Aspire Online Academy highlights personalized online instruction, in-person events to Harrison School District 2 board

At its Jan. 23 meeting, the Harrison School District No. 2 Board of Education heard a presentation from Aspire Online Academy (AOA) staff and students outlining the program's structure, supports and student outcomes.

AOA Assistant Principal Patricia Parks introduced the school and its staff, and student presenters described their experiences. Student Lianna Rose Adetianna said, "The AOA also organizes in person events, allowing us to connect face to face with friends and enjoy ourselves." Teacher Calvin Rausch said the program "provided an opportunity to really expand my digital skills and abilities within education and also really learn how to work with students through a different medium than the traditional teaching sphere."

AOA staff told the board the program serves first through 12th grades and has been in operation for four years. Clarifying details provided during the presentation said current enrollment is about 50 students; staffing includes three elementary teachers (grades 1–5), four middle school teachers (6–8) and two high school teachers (9–12), and the school also uses Colorado Digital Learning Solutions to expand high school course options. The program combines synchronous live instruction with asynchronous assignments and schedules monthly in-person events to promote social connection.

Presenters described supports for students with medical or behavioral needs and for families whose primary language is Spanish. Administrative staff described daily attendance checks, teacher feedback delivered during live sessions, counselor access through "counselor connects," and outreach to families when students are not engaged. The instructional coach said standardized-test participation is low enough that AOA did not receive a School Performance Framework for the year; she presented midyear I-Ready growth data that she said shows reading and math gains for students who took the assessments.

AOA staff outlined two schoolwide improvement priorities: math achievement and career-connected learning. They described use of digital tools such as Xello for early career exploration, planned career fairs in March, concurrent-enrollment and internship opportunities for high school students, and work-based learning options. Staff also said the program coordinates with students' neighborhood schools to allow participation in athletics and extracurriculars.

Board members and meeting attendees praised student speakers and parents who described improved grades and increased confidence after enrolling in AOA. The board asked about enrollment numbers and athletics; staff confirmed the approximately 50-student enrollment and explained the process for students to play sports through their resident high school.

AOA presenters ended by thanking the board for continued support. Board members and district staff acknowledged the presentation and said they looked forward to updates on student outcomes and visits to in-person events.