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Connect Academy details blends of virtual and blended instruction, sets proficiency and growth goals
Summary
Principal Jamie Burr presented Connect Academy’s K–12 improvement plan, reporting current enrollment and a plan to increase overall grade-level proficiency by 10 percentage points through weekly PLTs, a new Eureka math adoption, standards-based assessments and expanded marketing to grow enrollment.
Jamie Burr, principal of Connect Academy, told the board the K–12 virtual and blended school is focused on raising overall grade-level proficiency and growth while increasing enrollment by 20% over the plan period. Burr said the school currently serves about 309 students (combined virtual and blended) and that its blended model counts teachers as providing approximately 40% of instruction for K–5 blended students for state accountability purposes.
Key instructional changes include district adoption of Eureka math for K–8, stronger PLT use with integrated MTSS, standards-aligned SchoolNet assessments for interim checks, and continued supports for biology and high-school science alignment. Burr said the school met the district growth measure for 2023–24 and aims to exceed growth by 2027, with action steps that align PDP goals to PLT work, monitor fidelity of instruction, strengthen transition planning between grade bands, and expand marketing and outreach with communications staff to grow the applicant pool.
Burr emphasized family partnerships in the blended model and a parent agreement that commits families to stay engaged; communications tools include email, weekly newsletters, ClassDojo for elementary families and one-on-one support in carline. Board members asked about how blended students are claimed for EVOS growth and Burr and district staff explained blended students count as "underclaimed" at 40% for growth calculations but are fully counted for proficiency. Burr also confirmed the school’s virtual teachers are experienced and that most have been with the program since its start.
