Katy ISD trustees received an update at their March 20 board meeting on services provided by the Katy Virtual School.
Darlene Rankin, director of instructional technology, and Susan Richards, eLearning manager, spoke about current and future plans for the program, which began in 2011.
The program arose from an increased number of junior high school students who had to be transported to high schools for pre-Advanced Placement geometry courses, according to KISD officials.
Benefits of the virtual school include offering an increased level of choice and flexibility to student learning, Rankin said.
“Allowing students to choose helps increase student interest in their programs,” said KISD Virtual School Coordinator Barbara Landreneau.
Producing budget-neutral operations, preparing students for postsecondary online education and creating collaborative teams for online educators were other positives outlined in the presentation.
The program has grown from two courses in 2011 to 27 online courses this school year. A variety of classes are offered, including AP and pre-AP courses in government, psychology and calculus. The online offerings also include courses required for graduation, such as health, physical education and English.
The program uses Canvas, an online course-management system. The University of Texas, Baylor University, Rice University and several other Texas universities also use Canvas, Rankin said.
