2012-2013

Getting Started

SPRING
INNOVATE DIGITAL EDUCATION AND LEARNING | IDEAL-NM.org

Table of Contents
CREDIT/TRANSCRIPT............................................................................................................................ 3 eLEARNING SERVICES ......................................................................................................................... 3 NCAA ELIGIBILY...................................................................................................................................... 3 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ......................................................................................................................... 4 ENROLLMENT/HOME SCHOOL ENROLLMENT............................................................................... 4 Enrollment Process includes the following ............................................................................... 4 How can homeschool students access IDEAL-NM courses?............................................... 4 Home School Course Fees .............................................................................................................. 4 Dual Credit ................................................................................................................................................ 4 WITHDRAWLS .......................................................................................................................................... 5 STARTING THE TERM............................................................................................................................ 5 SUPPORTING STUDENTS..................................................................................................................... 5 Site Coordinator/Learning Coach Responsibilities ................................................................. 5 COST/EXTENSIONS/PAYMENT .......................................................................................................... 6 IDEAL-NM SYSTEMS .............................................................................................................................. 6 ROLES/PERMISSIONS IN MAESTRO ............................................................................................... 7 ROLES/PERMISSIONS IN BLACKBOARD ....................................................................................... 7 ADVANCED PLACEMENT ...................................................................................................................... 8 Technical considerations for secondary schools and students utilizing IDEAL-NM courses ................................................................................................................................................... 8 DISTRICT/SCHOOLGETTING STARTED PROCESS ..................................................................... 9 Procedures for New Schools........................................................................................................... 9 Procedures for Schools that have not participated in IDEAL-NM the previous semester or year (including summer)........................................................................................ 9 Link for Site Coordinator Billing and Information form ....................................................... 9 IDEAL-NM District/School Getting Started Process................................................................. 10 FAQs .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 2

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IDEAL-NM officially opened its virtual school doors on August 12, 2008. The P-12 component focuses on eLearning courses for high school students, with more than 50 courses available. In the IDEAL-NM model, the school registers the student and then assigns the student to a specific period and location during the day to access a course taught online by a highly-qualified New Mexico licensed eTeacher. The school designates a site coordinator to work in conjunction with IDEAL-NM staff to monitor progress and ensure success. School site coordinators and students are requested to not only view the information found on the ideal-nm.org web site, but also to carefully read the district and student handbooks found at that site. Answers to many questions will be found in those handbooks. In addition to the virtual school, IDEAL-NM also offers access to the statewide learning management system (Blackboard) as well as training and technical assistance to support schools in effective integration of technology and in the development and implementation of online and blended learning programs. Schools may create a portal within the statewide system and access all of IDEAL-NM courses to use in online and blended environments at no cost. CREDIT/TRANSCRIPT Credit is granted by the students school. IDEAL-NM does not grant credit or award diplomas. IDEAL-NM provides schools and students with a Transcript that includes a suggested final grade and percent. The local school determines the final grade that is added to the official transcript. IDEAL-NM courses are schedule to be 18 weeks long. We offer rolling enrollment for all courses. eLEARNING SERVICES IDEAL-NM contracts with highly qualified New Mexico eTeachers to develop and teach courses. Courses must meet the IDEAL-NM quality standards aligned to the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) standards. The IDEAL-NM online course framework also requires that courses meet New Mexico Standards and Benchmarks. Each course must include an alignment matrix that shows how the NM Standards and Benchmarks are met. All IDEAL-NM courses are vetted through an intensive course review process. IDEAL-NM courses are asynchronous, highly interactive and engaging, and are on a 3-year review cycle to ensure that the courses utilize the latest technology and meet evolving content area requirements. They are designed to equip students with 21 st century and digital literacy skills needed to succeed within our ever evolving global economy. NCAA ELIGIBILY IDEAL-NM courses have not yet been approved. The NCAA organization won't review a provider's online courses until requested by a high school. New Mexico schools desiring to make that request are requested to coordinate those efforts with IDEAL-NM leadership.

