Welcome to Louisiana's Algebra I Online Program. The program is designed to target those rural and urban areas having schools with one or more sections of Algebra I being taught by an uncertified teacher. The primary goal of the program is to improve educational opportunities for students enrolled in the Algebra I virtual classes by providing them with a high-quality, standards-based, technology-rich curriculum delivered by a certified mathematics teacher, who mentors the uncertified in-class teacher.
The program also provides the uncertified mathematics teacher (in-class teacher) with professional development opportunities that assist with the facilitation of the in-class Algebra student learning activities and support his/her efforts toward mathematics certification. Districts desiring to provide certified teachers access to pedagogy training and mentoring in order to build capacity for strong mathematics instruction are also eligible to participate.
- Program targets entire classrooms of students being taught by uncertified teachers.
- Districts having a certified teacher in need of pedagogy training and mentoring are also eligible.
- Program provides students with two teachers: certified online teacher and the in-class teacher who facilitates the in-class algebra learning activities.
- Program provides students with different technologies and e-mail.
- Course was developed by Louisiana mathematics teachers.
- Curriculum is aligned to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards, Louisiana content standards and benchmarks, and Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs).
- Activity labs are incorporated into the course for data collection and analysis.
- Additional materials include Prentice Hall Algebra I Textbook (supplemental text) and iText, TI-84 graphing calculator, calculator-based laboratories (CBLs), probes and sensors, and Graphire 2 digital tablets.
- With the Gates NGLC grant awarded to the Algebra I Program this year, additional interactive activities and self assessments addressing different learning styles have been developed and incorporated into the course.
- District agrees to provide a dependable technical infrastructure for participation in the online course.
- District submits an application for school participation in the Algebra I Online Program.
- District agrees that each student participating in the program will have access to a multimedia computer connected to the Internet every day in class.
- District Identifies a teacher assigned to the Algebra I course who is pursuing math certification or who desires to build capacity for strong mathematics instruction.
- District agrees to provide limited release time for the teacher to participate in professional development opportunities (2 days in the summer and 3days during the school year).
- Students are provided with two (2) teachers - an online and in-class teacher.
- Students utilize technologies, such as the graphing calculator, CBL2/probes, digital tablet and pen, e-mail, etc.
- Students are provided with synchronous tutoring by the online teacher.
- Online teacher provides online instruction to students while supporting and mentoring the in-class teacher.
- In-class teachers who are uncertified are given resources and tools to support their efforts towards secondary mathematics certification.
- In-class teachers are provided with the opportunity to extend his/her knowledge of Algebra I and skills for teaching Algebra.
- In-class teachers are provided with the support/tools needed to facilitate the in-class algebra learning activities.
- In-class teachers are required to participate in a face-to-face Summer Orientation and three (3) professional development activities provided by the program during the school year.
- Online teachers are secondary mathematics certified teachers who were identified based on their outstanding teaching credentials and have experience with technology.
- Online teachers are required to participate in online professional development prior to teaching online and online and face-to-face professional development throughout the academic year.
Students should not expect that there will be less to do than in a traditional course. All LVS courses, including Algebra I, must adhere to the Louisiana standards, benchmarks, and Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs). The nature of the online course is completely different from the traditional classroom environment. However, the Algebra I Online course offers appealing benefits. There is flexibility with scheduling and location, and the delivery of instruction can be provided online.
- Students have access to online instruction by a certified teacher.
- In-class teacher has access to support/mentoring and participation in a strong professional development program (face-to-face and online) to build capacity for strong mathematics instruction.
- Students have access to a high quality, technology-supported Algebra I course, developed by a team of outstanding mathematics educators.
- Students complete real world centered activity labs and collect and analyze the data generated for deeper understanding of algebraic content.
Student Achievement
2011 Spring Test Results
Algebra EOC_LEAP Algebra I Online Results
| 2011 ALGEBRA I END-OF-COURSE (EOC) EXAM | LVS Algebra I Online Students | State |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 26% | 18% |
| Good | 50% | 33% |
| Fair | 18% | 28% |
| Needs Improvement | 6% | 20% |
| Percent Scoring Fair and Above | 94% | 80% |
| 2011 LEAP Math EXAM | Algebra I Online Students | State |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced | 18% | 5% |
| Mastery | 12% | 5% |
| Basic | 64% | 53% |
| Approaching Basic | 5% | 23% |
| Unsatisfactory | 1% | 15% |
| Percent Scoring Basic and Above | 94% | 63% |
Other Accomplishments
- In 2011, the LVS received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for $250,000. Of the 240+ Next Generation Learning Challenge grants that were written, LVS had the distinction of being one of the 19 that were funded. The title of the grant was “Louisiana Virtual School – Algebra for the 21st Century”. The Algebra I Online course is strengthened with additional Common Core State Standard (CCSS) learning modules that build upon prior student experiences with data and provide students with more formal means of assessing how a model fits data. In addition to the current Algebra course technologies, the modules contain 21st century instructional resources of online tutorials, interactive tools, and game-based applets. These additional modules were developed to encourage students to become active learners and develop deeper understanding of real-world activities. The additional funding allowed more Algebra I course seats to be offered.
- The Algebra I Online program was featured in the September 2010 Education Week Digital Directions periodical titled "A Special Report on the Emerging Policy Debate in Virtual Education – E Educators Evolving”.
- The LVS Algebra program was also highlighted in the 2008 USDOE publication "Evaluating Online Learning Challenges and Strategies for Success (Innovations in Education)" that featured evaluations that represent variety in both the type of program being evaluated and in the type of evaluation.
To find out more about the Algebra I Online program, or to view a demo lesson, contact Dianne Gauthier ( Dianne.Gauthier@LA.Gov) at (225) 219-0442. You can also visit the program’s website at http://www.louisianavirtualschool.net/algebra.xml.