The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation has been approved by the Indiana Department of Education to use the Virtual Option in order to make up any additional days not already covered in the calendar by the remaining potential make-up days, should it become necessary. (Feb. 15, April 15, and April 18)
Velinda Stubbs, deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, told members of the School Board during the meeting on Dec. 14, that the biggest benefit of using the Virtual Option is that the coursework can be made up closer to the time it was missed, when it will be able to impact students on building upon prior knowledge as they learn; and on testing.
In surveys the EVSC has done, it was determined that 90% of families have access to the Internet at home; and most preferred the virtual option for making up additional days.
Any bad weather resulting in a school closure will first use the potential make up days, then EVSC will make an announcement about how it will use the Virtual Option to make up any other days needed.
Stubbs explained to board members that last year students completed work using a technology platform. Students, read, wrote, and answered questions or completed any other work online. Some teachers videotaped lessons and loaded them onto the EVSC’s Learning Management System for students to watch and then complete the work. Some teachers and students conducted virtual chats, discussing content virtually.  Teachers assessed learning by assessing student mastery of the learning targets. This was also used to take attendance, which averaged 94.5% for the four virtual learning days used last year.
