Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School

This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (April 2012)

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School
Location
One Lincoln Park Midland, Pennsylvania, United States
Information
Type	Online
Motto	Helping families build their own school... Out of choices, not bricks.
Established	2000
Head teacher	Dr. Nick Trombetta
Grades	Pre-K - 12
Enrollment	Public (PA only), 10,000+
Publication	The Link
Website	http://www.pacyber.org

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, also known as PA Cyber, is a public virtual charter school founded in Midland, Pennsylvania in 2000, but serving students throughout the state: enrollment is open to Pennsylvania students in grades Pre-K through 12. The school secured a five year renewal of its charter, from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, in July 2010. ^[1] After a year long review, the school was accredited by the Middle States Association of College and Schools, in 2011. ^[2]

Origins

When the steel mill in Midland, PA closed, a period of decline and population erosion began. In 1986, the Midland High School was closed, and the students were sent to neighboring school districts. To give these students another option, community and school board members started PA Cyber underPennsylvania's 1997 charter school law, and more than 500 students enrolled in the school. The first graduating class had only 17 students. PA Cyber now employs nearly 600 people and has regional offices in Philadelphia, Wexford and Harrisburg.^[3] It is currently the largest and most successful of Pennsylvania's 11 cyber charter schools.^[4] The school has grown from just a few hundred students to over 10,000 in just 10 years, serving grades K - 12.

Descriptions

In 2010, the school reported that 33.4% of its students met federal poverty levels. In 2011, the school's annual report with the Pennsylvania Department of Education noted that 100% of its 268 staff members were certified.^[5]

Classes

Students can take either real-time (virtual classsroom) classes or self-paced classes. There are also extra classes like acting, into to movement, tap and art that can be taken take at the nearest physical facility.^[6]

Students have access to a variety of classes in several categories. Students are required to take certain courses for each grade level. In addition to a traditional curriculum of English, science, social studies, math and the arts, students can enroll in courses about computers, home economics and world languages.

Students are required to be enrolled in five classes to be considered a full-time student. They are expected to work for one hour per day per subject. Additionally, a Graduation Project is required.

Virtual classes

In a virtual course, students attend classes through Blackboard Collaborate (Previously named Elluminate). Assignments are completed through Schoology: these include homework, tests, and other graded assignments. Students login for class and participate with a live teacher. Students may speak during class by clicking an icon to "raise their hands", or be called upon by the teachern. Communication can take place with private notes between teacher and student. If given the rights to us chat, students can also communicate with each other publically or privately. The virtual classroom allows for students to participate in "breakout rooms" to work collaboratively on an assignment; in these rooms, students can draw on the whiteboard, chat with their group mates, and use their microphones to communicate.

Self-paced classes

In a self-paced class, students complete coursework through Calvert, Lincoln Interactive and Little Lincoln. Students have five months to complete a traditional semester's assignments. Assignments are monitored and graded by a teacher as the student progresses through the lessons.

College level work

Students have the opportunity to complete college courses during their 11th and 12th grade years of high school, free of charge. Students who have maintained a high GPA are able to enroll in two college classes per semester. By graduation, students could have completed 8 college classes.

Academic results

In 2011, 2010 and 2009, PA Cyber Charter School achieved AYP status. ^[7]

For the most recent available year, 2011, PSSA 11th Grade results showed 65% on grade level in Reading (statewide, 69.1% are on grade level); Math, 32% on grade level (statewide, 60.3%); Science, 34% on grade level (statewide,40%); ^[8]

For the 8th grade, 81% were on grade level in Reading (Statewide, 82%.); in Math, 56% on grade level (statewide, 77%); in Science, 53% on grade level (statewide – 58%). For the lower grades, results were similar: slightly below state averages.

SAT Scores

From January to June 2011, 294 PA Cyber Charter School students took the SAT exams. The average scores were Verbal, 524; Math, 479; Writing, 487.^[9] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479. ^[10] the United States average was 497 verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing. ^[11]

Graduation rate

In 2011, the graduation rate was 91%. ^[12] >

Special Education

In December 2011, The Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Special Education reported that 1,173 of the 9,651 students at the school were enrolled within special education, 12.2% of the student population. The school served a higher percentage of students in the disability categories of Autism, Emotional Disturbance, Other Health Impairment, and Specific Learning Disability than in the overall state of Pennsylvania. ^[13]

In 2010, 83% of the school's special education students graduated rather than dropping out. The statewide rate was 87%. ^[14]

Special Education students have access to testing, such as Dora/Doma and others, that allows proper academic placing, and students can be given higher or lower grade level course work based on these scores. This allows the student to learn skills they may have missed while in the traditional special education setting.

Extracurricular activities

Pennsylvania school law allows students in cyber charter schools to participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities in their home districts. There have been several instances of this, most notably being that 3 state champion wrestlers have graduated from PA Cyber. PA Cyber also has an assortment of clubs and they host the occasional meetups with parents and other children enrolled in PA Cyber. Students are also allotted a $75 physical education reimbersement,upon submission of receipts for completed classes. These classes can include acro, ballet, baton twirling, swimming, dek hockey, or other sports.

Enrollment

Since PA Cyber is a public school, any student who resides in the state of Pennsylvania is allowed to enroll at no cost. Students are provided with all of the materials needed to complete coursework. PA Cyber pays for the student's internet connection. Enrollment has been growing, from more than 500 students the first year (2000) to 10,000, in November 2010. ^[15]

The student's home school district pays tuition to the cyber school. By legislative formula, home districts pay between 90 and 95 percent of what it costs them to educate students in the classroom. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania no longer provides any relief to public school districts for the funding of cyber charter schools. Previously, the Commonwealth reimbursed public school districts 30 percent of their total payments for this type of education, but has since pulled that reimbursement.

PA Cyber Charter School lost a suit brought by Slippery Rock Area School District. The school enrolled a 4 year old, but the School District does not offer kindergarten for 4 year olds to district residents and thus refused to pay kindergarten tuition. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that a "cyber school may still set the entry age of its students and allow 4-year-old children to enroll in its kindergarten program, but it does so at its own cost if the student’s home district has set a different entrance age.” ^[16]

Criticisms

The school has been subject to regular criticism from the Pennsylvania School Board Association and Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials over several issues including funding and the school's fund balance reserves. ^[17]

The school was subject to a grand jury investigation in 2007 regarding using funds improperly (for expenses not related to each individual student) The allegations were: double billing, excessive management fees, questionable payments to building contractors and misuse of tax dollars with regards to the building of a $23.5 million Performing Arts Center. ^[18][19][20]

Awards

The school was named "Top Places to Work", by the Pittsburgh PostGazette, in October 2011. ^[21] 2012 Pre-K–12 Educator Award from University of Pittsburgh School of Education

[22]

References

External links

• PA Cyber Website