Plymouth takes part in online charter school

For the past four years, some Plymouth High School students and Riverview Middle School students have been taking advantage of an opportunity to complete all or some of their classes online.

The Plymouth School District is one of seven Sheboygan County school districts who have students enrolled in the CESA (Cooperative Educational Service Agency No. 7’s Northeast Wisconsin Online Charter School (NEWOCS). The other school districts involved are: Random Lake, Cedar Grove, Elkhart Lake, Howards Grove, Kohler and Oostburg.

In addition, several other school districts within the CESA No. 7 area are taking part in NEWOCS, which is accredited by the North Central Association, Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.

“This is a nice tool for students looking for flexibility in their education and a tool for the school district to offer more courses than we have available in our curriculum,” said Carrie Dassow, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.”

She noted that approximately 30 high school and middle school students in the Plymouth School District per semester have been taking online courses through NEWOCS and that they are able to interact with their online instructors during their classes.

Most of the students enrolled take the courses in their own homes. However, some use computers in area libraries or in the computer lab at PHS.

Funding for the charter school during its first three years was provided through a grant. And currently, it is provided through a regular item in the Plymouth School District’s budget, as a service through CESA No. 7.

“The online charter school has been very successful,” Dassow said.

The school district receives state aid for students enrolled in the NEWOCS program. In fact, those students enrolled in five or more of the online courses are counted as FTE (full-time equivalent) pupils.

Another benefit of the charter school is that it provides some college-level courses for accelerated juniors and seniors that they would otherwise have to take through the Youth Options program.

Currently, several college-level courses are offered on the PHS campus. However, “If juniors or seniors want to take a college-level course that we don’t offer here, the district has to provide the tuition for them to take it at an area college,” Dassow said.

“But, if the course is offered online through NEWOCS, they can choose to take it online, and that saves the district from paying the course tuition at a college.”

Dassow added that if that online option is available for a specific course, but the student decides to take it instead on the college campus, he or she then has to pay the course tuition.

Prospective students of the NEWOCS courses are given a registration date and a deadline date for completing the course online.

“Credits for the courses offered through NEWOCS are not automatically accepted,” Dassow stressed. “The courses must be compatible with the syllabus for those we offer here.”

Dassow and other Plymouth School District staff members make that determination.

She noted too that not all courses offered in the school district are available through NEWOCS. For instance, “A parent and child class is required for graduation in this school district and may not be available online,” Dassow said.

NEWOCS offers a variety of high-school courses in science, social studies, English/language arts, math foreign language, business, Advanced Placement, college-level, technology and credit-recovery.

Middle-school courses in language arts, math, science and social studies are offered too.

Staff members of the Northeast Wisconsin Online Charter School reside throughout the nation. Some are local residents. One recently retired Plymouth School District teacher, Jeanette Martinek, teaches math through the NEWOCS.

And Jennifer Martin, the district’s teacher of the gifted and talented students, is the online mentor for Plymouth School District students taking NEWOCS courses.

“All students from our district who are taking these courses are required to report to Jennifer once each week,” Dassow said. “She keeps track of their progress and communicates with their parents.”

Dassow advises those interested in checking into the NEWOCS to access the school district Web site at www.plymouth.k12.wi.us Click on District Schools and then on Plymouth e-School.

Under that heading, information is provided on NEWOCS policies and procedures, the registration process, course titles and descriptions, computer hardware and software requirements. And a printable brochure about the online school is included.

Note: For further information about NEWOCS, contact Carrie Dassow at 892-2661 or Dan Mella, PHS principal, 893-6911, or Jennifer Martin, 893-6911.