INNOVATE DIGITAL EDUCATION AND LEARNING | IDEAL-NM.org

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Site coordinators in each district are encouraged to proctor assessments and/or coursework for students. Special arrangements can be made with the IDEAL-NM eTeacher if a site coordinator would like to organize group test sessions, such as taking a final exam. In addition, IDEAL-NM eTeachers are trained to be alert to clues that might indicate academic dishonesty. If the IDEAL-NM eTeacher suspects that there is a problem, the eteacher will contact the site coordinator and the IDEAL-NM Student Services Coordinator. ENROLLMENT/HOME SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IDEAL-NM strongly recommends that students attending public or private schools work closely with their counselor to select appropriate IDEAL-NM course(s). Ultimately, it is the schools decision whether to approve a student request. Schools need to have a current Site Coordinator and Learning Coach billing and information form on file with IDEAL-NM which identifies who will be serving as the schools learning coach and site coordinator. Enrollment Process includes the following: Creating student accounts enrolling students in courses dropping from courses when necessary How can homeschool students access IDEAL-NM courses? Homeschool students have two options for enrolling in IDEAL-NM courses: 1) Enroll directly through IDEAL-NM and pay the course enrollment fees directly to IDEAL-NM. IDEAL-NM is not a school and as such, cannot award credit for courses completed. If credit for courses is desired, a home school student must enroll through a school/district. 2) Enroll through a school/district and pay the course enrollment fees to the district. If a home school student is enrolled at least time (per enrolling district policy), the school may cover the enrollment fees. If enrolled time per enrolling district policy, the home school student becomes a public school student and as such must take the required New Mexico Standards-Based Assessment (NMSBA). Other local school and district policies may apply. Home School Course Fees: $250 per semester seat (.5 credit course) for general education courses $300 per semester seat (.5 credit course) for Advanced Placement courses Parents and students are advised that IDEAL-NM courses are taught by highly-qualified New Mexico teachers. Students will receive high levels of teacher instruction and assistance. IDEAL-NM eLearning courses are rigorous, and meet or exceed state content standards with benchmarks and performance standards. Homeschool students are also advised not to postpone course assignments and get behind in their classes. Courses must be completed on time; extensions are rarely granted. Dual Credit: IDEAL-NM is working on agreements that support concurrent enrollment in dual credit coursework. That information will be posted on the IDEAL-NM website as it becomes available.

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WITHDRAWLS Students may be dropped only by action of the site coordinator. The drop process occurs in Maestro (IDEAL-NM's student information system) as does the enrollment process. If the student is not making progress in the course and interventions by the site coordinator and eTeacher and parent have failed, the student should be withdrawn from the course. Students who withdraw from an online course will receive a percentage grade based on work completed to that point. The students school will determine whether the student will receive a grade, an indication of withdrawal, or any other annotation on the student transcript. The deadline for withdrawing a student with a 100% refund is 10 business days (fall and spring semesters) and 7 business days (summer semester). Students withdrawn within 15 business days will have the course fee removed, but an $8.00 enrollment fee will be charged. Students withdrawn after 15 business days will be charged full enrollment fees. STARTING THE TERM IDEAL-NM believes that students who start working on their course within the first week are more likely to be successful in completing the online course. Therefore, multiple efforts will be made to make contact with all students. This will include Welcome email from IDEAL-NM eTeacher Welcome email to student, parent/guardians, and schools from IDEAL-NM Administration eTeachers will share with IDEAL-NM Student Services Coordinator the names of students who have not responded to welcome emails. Student Services Coordinator will then reach out to the local school for assistance. SUPPORTING STUDENTS Student support at the local level plays a vital role in student success. This support includes providing IDEAL-NM eTeachers with contact(s) that will assist in reaching out to the student to encourage participation, offer academic support and guide progress; serving as a safety net regularly talking with students about their progress and utilizing Blackboard/MAESTRO to monitor grades. IDEAL-NM has created 2 different roles (Site Coordinator and Learning Coach) in supporting students. Please see responsibilities listed below: Site Coordinator/Learning Coach Responsibilities: As school liaison for the school the responsibilities of the official site coordinator include, but are not limited to the following: Assessing students for online readiness Registering students for online courses (SC only) Withdrawing students from online courses (SC only) Communicating with IDEAL-NM staff re: billing processes (SC only) Ensuring grades are properly recorded on student transcripts Monitoring student progress (in some cases where there is a site coordinator AND a learning coach, the learning coach takes on the primary responsibility for monitoring and student progress). Initiating intervention plan for student success for those students on academic watch by contacting eTeacher, parent and student.

