Program Evaluation of a 9-12 Local School Online Learning Program
Author: Johnson, Robert Kyle
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Program Evaluation,Online Courses,High School Students,Academic Support Services,Course Content,Grades (Scholastic),Reading Comprehension,Reading Tests,Facilitators (Individuals),High School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Counselor Attitudes,School Counselors,Correlation,Academic Standards,Mastery Learning,Nontraditional Education,Disadvantaged Schools

This program evaluation of the local school Online Center provides online learning opportunities for 9-12 graders with an Online Center facilitator's assistance. As online school teachers provide the academic support and course content, the Online Center facilitator and local school counselors provide personal and logistical support. As data were collected on the current supports given to students based on the Online Center's Program Goals, student success rates were also evaluated in the form of averaged final course grades. Student Lexile scores were also gathered to if a relationship existed between reading comprehension abilities and student success rates in the online learning environment. In reviewing the literature, it was noted that students might be experts in using technology for socializing; however, many students struggle to use technology to learn. To help students achieve online success, assistance from the online school teachers, Online Center facilitator, and local school counselors are imperative. They are the experts in the environment in which students learn. In evaluating student Lexile scores, research suggests online reading requires students to locate information online and evaluate that online information effectively. Collecting and correlating Lexile scores with final student course grade averages helped shed light on potential reasons why students' passing rate was 57%. Upon further review of the correlated data, there was a slight positive significance using Spearman's rank-order correlations, r[subscript s] (185) = 0.426, p &lt; 0.001. Although the slight positive significance, other factors could contribute to the lack of student achievement. The qualitative analysis consisted of online school teachers, Online Center facilitator, and local school counselor surveys. This evaluation aimed to address the supports stakeholders give students to help them achieve standards mastery. In reviewing the data, it was found that there was a slight disconnect between what participants believed were the Program Goals. Many responded by stating it provided an alternative learning environment. Although this is true, the statements merely indicated how they achieved the goals, not specifically the program's goals. Overall, participants agreed the most significant factor that promotes student success would be the Online Center facilitator and their role in communicating student progress with online school teachers and local school counselors. Additionally, participants noted the importance of communication and its current success in providing feedback to each stakeholder group. Still, measures could be put into place to provide a more streamlined experience.