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North Carolina Virtual Public School
The North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) is a US state virtual school founded in 2002, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, US. It had 73,600 course enrollments in 2009-10, the second highest number of enrollments of any state virtual school; this represents a 369% increase since 2008-09. Most students are high school level, between grades nine and twelve, although students in grades five through eight participate in courses.
NCVPS is "committed to raising achievement and closing learning gaps with 21st century innovation", particularly for those in remote areas who are otherwise unable to take the courses they'd like. It provides students with (supplemental) "expanded academic options" by offering test preparation, career planning, credit recovery, world languages and Occupational Course of Study (OCS) courses to North Carolina students.
Students study entirely online, although students must be enrolled in a North Carolina public school. Many courses are 100% online (asynchronous), or "textbook independent". Select courses do require use of textbooks and are thus not 100% online (however there is no in-person component). In some cases courses have been designed to accommodate use of any relevant textbook, while one in particular may be recommended.
The North Carolina Virtual Public School web site is at http://www.ncvps.org/.
More Details
North Carolina Virtual Public School was the second state virtual school in the US (after FLVS) to be funded based on a funding formula tied to the state’s public education formula. However, NCVPS is funded for 2010-11 based on 2009-10 enrollment figures, i.e. the funding does not map to student completion.
Courses utilise the Blackboard course management system. Teachers may utilise video, interactive whiteboards, wikis, "active worlds" and online discussion tools.
References
- "A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning", iNACOL, October 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf
- Agora Cyber Charter School web site, http://www.k12.com/agora* North Carolina Virtual Public School web site, http://www.ncvps.org/
- "Keeping Pace With Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice", Evergreen Education Group, 2010, http://kpk12.com/reports/
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