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Problem-solving/troubleshooting technical challenges Communicating with parents/families re: IDEAL-NM Distributing of IDEAL-NM informational materials Communicating regularly with IDEAL-NM staff (Student services coordinator and Academic Services Director) Becoming familiar with the courses and course requirements, for which students are enrolled Serving as an advocate for IDEAL-NM students Communicating with eTeachers on a regular basis to support student success Communicating with IDEAL-NM staff as needed to ensure the program/services are meeting student needs. Trouble-shooting technical (work with IDEAL-NM technology staff to resolve any technical issues students may be experiencing) Motivating and support students on a daily basis Monitoring progress and academic success through observer access in Blackboard Brokering any issues needing resolution o Cheating o Plagiarism o Student inactivity o Students needing extra assistance

COST/EXTENSIONS/PAYMENT IDEAL-NM course enrollments are paid by the school district at $ 200.00 per semester course/per student. (Students will be charged per their enrollments. For example, one student taking 2 courses in one semester = $400.00 billed to that district for that semester per that students enrollments.) Advanced Placement (AP) course enrollment fees are $250.00 per semester course/per student. In extenuating circumstances, site coordinators may request extensions for students. To qualify for an extension, a student must have completed a minimum of 50% of the coursework. Site coordinators request extensions directly to the eTeachers. Eteachers will process the extension through the IDEAL-NM office. Course fees are invoiced to the school/district to be paid directly by the school/district. IDEAL-NM does not collect fees from students or other entities with the exception of home schooled students. Determination of fee payment responsibility for IDEAL-NM courses is a matter of local decision. When a home schooled student requests a course, an invoice is emailed directly to the parent/guardian and student. IDEAL-NM SYSTEMS Blackboard is our Learning Management System. This is where the students are taught their courses. Maestro is our Student Information System. Enrollment, dis-enrollment, final grade and progress reporting is done through this system

INNOVATE DIGITAL EDUCATION AND LEARNING | IDEAL-NM.org

ROLES/PERMISSIONS IN MAESTRO:
Site Coordinator Parent Learning Coach

View student information Edit student information View student contact report Send email to students View IDEAL-NM eTeacher contact information or email View transcript View student grades View student attendance as available View student course completion information View pending enrollments Approve/deny student registration request View current enrollments Drop students View school contact information and coach information Edit school contact and coach information View all coach information for school View coach information for themselves only Edit and add coaches

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*Coach permissions extend only to individual students assigned to the coach (no overall school reports available to coach)

ROLES/PERMISSIONS IN BLACKBOARD:
Site Coordinator Parent Learning Coach

View students in observer gateway View my courses View Announcements in selected course View eTeacher information View course documents (syllabus, pacing guide) View my grades (current grades with comments) Folder access for IEP/504 accommodations
*Blackboard is available to Parent/Guardian at request

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INNOVATE DIGITAL EDUCATION AND LEARNING | IDEAL-NM.org

ADVANCED PLACEMENT IDEAL-NM offers over nine Advanced Placement courses. Students may register for AP exams via the College Board website. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html All Advanced Placement courses are approved by College Board. Some Advanced Placement courses do require course materials to be provided by the local school district. MATERIALS IDEAL-NM courses require no physical textbooks with the exception of English literature and courses offered through national providers. Other materials may be required from time to time to meet the needs of unique courses. If so, they can be easily purchased by either the student or school, depending on local school policy. Headsets with microphones are suggested for lab situations so that course audio and video content does not disrupt learning and students may participate in voice boards, voice emails, podcasts and web conferencing. Technical considerations for secondary schools and students utilizing IDEAL-NM courses: IDEAL-NM courses are designed for access from school computer stations so that students can receive any assistance or troubleshooting help that may be needed. School access also helps ensure equity of opportunity for New Mexico students. Students with home computers and Internet connections can access IDEAL-NM coursework on a 24/7 basis. It is noted, too, that there is always coursework that can be done offline. Students can do their online work at school and offline work at home. The best-prepared online students are comfortable with computers and navigating the Internet. This includes the ability to complete tasks such as creating, moving, and copying files; installing software; surfing the web with Internet Explorer or Firefox; sending and receiving email; and using various software programs. With appropriate assistance from Onsite School personnel and by completing the Student Success Orientation short course, students can learn these functions to be successful in an IDEAL-NM online course. Minimum Computer Requirements PC or Macintosh less than four years old CD-ROM Monitor Access to the Internet via 56K Modem or High Speed Cable/DSL Must have the ability to run the recommended software below

