Overview
For students and caregivers who have decided to opt-out of participating in the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School Hybrid Learning Model, we will offer a Virtual Learning Program (VLP) through Edgenuity, a provider of online learning. This will be a semester-long commitment with the option for students to return to school at the beginning of the second semester if desired. This is a full virtual model, with coursework that can be aligned to state standards, where students will be required to attend virtual classes for both academics and CTE and receive grades for all work completed. Cooperative Education positions will not be available for students who choose the Virtual Learning Program.
Virtual Academic Education
Course requirements will be limited to English, history, mathematics, and science for all grade levels. There are no elective offerings provided in this program and the courses offered will be at College Prep level. Student learning through Edgenuity will be asynchronous work that requires self-pacing. Our ENSATS teachers will serve as Virtual Learning Program Mentors to coordinate the courses and will provide some after school help sessions. In addition, Edgenuity will provide on-demand content coaches for students who have immediate needs while learning.
Virtual Career Technical Education
Students who are participating in the Virtual Learning Program will continue their Career Technical Education (CTE) work through Edgenuity’s online CTE coursework. This coursework is clustered by career area, allowing students to continue to obtain knowledge in the career cluster. It is important to keep in mind that this online coursework is a supplement to a CTE program and does not allow students to participate in the practical application of their specific CTE program as they would if they were on campus at ENSATS. This coursework does not count toward the year and a half that you need in a CTE program in order to participate in a Cooperative Education program. In addition, this coursework will not count towards licensure hours that are required in some program areas as those programs are under the Division of Professional Licensure.
Students will be assigned to the appropriate career cluster coursework, once enrolled in the Virtual Learning Program. Coursework will also focus on the common strands of all CTE Program frameworks, including Strand 1 Safety and Health, Strand 4 Employability, Strand 5 Entrepreneurship & Management, and Strand 6 Technology. Career Planning & Development, Small Business Entrepreneurship, and Technology & Business are a few examples of courses related to the common strands students may be required to take as part of their participation in the Vertical Learning Program. This coursework will be monitored by an ENSATS staff member and the CTE Directors will be available to support students in their CTE remote coursework.
Attendance and Participation
Attendance and time on each content area will be tracked through Edgenuity as students log in to complete their online coursework. The expectation is that all students must log in every day and complete the assigned classwork for that particular day. While the nature of Edgenuity is asynchronous; meaning a student can log in at any time to complete work, student participation will be determined based on student online work completed each day. To be clear, students are not allowed to take course days off when school is in session. Reports for attendance, participation, and grades will be issued weekly, including providing interpretation and translation services in the first language of the home.
Special Education Services
For students on Individualized Education Programs, families will receive a COVID-19 learning plan that describes the manner in which the delivery of services may differ in this Virtual Learning Program. Special Educators will coordinate with VLP mentors and will be available to support students on a scheduled basis after 3:00 pm. C-grid/pullout services will occur during our ENSATS school day according to the student’s annotated schedule that will be provided to students and caregivers at the beginning of the school year.
Registration Form
If you would like to have your child opt-out of participating in the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School Hybrid Learning Model, please complete the following Virtual Learning Program registration form. More information will be provided for those students that register.
If you have specific questions, please contact Sandra Goldstein at sgoldstein@essextech.net or 1.978.304.4700 ext. 3110.
