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Ames district says online learning pilot has 15 seats filled; staff outlines admission criteria and supports
Summary
The associate superintendent told the board the district filled 15 seats in a new online learning program, described criteria for admission, support systems and measurement plans, and said the district may apply to the Department of Education to accept open‑enrolled students next year.
The Ames Community School District associate superintendent reported on Sept. 22 that the district's new online learning program has 15 seats filled and described how staff screens applicants, supports students and plans to measure program success.
The associate superintendent said the district's objectives include retaining students who might otherwise seek open enrollment in other districts' online programs. Staff evaluates applicants using four criteria: whether the student is seeking open enrollment elsewhere, whether the child is unable or unwilling to attend in‑person classes, whether the child can function independently in an online setting, and whether the number of credits a student needs aligns with what the online program can provide.
The district is using a vendor (Edmentum/Ed Options Academy) to deliver instruction initially; the associate superintendent said the long‑term plan is for district teachers to deliver online courses. Live vendor tutoring is available daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 3 p.m. on Fridays). The district also provides a recorded orientation video, a resource repository, a weekly monitoring spreadsheet to track student logins and progress, and designated counselors at the middle and high schools to help with scheduling.
Staff said of the 15 seats, some students were retained who had been considering open enrollment elsewhere, and others enrolled after conversations with district staff. The associate superintendent declined to give exact counts for how many students were retained because the small program size risks making students personally identifiable.
Board members asked about assessment and evaluation. The associate superintendent said students in the program will take required Iowa assessments (ISASP) and that the district has structured its testing platform to allow online administration if the district chooses. Staff said the primary success measures would be student engagement, course completion and attainment of Iowa standards; the district also said it could design student and parent surveys to gather feedback.
The associate superintendent said the district plans to apply to the U.S. Department of Education to accept open‑enrolled students for the following year before the March 1 deadline, but not this fall. The district emphasized the current vendor‑taught model is an interim step on a path toward district‑taught online instruction.
Ending: The board heard questions about data and measurement; staff said pilot‑scale numbers limit statistical conclusions and stressed the need to monitor outcomes as the program grows.