Internet Connectivity For students to communicate with eTeachers, submit coursework, research online resources, and correspond with other class members, schools/students will need: Reliable Internet connectivity, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8 (in compatibility view), Apple Safari 3 or higher for MAC OS, Apple Safari 4 for Windows web browsers for viewing relevant websites Email program capable of sending and receiving email with attachments

INNOVATE DIGITAL EDUCATION AND LEARNING | IDEAL-NM.org

Recommended web browsers: Fire Fox, Google Chrome or Safari Recommended Software Certain courses may require specialized software for completing coursework. While this will vary between courses, the software packages listed below are usually necessary for any online course. Microsoft Office 2003 or higher or Open Office word processing program. You can use Open Office to view and write on Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files if you do not have the Microsoft Office Program. Microsoft Works often comes free with new computers but a teacher cannot view files from Works unless they are saved as an RTF file. Open Office is a free program that works like Microsoft Office. Adobe Reader to view pdf files you will need an adobe reader. This link will give you a free download to view pdf files for your Mac or Windows computer. www.adobe.com <http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html> ) Flash

11 Plug-in to view videos - this is a free download

Quick time Video Player free download Shockwave Plug-in free download Java- free Java Download

DISTRICT/SCHOOLGETTING STARTED PROCESS Procedures for New Schools 1. The Business Manager will begin new school registration process by explaining the IGA (Intergovernmental Agreement) process. All new schools should begin at this point. 2. Site Coordinator Billing form and Open Purchase Order 3. See below #3 Procedures for Schools that have not participated in IDEAL-NM the previous semester or year (including summer) 1. Check with your Administrative Coordinator to see if you have a current IGA in place. If not, have them contact the Business Manager at IDEAL-NM. 2. If the district has a current IGA in place, send the following in each year: a site coordinator billing information form Open Purchase Order (since you may not know how many students you will enroll) 3. Once all information is collected the Student Services Coordinator at IDEAL-NM will contact your Site Coordinator with user names and passwords for MAESTRO and Blackboard. The Site Coordinator and Learning Coaches will also be enrolled in the Site Coordinator Resource Center where training is available. Link for Site Coordinator Billing and Information form: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/scinfoform

INNOVATE DIGITAL EDUCATION AND LEARNING | IDEAL-NM.org

IDEAL-NM District/School Getting Started Process:

IGA Process

Site Coordinator Billing and Infroamtion form

Open Purchase Order

Student Services Coordinator (IDEAL-NM) will contact District/School with new credintals

All documents recieved by IDEAL-NM

FAQs How am I able to monitor my childs progress? Parents/guardians have access to student progress information through MAESTRO (IDEAL-NM Student Information System). Parents/guardians are assigned credentials (a username and password) at the time the student account is created. The credentials are automatically emailed to you. If this email isnt received, please check junk/spam folders. In addition to using MAESTRO for checking progress, you can request an Observer account in Blackboard (Learning Management System). How Many IDEAL-NM Courses Can A Student Take In One Semester? This decision is made between the student and their local school. It is recommended that students enroll in only one course if they are new to online learning. A list of courses is available at: http://idealnm.org/p12/get-content/content/course_information What if my child is having technical issues? The IDEAL-NM eTeacher is always the first line of defense for troubleshooting technical issues that are related to individual courses. If the student is having login technical issues, please email: bbsupport@idealnm.info or contact Student Services at: StudentServices@idealnm.info. What attributes help make a student successful in the online environment? Being self-motivated & disciplined Communicating effectively through writing Committing 4 to 15 hours per week Willing to speak up if there is a problem Having practically unlimited access to a computer/Internet Having a person at the face-to-face (f2f) school and/or at home who monitors progress and checks in periodically

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