Virtual school operator Connections Education announced it is partnering with alternative education provider Ombudsman Educational Services to help Detroit students who have dropped out of high school earn the credits they need to graduate.
The Company said virtual charter school operator Connections Education is partnering with alternative education provider Ombudsman Educational Services to help students in the Detroit area who have dropped out of high school earn the credits they need to graduate.
The two organizations are creating an alternative, "blended" school called Fusion Academy of Michigan that will combine online learning with face-to-face instruction. Contract terms were not disclosed. Fusion will open this fall with space for 300 students at two learning centers in the Detroit metropolitan area, one in the Conner Creek neighborhood and another near Grandmont-Rosedale.
According to a release, because many students need a schedule due to work or family responsibilities, Fusion Academy of Michigan will offer three daily school sessions at each of its Detroit locations. Each session will be four and one-half hours long, supplemented by additional remote coursework. Students who are under the age of 20 as of August 31 and are identified in the Michigan Student Data System as having withdrawn from school before completing 12th grade are eligible to attend. Tuition is free.
The Fusion Academy of Michigan combines Connections Education's curriculum and technology with Ombudsman's face-to-face instruction for students who would benefit from a more structured environment or may not have Internet access at home. This blended learning model offers an online curriculum aligned to state standards, and personal support and small group instruction led by highly qualified, certified Michigan teachers.
Connections Education and Ombudsman are accredited by AdvancEd, the international organization that accredits public and private schools. Connections Education's Connections Academy public school division was recently awarded with the United States Distance Learning Association's 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning for pre K-12 programs.
"Students living in the Detroit area who have left school have a new option to earn their high school diploma through our accredited program," said Steven Guttentag, Chief Education Officer of Connections Education and President of Connections Learning. "We are proud to partner with Ombudsman, a leader in center-based alternative education, to offer our proven online courses together with Ombudsman's high-quality, in-person instruction."
"This program will give students who have dropped out of school an alternate route to a high school diploma," said Mark Claypool, Ombudsman president and CEO. "Fusion Academy of Michigan's blended learning model offers young people who have dropped out of school the ability to re-enroll, earn their high school diploma and transition to a path toward their post-secondary academic and career goals."
At Fusion, the Company noted that students who need to repeat a course can recover credits more quickly or be on an accelerated path to graduation because the program is mastery-based, meaning students can advance as they demonstrate proficiency in the subject.
Connections Education offers online schooling solutions for students in grades K through 12. In the 2011-12 school year it plans to operate tuition-free online Connections Academy school programs in 22 states, including Michigan, and the National Connections Academy private school in all 50 states and outside the U.S.
Ombudsman Educational Services partners with more than 120 school districts in nearly 20 states to provide alternative programs for students who have dropped out of school and nontraditional learners who prefer a smaller class size and personalized instruction, require a schedule to meet family or work commitments, or wish to recover credits to graduate.
More information:
www.ConnectionsEducation.com
www.ombudsman.com
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