The Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School (PAVCS) is a public virtual charter school. Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School is headquartered at 630 Park Avenue, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, US 19406. In 2015, enrollment was reported as 2,482 pupils in kindergarten through 12th grades, with 56.7% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. Additionally, 16% of pupils received special education services, while none of the pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 104 teachers. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Cyber charter schools enroll many homeschooled students and also children with special needs, who are taught remotely via computer. The school is one of the 14 public, cyber charter schools operating in Pennsylvania in 2015. PA Virtual Charter School is a federally designated Title I school.
The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit IU23 provides the school with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, background checks for employees, state mandated recognizing and reporting child abuse training, speech and visual disability services and criminal background check processing for prospective employees and professional development for staff and faculty.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2013, the school reported an enrollment of 2,721 pupils in grades kindergarten through 12th, with 1,503 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. In 2013, the school employed 81 teachers, yielding a student-teacher ratio of 33:1.
Background
PAVCS was approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in 2001 and then renewed in 2005 for an additional five years. The Charter will be up for renewal by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, in 2016.
Initially serving kindergarten through 2nd grade, as of 2015, it serves kindergarten through 12th grade.
Governance
Originally chartered by Norristown Area School District, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) now serves as PAVCS' charter authorizer and monitors PAVCS' compliance with the stipulations of its charter.
The PA Virtual is funded by state tax dollars and governed by Pennsylvania public school, charter school, cyber charter school, and applicable local, state, and federal laws. The school's initial charter was from September 2001 to June 30, 2006 was granted by the Norristown School District. The charter was then renewed for a period of five years, from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2011. Since the renewal of the school's charter in 2006, the PDE serves as the school's charter authorizer, monitoring PA Virtual’s compliance with the stipulations of its charter. The school's current charter is for a period of five years from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2016.
PA Virtual has a board of trustees (BOT) which provides oversight for PA Virtual and acts in trust for the tax payers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The role of the Board of Trustees is to:
- develop policies to ensure the school operates in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws;
- set goals for and monitor student achievement;
- provide fiduciary oversight of the school's administration and accounting of public funds;
- administer and monitor all contracts. Board meetings are open to the public and members of the PA Virtual community are encouraged to attend.
Funding
The school is funded by the state and federal government through grants like Title I finding. In 2007, the Pennsylvania state legislature passed a bill that caps the amount of money paid to cyber charter schools based on an average of such schools that achieved academic standards in 2006-2007. Both sides of the controversy have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying for or against passage. The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) retains about six lobbyists, each making between $90,000 and $160,000 a year, while school choice proponents have spent $250,000 lobbying against the bill.
A spokesman for PAVCS said, "If we're not funded properly, and you take away our teachers, we're not going to be able to operate."
Graduation rate
In 2015, Pennsylvania Virtual Charter school reported a graduation rate of 77.21%.
- 2014 - 72.98%
- 2013 - 72.94%
- 2012 - 66.22%
Academics
2015 School Performance Profile
Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School achieved 64.6 out of 100. Reflects 9th through 11th grade on grade level reading, mathematics, writing and science achievement on the state PSSAs and Keystone Exams. In reading/literature, 76.7% were on grade level. In Algebra I, 55.50% showed on grade level mathematics skills. In Biology, just 52.41% showed on grade level science understanding.
- Science percent on grade level
- 8th - 53%
- 4th - 70%
2014 School Performance Profile
Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School achieved 63.4 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 67% were on grade level. In Algebra 1/mathematics, 57% showed on grade level skills. In Biology/science, 66.9% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,134 of 2,947 Pennsylvania public schools (72 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Fifty-three percent of schools statewide received lower SPP scores compared with last year's, while 46 percent improved. A handful were unchanged.
2013 School Performance Profile
Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School achieved 67.9 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics, writing and science achievement on the state PSSAs and Keystone Exams. In reading/literature - 67.88% were on grade level. The third grade has just 69.23% reading on grade level. In Algebra 1/mathematics, 59.85% showed on grade level mathematics skills. In Biology/science, just 55.45% showed on grade level science understanding. In 5th and 8th grade writing, 43.24% of pupils showed on grade level writing skills. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, they now take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.
