IMPROVE GRADUATION RATES
At Instructional Access, Inc. we’ve created the HighTech-HighTouch Program to help expand opportunities for student success. Our Digital Pathways and Digital Literacy Seminars are centered around career exploration, computer and online proficiency, internet safety and integrity, independent living skills, credit recovery, and high school diploma completion. Many of our seminars include new technology for participants, such as a laptop, tablet, or Chromebook. The robust, secure learning management system is customizable to each institution with digital libraries, communication tools, and online instructional tools, helping to advance students toward receiving a high school diploma. As a result, districts enjoy positive Dashboard results as their graduation rates improve.
The HighTech-High Touch Online Diploma program is designed to close the gap and may be implemented with the following benefits:
- Potentially Little or No Cost
- Embedded at Local School Site
- 73% of Students Graduate Within 18 Months of Enrollment
- 71.2% Attendance Participation Rate (2018-19)
- Career/Vocational Certification Included With Every Diploma
Learn more about the program overview and its advantages below.
The HighTech-HighTouch Digital Pathways Program
The HighTech-HighTouch program is a systematic approach for re-engaging kids who’ve disconnected from school (literally and figuratively). The program connects participants of this vulnerable group to a realistically achievable learning pathway (“Track A” or “Track B”) guiding each toward earning a diploma and career certification. The learning pathway includes individualized education plans, hands-on direct instruction, and online learning. HighTech-HighTouch is multi-faceted with teacher-led classroom instruction, tutor support, individualized instruction, and ultimately independent work that students complete at home on computers they are assigned. This is the “HIGH-TECH” element of the model.
The HighTouch Component
The HighTouch component of the solution is a case-managed network of support/stabilization services for each participant. The HighTouch aspect is critically important for ensuring the success of students who demonstrate a predisposition for “dropping out” and/or “quitting”. The HighTouch team’s primary responsibility is facilitating support mechanisms (including the family), gap filling, and assisting students with managing life situations that may inhibit academic achievement. The HighTouch element of the HighTech-HighTouch program sets it apart from other credit recovery and dropout prevention models.
The HighTech-HighTouch Advantages
Advantages of the HighTech-HighTouch program include increase in graduation rates, decrease in “drop out” occurrences, and improvement in local, state, and national accountability metrics and statistics. An additional benefit of the HighTech-HighTouch program for school districts is the possibility of recapturing attendance funding dollars for students separated from the district (“dropped-out”), but through HighTech-HighTouch re-engaged and re-enrolled. The program may also help districts minimize the loss of future attendance funding by providing the HighTech-HighTouch option for “emerging drop outs” who are likely to separate from the school district, based on credit deficiencies, poor behavior, and/or by choice. Theoretically, the potential recovery and savings finance the program and create a cost-effective solution.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
“HighTech” Learning Environment
The program includes a laptop for each student. The blended learning, hands-on, online format is interactive and motivating for the ''digitally native'' target population. A ''Voice Over'' feature of the program better enables students with reading difficulties to experience success and rapid advancement. And, 24/7 “Anytime-Anywhere” access allows students working on their diploma to also complete work independently, beyond the classroom setting.
“HighTouch” Learning Environment
The Student Engagement model is a hands-on classroom laboratory requirement, with classroom laboratory-based facilitators (teachers), graduation coaches (via email, chat and social media), classroom laboratory peer-tutors, and individualized case management based.
Comprehensive Course Catalog
Graduation requirements are easily attainable for the vulnerable target population. Students earn a diploma after completing 180 semester credits. The comprehensive catalog of more than 70 core courses cover Mathematics, Language Arts, History/Social Science, and Science.
Credit Transferability
Students can “transfer in” and receive credit for core classes in which they were previously successful and earned credit. The transferability feature allows students to earn their diploma as quickly as possible.
Skills-Based, Career-Focused Curriculum
With each high school diploma achieved, students also earn a career certificate, affording each the opportunity to build work force readiness skills. Students prepare resumes and cover letters and graduate with the tools needed to pursue jobs; they also have access to live webinars and seminars focused on key areas of job and career preparation.
Onsite Learning Lab
The program can be offered exclusively online or with an onsite ``learning lab`` providing access to computers, resources, and teaching support. The onsite learning lab is comprehensive and all-inclusive with certified teachers, academic coaches, and onsite facilitators for individualized academic support.
AdvancED/SACS Accreditation
Ensuring quality and accountability. The “HighTech-HighTouch” Instructional Access, Inc. high school diploma is awarded through an exclusive partnership with Smart Horizons Career Online Education. Smart Horizons Career Online Education is fully accredited as an online school district by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, the national commission that confers the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), and the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) accreditation seals. AdvancED provides nationally recognized accreditation for school districts and individual schools and represents 27,000 public and private schools and districts across the United States and in 65 countries worldwide, educating 15 million students.
Proven Track Record of Success
We have the numbers to prove it. A 74.30% average attendance participation rate, including 34.99% female student participants and 65.01% male student participants. A 3.21 average student GPA, with only 5.85% student requiring additional (non-academic) assistance in their progress. On average, 37.5% of student participants have completed more that 50% of the requirements toward diploma, with 71% of graduates surveyed who answered “STRONGLY” when asked if the multi-tiered support integrated services included with the “HighTech-HighTouch” program, played a significant role in helping them complete the diploma.
Learning Education Agency Integration
The HighTech-HighTouch program is most often “site-based” and embedded within the respective district’s or County Office of Education network but fully managed by Instructional Access, Inc. The company is LEA compliant. As such, the company and staff hold the necessary accreditation, credentials, DOJ clearances, and liability insurance coverage.
Attendance Funding Recovery – Affordability
The Instructional Access, Inc. “HighTech-HighTouch” program has been successful at engaging students and keeping them in school. By reengaging students likely to “dropout” from school, by recapturing students who have separated, and improving attendance for students who have not been successful in school and likely to stay home, the “HighTech-HighTouch” program is potentially a cost-free endeavor, with life-changing potential.
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