Panel backing semi-virtual teaching plan
‘Hybrid’ schools are future, LISA official asserts in pitch
The Arkansas Charter Authorizing Panel on Tuesday endorsed the LISA Academy charter school system’s plan to establish a semi-virtual “hybrid” school for kindergarten-through-12th graders in the coming 2021-22 school year.
The proposed LISA Academy Arkansas Hybrid School calls for providing students with virtual instruction paired with a requirement that students report once a week — or at least every other week — for one-half day at a time to a campus or satellite learning center.
Student time on a LISA campus or at a satellite learning center — such as a church, community center or library — will be used for hands-on lessons, taking mandatory tests, tutoring, academic enrichment, special services, sports, clubs and interaction with other students.
“Why we are asking for a hybrid school? We believe a hybrid model is the is the future of schooling,” LISA Academy Assistant Superintendent Luanne-Baroni said in presentation Tuesday to the authorizing panel that is made up of four state employees and three others, including two former state Board of Education members. “We have seen how important being flexible in allowing different models is in the past year,” Baroni said. “We believe there is a demand for innovative and flexible options for families in the state of Arkansas. A hybrid model will allow for technology-integrated education and we will be able to teach 21st-century skills to students even in those rural areas where they may not be getting that currently.”
Baroni also said the hybrid model, in possible contrast to an all-virtual model of school, can provide academic, social and emotional support to students.
She called the hybrid proposal “unique” for the state and one that is different from a completely virtual school, which she said is a model that has received criticism in a recent national study for lower student achievement when compared with a traditional on-campus academic program.
The combination of traditional and at-home learning would feature LISA teachers for the core curriculum and all students would be provided with computers and other necessary materials.
Initially, a hybrid school student’s time on-site would be on the campus of LISA
Academy Middle School, 21 Corporate Hill Drive, in Little Rock, or the LISA Springdale campus, 301 Holcomb St.
Administrative offices for the hybrid school’s principal and other staff members would be at the Little Rock middle school site.
Satellite learning centers throughout the state would be added as needed to meet family demand until there are centers in the northwest, southwest, northeast, southeast and central regions.
Charter Authorizing Panel member Karli Saracini, also an assistant commissioner in the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, asked how many students it will require to open a satellite center that can be more convenient to families than the Little Rock and Springdale campuses.
LISA Academy Superintendent Fatih Bogreksaid that there is not a set number at this point. He noted that 45% of the LISA Academy student body is learning remotely this school year. He said some of those students may decide to continue with remote instruction by enrolling in the hybrid school.
Bogrek also said the hybrid school plan was motivated in part by the requests the school leaders received to open LISA campuses in parts of the state away from Northwest and Central Arkansas.
The hybrid school proposal initially called for serving students in grades kindergarten through nine in the coming school year and expanding into upper grades as needed.
Deborah Coffman, panel chairman and assistant commissioner for accountability, objected to the lack of a schedule for the expansion, saying that it wouldn’t conform to the state’s monitoring of schools by elementary, middle and high school levels.
LISA Academy leaders agreed to open the school in its first year to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, to remedy the concern.
Panel members also wanted assurances of safety for students and staff at the satellite centers.
The motion to support the proposed hybrid school by panel member Naccaman Williams of Springdale included a provision that each satellite center location — once selected — be referred to the state agency for compliance with safety requirements.
The charter system’s proposal includes provisions to increase the charter system’s enrollment by 1,050 students to accommodate the addition of the hybrid school and that 200 new seats be added to the 300-student cap at the LISA Springdale campus.
The enrollment cap for the system would grow from the current 4,382 over time to 5,632.
The hybrid school proposal, which is in the form of an amendment to the LISA Academy’s existing state charter to operate, will now go to the Arkansas Board of Education in the coming weeks for final action.
The state Education Board can choose to accept the authorizing panel’s decision or to review it by conducting its own hearing on the school plan.