A virtual alternative: public K-8 "school without walls" launches in Denver. (Building a New Foundation).

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education broke a lot of virtual ground last year when it opened its newest K-8 facility.

In partnership with the Connections Academy, a private operator of K-8 virtual public schools, the DPS system opened the lO0+-student Denver Connections Academy that combines a technology-enhanced, print-rich curriculum, certified teachers, and community experiences to create an environment for children who want an individualized approach to education. Funding comes from the already mandated per-pupil allowance.

"We view the virtual school as just another growing Denver Public School facility," says Jeanne Ross, Director of Distance Learning for the DPS system and chairwoman of Colorado Gov. Bill Owens' Online Education Program Study Committee.

She's probably right. More than 30 states now have e-learning initiatives underway and 12 have established virtual schools in large part due to the 1.7 million students currently receiving instruction at home (approximately three percent of all public school students).

However, Denver Connections Academy (DCA) serves more than returning home-schoolers, notes Ross. The Academy is designed for a range of students, including those who are ahead or behind their peers in school, require a flexible schedule, frequently miss school because of illness or other problems, travel extensively in pursuit of athletic or arts careers, or live in isolated rural areas.

"[DCA] gives all our parents and students a very useful option," Ross adds, "which is why it's so attractive to the DPS system. This particular technology-based teaching gives parents a flexible alternative to brick-and-mortar schools and lets them take an active role in their child's education."

The virtual school has established stringent academic standards and guidelines for its students, measured in part by the EDVision Performance Series--an online test--and DCA students also participate in state- and district-required testing. "Learning coaches"-most often a parent, but sometimes another adult-deliver instruction to students using daily lesson plans and materials based on the Calvert School curriculum, a text-based curriculum that is supplemented with online and offline materials to align to state standards. Each student has a certified teacher, curriculum specialist, and learning coach.

Instruction is managed via a computer-provided by DCA at no cost to the student-that is configured with software, printer and Internet access.

Quality and flexibility are key to the program's success. "My filth-grader was home-schooled for the past three years," notes DCA Community Coordinator Mare O'Brien. "She was way ahead [of the public school] academically so I decided to teach her at home where she could get individualized attention. But with a growing family there weren't enough hours in the day for me to create as well as implement a curriculum."

O'Brien's solution was to enroll her daughter in DCA, which launched at the start of the 2002-2003 school year. "The teaching professionals help me with specific questions and issues," she says, "and provide me with the resources I need to deliver a high-quality education."

While DCA's curriculum and teachers give parents a structure, the program's personal interactivity is also a powerful draw. In fact, O'Brien became the go-to person for organizing activities--including field trips, recreational activities, and service projects--for DCA students in her vicinity. "The kids being taught at DCA are not isolated, nor are their families-far from it," she says.

The interact/on between parent and teacher is probably more frequent within the Denver Connections Academy model than at a brick-and-mortar school, says DCA Principal Barbara Frey, a 22-year teaching and administrative veteran of the New York City and Baltimore City Public School systems. "Our teachers know the students--and their families--as individuals. They're in frequent contact, adapting the curriculum to fit the needs of each student."

One reason is teachers at Denver Connections Academy spend less time on administration than regular classroom teachers and spend more time in analyzing individual student performance. In fact, the program's focus on the individual student is driving enrollment, says Ross, adding, "DCA will, we expect, expand very rapidly."