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Board approves Accelerate Education as districtwide online-learning platform
Summary
After a multi-year review and quarter-long pilot, the Kennewick School District Board approved Accelerate Education for K–12 online learning, with staff reporting similar estimated costs to current vendors and pilot feedback showing stronger content and customization.
Alyssa St. Hilaire, an instructional staff member who led the district’s two-year review of online programs, recommended the board adopt Accelerate Education as the district’s K–12 online-learning curriculum after pilots at McBee/Cascades/primary sites and at Endeavor High School and Southridge.
St. Hilaire told the board the district considered seven programs, narrowed the list to three, and piloted Accelerate in elementary grades 2–3 and in high-school settings for a quarter. Teachers and parents reported that Accelerate’s elementary materials included helpful print workbooks and that the program required students to “show their learning” with writing prompts and journals. High-school pilots showed “promising growth,” St. Hilaire said. She told the board the district expects annual costs to be similar to current providers — “right about the same” as the roughly $200,000 combined cost the district paid last year for Apex and FlexPoint — but with updated and more customizable content.
The board discussed implementation details including seat-license versus unlimited licensing options, advanced-placement offerings and how students not enrolled full-time at the district’s online academy would access courses on a part-time basis. Staff said seat licenses can provide access to Accelerate’s library, where a bank-of-seats model lets licensed students take multiple courses. For students taking a course for the first time online, staff said those courses would be delivered through the district’s online academy (Endeavor) and would require case-by-case supports to ensure success.
After the presentation the board voted to approve Accelerate Education as the district’s K–12 online-learning material. The roll call vote recorded yes votes from the five voting board members present: Mr. Connors; Dr. Miller; Ms. Gledhill; Mr. Valentine; and Mr. Galbraith. The student advisory member, Annie, cast an advisory vote in favor.
