Building a Virtual Program from Scratch

Kenny Ward, Executive Director of Special Education, Oklahoma City Public Schools

Kenny Ward, Executive Director of Special Education, Oklahoma City Public Schools

Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) offers a virtual, online learning program called e3 in addition to traditional learning. e3 is named for the core foundations or ideas of empower, engage, and elevate.

Students will be empowered to drive their learning while staying connected to their neighborhood school.

Students will be engaged through flexible and virtual instruction, with the ability to explore in-person enrichment opportunities and virtual fine arts activities.

Students will be elevated academically and personally through a learning style that supports and encourages character development, confidence, and individualized academic success.

The e3 pathway offers families the opportunity to have their students learn 100 percent from home while still being part of a neighborhood school if they choose. Courses are monitored and supported by OKCPS teachers, counselors, school psychologists, special education teachers, and administrators. The district is ensuring the e3 experience aligns with our commitment to providing equitable access to a world-class education. Not only is OKCPS offering a virtual learning option, but we are also excelling at it and providing a unique experience that other online schools don’t have.

 Like many schools across the country, and across the globe, OKCPS had to pivot quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic to a fully virtual teaching environment. We were fortunate that a fully online learning option was already in the works for the 2020-21 school year when the pandemic started. This aligned well because the district already had the framework in place. Over the last several school years, especially once the majority of students returned to traditional learning, we have been able to evolve and use what we have learned to make the program even better.

We know that students are unique and what works for one student may or may not work for another. We are a team of educators who have personally witnessed children whom we taught in traditional learning environments who had experienced challenges in the past thrive once they switched to e3.

"Provide opportunities for your teams to practice with administrators and peers available for support." 

Our advice to anyone starting an online program would be to keep the following in mind: be reflective throughout the process, flexible in creating and establishing protocols, and create strong systems for communication and connections.

Being mindful and taking the time to reflect on how students are learning and how teaching virtually is going is incredibly important, but easy to overlook when you’re caught up with day-to-day practices. Create opportunities for your staff to reflect on what is working and what isn’t. Encourage them to collaborate and learn from each other to refine best practices. Provide opportunities for your teams to practice with administrators and peers available for support. Additionally, model strategies and platforms that teachers can utilize to engage learners.

Establish systems for communication and connections. Another critical piece for success is to establish predictable norms and expectations for communication and connection. E3 teachers have established synchronous sessions and office hours times. All staff contact information is shared consistently. At our onboarding event, we share communication expectations- that mentor teachers will have 2-way communication with families weekly. Our staff has weekly, in-person time together as a Professional Learning Community. This time is important because it allows us to discuss problems of practice, focus on student learning, and make program improvements in real-time.

Remaining flexible is key to success. Never hesitate or be afraid to make changes as they are needed. Remember that no protocol or system in place is more important than real-world student success. Monitor and adjust as you learn together and your program will be a success before you know it.