippi families.
The Mississippi Virtual Public School web site is at http://www.connectionsacademy.com/mississippi-school/home.aspx
References
- "A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning", iNACOL, October 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf
- "Keeping Pace With Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice", Evergreen Education Group, 2010, http://kpk12.com/reports/
- Mississippi Virtual Public School web site, http://www.connectionsacademy.com/mississippi-school/home.aspx