Blended Learning
Snowy Peaks High School Launches Blended Learning Program
Snowy Peaks High School in Frisco, CO, has introduced a new blended learning program, which lets
students access personalized online learning from home or school in addition to
participating in face-to-face instruction and group work.
Snowy Peaks is an alternative high school that launched in Summit School District in the 2011-12
school year as part of the district's dropout recovery plan. This year the
school opened its new 3,000 square foot Blended Learning Lab, "at an estimated
cost of between $35,000 and $40,000, in addition to a grant provided by the
Education Foundation of the Summit," according to a report in the Summit Daily
newspaper.
The Blended Learning Lab is located in a middle school and features a
seminar area, computer lab and collaborative work space as well as recliners,
two microwaves and a coffee station. Students receive face-to-face instruction
and work on group projects at the lab, and they also use an online learning
platform to work through the curriculum at school or at home under the guidance
of their teachers.
In conjunction with the launch of the Blended Learning Lab this fall, the
school implemented the Edgenuity Web-based learning platform. Students can complete advanced placement,
elective, career and technical education and credit recovery courses through
the platform.
According to Jim Smith, principal of Snowy Peaks, the school has seen a
significant improvement in student achievement since implementing the blended
learning program. "We've seen a 0.9 GPA increase in one year with
this new program," Smith told the Summit Daily. "It was like a
'C' average to almost a ‘B’ average."
Snowy Peaks High School serves approximately 50 full-time students and
employs eight faculty and staff members. The school boasts a student-to-teacher
ratio of fewer than 10-to-1.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].