THOMASVILLE — Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal awarded Bishop Hall Charter School a grant of $958,000 to implement a “blended learning” model for high-risk students.

The Thomas County School System was one of three systems in the state to receive the highly competitive technology implementation grant. Other grant recipients were Gwinnett County Public Schools and Fulton County Schools.

“Blended learning refers to a model of instruction in which students complete a portion of their instruction online and at least part of their instruction in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home,” Thomas County School Superintendent Dr. Dusty Kornegay explained.

Implementation of blended learning is designed to enable Bishop Hall to raise its graduation rate, provide an even wider array of opportunities for students to complete college courses while enrolled at Bishop Hall, and prepare high-risk students for continued growth and enrichment through college, career and post-secondary readiness.

Since its inception, Bishop Hall Charter School has used a performance-based system for awarding academic credits, allowing students who have fallen behind academically to work at their own pace to complete courses in a compacted time period.

During the last three years, on-line courses and hybrid courses that combine traditional face-to-face instruction with on-line instruction have allowed students the flexibility to complete high school courses on-line with the support of local teachers based at Bishop Hall.

The program has allowed students who must work during the day to be able to complete classwork in the evenings or on weekends. It has also been beneficial for young mothers who do not have daycare for their children during the school day to be able to take courses on-line in order to complete their high school education.

The grant will allow Bishop Hall to expand on-line offerings and fully align its curriculum with state standards by implementing Georgia Virtual School content using the Desire2Learn platform. The grant will equip a computer lab in the all-new charter school facility and will provide a netbook to every Bishop Hall student. The grant also will provide the school a virtual library consisting of thousands of “e-books” that can be checked out on students’ individual netbooks.

The grant also will fund a full-time technology specialist and several part-time teaching positions so the school can be open in the evenings several nights per week for students who wish to work during the day and complete their high school education in the evenings. Evening classes also will be available for students who have fallen behind academically and who wish to complete evening classes in order to get back on track for graduation.

“We believe that an array of services and supports underpinning a flexible academic schedule that meets the needs of non-traditional students provided by effective educators using innovative instructional practices and state-of-the-art e-learning solutions will result in students who have an increased sense of ownership in their education and in their future which will yield better assessment scores that result in improved graduation rates. Our theory of change will be measured and monitored using a continuous quality improvement cycle of “test/learn” so we capture and incorporate findings at every step of implementation,” Kornegay said.

Southwest Georgia Technical College partnered with the school system on the grant effort. SWGTC has worked closely with the Thomas County School System and Bishop Hall on a variety of college and career initiatives. As a partner in the grant, SWGTC will facilitate dual enrollment of Bishop Hall students via its high school coordinator and provide COMPASS testing for potential students.

In addition, SWGTC will facilitate student academic success by offering students access to its learning support programs, providing loaned books at no cost to students, providing access to its on-campus licensed counselor, and including high school students in its Lunch-and-Learn series designed to help students be better prepared for career success.

“The grant was a team effort, and I wish to thank Associate Superintendent Melanie Chavaux, assistant superintendents Lisa Williams and Joey Holland, Technology Coordinator Aaron Stolarik, Bishop Hall Principal Chris Huckans, and Julie Sharpe of Sharpe Solutions for their tireless efforts to complete the successful grant application,” Kornegay said.

“The Innovation Fund award gives us an opportunity to equip the new Bishop Hall Charter School building with the latest technology for on-line learning. With the state transitioning standardized testing from paper to online, this grant will provide the school system with a model and a testing ground that will be beneficial as we replicate it throughout the Thomas County School System,” said Holland, who also serves as Bishop Hall chief financial officer.

“This grant, in addition to the completion of our new complex, opens up a vast array of opportunities for the students at Bishop Hall to grow academically and become even more competitive in their future educational and career pursuits. As a founding member of Bishop Hall Charter School’s staff, there is a tremendous feeling of satisfaction that our hard work and commitment have been recognized by the governor and the State Department of Education mixed with excitement for the evolution of the school that is now possible due to the awarding of this innovation grant,” Huckans said.

“It is an honor for Bishop Hall Charter School to be awarded this technology grant. This grant will bridge the technological divide that exists between many of our students and their counterparts. Bishop Hall Charter School began with very limited and outdated technologies. Today, the faculty and staff proudly embrace and utilize the latest technologies to better facilitate the learning process. Every classroom is a Smart Classroom engaging students in 21st Century learning with state-of-the-art equipment,” said Bishop Hall Charter School Social Studies Department Chairman and Technology Coordinator Jeremy Rich.

http://www.timesenterprise.com/news/school-receives-grant/article_503e1d18-95f7-11e4-96e4-5b3965ad7df7.html