Palisades Cyber Academy - Palisades School District

Palisades Cyber Academy

Increasing Charter Expenditure
700,000.00
Expenditure
$503,848
increase
600,000.00
500,000.00
$11,500/
student
without IEP
400,000.00
300,000.00
200,000.00
Expense
$24,000/
student
with IEP
100,000.00
0.00
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

Increasing Charter Enrollment
60
50
40
30
As a result of increase
in enrollment and
expenditure, creating
a Palisades Cyber
Academy was
presented during
preliminary budget
(December) as a means
to curb escalating
costs.
Total Students
Cyber Students
20
10
0
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

Profile of Currently Enrolled
Charter Students
Current Charter Enrollment
Brick
and
Mortor
29%
Cyber
Charter
71%
Current Cyber Charter Students
Previously
Home
Schooled
32%
Previously
in PSD
68%

Profile of Currently Enrolled Cyber
Charter Students

Cyber Charter Survey Results
(January 2011)
Please rate the following with regard to
courses/classes available at your previous school
prior to attending cyber charter school.

Cyber Charter Survey Results
Please rate the following areas at your previous
school prior to attending cyber charter school.

Cyber Charter Survey Results
How important were the following
factors in your decision to attend a cyber
charter school?

Cyber Survey Results

Cyber Charter Survey Results
If Palisades offered its curricular program on-line and your
child would graduate with a Palisades diploma, would your
son or daughter be interested in enrolling?
no, 7
yes, 19

Cyber Charter Survey Results
If you are a returning student, why did you return to
Palisades?

Cyber Charter Survey Results
If you are a returning student, why did you return to
Palisades?

Conclusions from Data Analysis
1. Over a six year period, charter school enrollment has increased which has
driven the increase in expenditures by $503,848 or 354%
2. Of our charter school students, 71% are cyber charter students
3. Of our cyber charter students, 32% were previously home schooled
4. Of our cyber charter students, more than half are juniors and seniors
5. Cyber charter students responded that they were satisfied or very satisfied
(70% or greater) regarding the courses/classes at their previous school
6. Cyber charter students responded that they were satisfied or very satisfied
(82% or greater) regarding peer, adult interactions, school environment,
technology and support
7. Cyber students responded that the following factors were the most important
in their decision to attend a cyber charter school: core course/class options,
flexibility of “in class” time, working at your own pace and ability to learn
from home
8. Of the 26 respondents, 19 said they would be interested in returning to
Palisades and earning a Palisades diploma if an on-line option was available
9. Of the 6 respondents, half of them noted the following factors in deciding to
return to Palisades: peer interaction, adult interaction and to receive a
Palisades diploma

Palisades Cyber Academy
Planning
February, 2011 – Following data collection and analysis
phase, Fiscal Committee was presented with a proposal
to open a Palisades Cyber Academy for upper-classmen
beginning in 2011-2012 school year under the direction
of a Director of On-Line Learning. All program and
staffing costs will be drawn from the 2011-2012 charter
school line and grant funds.

Palisades Cyber Academy
Planning
March – May
• Developed Palisades Cyber Academy planning and
implementation team (Gary Adams, Mark Chilton, Rich
Heffernan, Donna Holmes, Rich Kiker, Monica Losinno, Bridget
O’Connell)
• Developed a summer and year-long professional development
plan for teachers instructing in an on-line environment
• Identified teachers based on, course selection and staffing at the
high school, depth of content knowledge and willingness to
convert curriculum and instructional practices into on-line course
• Identified platform and content provider following presentation
and interviews with nine vendors.
• Parents of current 10 th and 11 th grade cyber charter and Home
School students received a letter from the district describing the
Palisades Cyber Academy

Palisades Cyber Academy
Planning
March – May
• Discussed program with interested parents and students (10 th
and 11 th grade)
• Current cyber charter
• Home school
• Current PHS planning to enroll in cyber charter next year
• Parents and students continue to meet with high school guidance
counselors to review transcripts, arrange tours, discuss
enrollment options (vo-tech).

Palisades Cyber Academy
What is it?
•Asynchronous On-line Learning Opportunity for Palisades High School
Juniors and Seniors
•Taught by Palisades teachers
•Teacher and counselor offices hours and support provided
•Laptop provided (leased through school year) if student takes 75% or
more of courses on-line
•Core courses include:
•Natural and Environmental Science*
•Introduction to Statistics*, Algebra II*, Algebra I* (credit recovery)
•Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution* (senior project)
•English 12 (12 PHS non-cyber students enrolled)
•Health (26 PHS non-cyber students enrolled)
•Elective courses include:
•Courses available in the high school
•Virtual High School
•Vo-tech, medical career pathway program, dual enrollment
* Seats will open to PHS non-cyber students

Blended Schools
blendedschools.net
Blackboard 9.1
Curriculum
Learning Management System Unlimited copies of BSN’s K-12
Content Management System courses
Community Portal
Ability to create our own
Mobile Learn
courses
Blackboard Collaborate
Wimba
Elluminate
Wimba Voice
Wimba Pronto
Assessment Tools
Respondus
StudyMate
StudyMate Mobile

PCA Additional Benefits
1. Ability to educate students at the high school who
are currently being educated in an alternative school
2. Ability to partner with area school districts through
an on-line student exchange
3. Ability to design and deliver on-line community
education courses
4. Ability to incorporate components of on-line learning
into summer school
5. Increased collaboration with our Home School
families

Palisades Cyber Academy Proposed
Budget
Charter school expenditure line (budgeted) = $646,000
Student Enrollment (verbal commitment)
1 @ $24, 000 = $24,000 (cyber)
12@ $11,500 = $138,000 (cyber)
3 @ $15,000 = $45,000 (alt. school)
Total = $207,000
Staffing (Director of On-line Learning)
-$93,500 (salary)
-$15,240 (FICA/ret)
Estimated redirected funds from charter line= $98,260
Other expenditures:
Blended Schools (platform) – $12,240
Teacher training (summer) - $2,500
Technology support (laptops) - $8,500
$23,240
2010-11
Grant
Funded
Technology support (15 laptops) - $13,046
Curriculum Budget

Program Expansion
2012-2013 School Year
•Expand core course offerings 9-12
•Expand community education courses
•Deliver elementary program
•Potentially offer a pre-K on-line option
•Offer on-line summer school courses
2013-2014 School Year
•Expand core course offerings 6-8 for a full K-12 Academy