AYP History
In 2012, Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School was in Warning Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status, due to lagging student academic achievement in reading and mathematics.
- 2011 - Corrective Action 2 (first year) AYP status.
- 2010 - Making Progress - Corrective Action 1 AYP status
- 2009 - declined to Corrective Action 1 AYP status
- 2008 - declined to School Improvement level 2 AYP status
- 2007 - Making Progress - School Improvement level 2 AYP status
- 2006 - School Improvement level 1 AYP status The school's administration was required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, to develop a School Improvement Plan to address the school's low student achievement.
- 2005 - Warning AYP status
- 2004 - achieved AYP status
- 2003 - achieved AYP status
11th grade PSSA results
Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012, in all Pennsylvania public high schools. The exams were administered in the Spring of each school year. The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam included content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies. The mathematics exam included: algebra I, algebra II, geometry and trigonometry. The standards were first published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The exams are given at the end of the applicable course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade year.
- 11th Grade Reading
- 2012 - 61% on grade level, (20% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.
- 2011 - 65% (17% below basic). State - 69.1%
- 2010 - 67% (20% below basic). State - 66%
- 11th Grade Math
- 2012 - 33% on grade level (44% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
- 2011 - 39% (42% below basic). State - 60.3%
- 2010 - 42% (42% below basic). State - 59%
- 11th Grade Science
- 2012 - 37% on grade level (13% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.
- 2011 - 35% (17% below basic). State - 40%
- 2010 - 29% (20% below basic). State - 39%
Sixth, seventh, eighth grade PSSAs
Sixth and seventh grades have been tested in reading and mathematics since 2006. Eighth graders are tested in: reading, writing, mathematics and Science. Beginning in the Spring of 2013, eighth graders, who are enrolled in Algebra I take the Keystone Exam for Algebra I at the end of the course. The testing of 8th grade in reading and mathematics began in 1999, as a state initiative. Testing in science began in 2007. The goal is for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focus on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The standards were published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. In 2014, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopted the Pennsylvania Core Standards - Mathematics.
8th Grade Science:
- 2012 - 62% on grade level (18% below basic). State - 59%
- 2011 - 59% (26% below basic). State - 58.3%
- 2010 - 64% (18% below basic). State - 57%
Third, fourth, fifth grade PSSAs
Third (3rd) graders take the PSSAs in math and reading. The fourth grade is tested in reading, math and science. The fifth grade is evaluated in reading, mathematics and writing. These PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations, which were administered beginning 2003 to all Pennsylvania public school students in grades 3rd-8th. The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam is given to 4th grades and includes content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies. The first cohort of children who attended Accountability Block Grant funded full-day kindergarten reached third grade and took the PSSAs in the spring of 2008.
- 4th Grade Science
- 2012 - 82%, (6% below basic). State - 82%
- 2011 - 82%, (6% below basic). State - 82.9%
- 2010 - 86%, (7% below basic). State - 81%
SAT scores
In 2014, 83 PA Virtual Charter School students took the SAT exams. The school's Verbal Average Score was 539. The Math average score was 495. The Writing average score was 483. Statewide in Pennsylvania, Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 504. The Writing average score was 480. The College Board also reported that nationwide scores were: 497 in reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing. In 2014, 1,672,395 students took the SATs in the United States.
In 2013, 81 PA Virtual Charter School students took the SAT exams. The school's Verbal Average Score was 505. The Math average score was 458. The Writing average score was 459. The College Board reported that statewide scores were: 494 in reading, 504 in math and 482 in writing. The nationwide SAT results were the same as in 2012.
In 2012, 80 PA Virtual Charter School students took the SAT exams. The school's Verbal Average Score was 511. The Math average score was 459. The Writing average score was 461. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.
In 2011, 68 PA Virtual Charter School students took the SAT exams. The school's Verbal Average Score was 535. The Math average score was 482. The Writing average score was 484. Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479. In the United States, 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.
Extracurriculars
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the a public school district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, a Pennsylvania public cyber charter school, charter school and those who are homeschooled, are all eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the local public school district.
References
External links
- PA Virtual Website