We received this press release from a CANeLearn partner.
For Immediate Release
NEWS RELEASE
Virtual High School, Florida Virtual School, and D2L Complete Ambitious K-5 Curriculum Project: Elementary Course Suite set to Launch for the 2018-2019 School Year
Virtual High School (VHS), Florida Virtual School (FLVS), and D2L have completed an 18-month course development project to write, design, and develop 36 elementary courses from Kindergarten to Grade 5. The project—which produced 34,903 pages of content—is one of the largest content development projects to take place in such a short timeframe in North America.
VHS joined forces with D2L to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) released by FLVS in 2016. FLVS released the RFP following a decision to build out its own elementary course content rather than leasing content from another provider. With 20 years of experience in course design and development for VHS’s own course offerings, VHS felt well-positioned for success. VHS responded to the RFP as a vendor for content development services and was ranked as the top vendor by FLVS after a rigorous review process. The announcement to award the entire project to VHS, in partnership with D2L, was posted by FLVS in August 2016.
The completion of the Elementary Course Development Project is a major milestone for VHS, D2L, and FLVS. VHS and FLVS both built large teams to write, develop, and review course content in eight different subject areas (Math, Technology, Science, Physical Education, English, Spanish, Social Studies, and Art). Ramping up for the project meant an increase in staffing of more than 150 percent at VHS, resulting in more than 60 new staff hires to work in the small village of Bayfield, Ontario and live in the surrounding area. D2L supported VHS project management and created custom interactives and graphic assets for use in the courses. The final product of this project is a suite of engaging, interactive, and media-rich online courses to be used by FLVS in the United States and worldwide by any of its students or clients.
FLVS has reported that educational stakeholders are pleased with the outcome of the collaborative course development project and that students will have a positive experience in the online courses. FLVS, VHS, and D2L are excited about the launch of the course suite for the 2018–2019 school year and eager for students to engage with the courses created over the past 18 months.
QUICK FACTS:
- VHS is an online course development company, as well as a private online high school based out of Bayfield, Ontario.
- FLVS is a public online school based out of Orlando, Florida serving more than 206,000 students worldwide.
- D2L is a leader in learning technology based out of Kitchener, Ontario and creator of the Brightspace cloud-based learning platform.
- For more information about VHS, visit virtualhighschool.com
- For more information about FLVS, visit https://flvs.net/.
- For more information about D2L, visit https://www.d2l.com/.
ABOUT VHS
Virtual High School is an online course development company based out of Bayfield, Ontario, Canada that specializes in custom course development work. VHS has developed over 125 online courses ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 12, including its work with FLVS, and plans to expand its course development services in the future.
VHS is also a fully online high school offering Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) credits to students worldwide. VHS was created when its founder saw a need for a different approach to education that would allow flexibility and a student-centered approach to learning. Today, VHS’s model supports learners of all types. Students are able to start any day of the year and complete courses at their own pace and on their own schedules. VHS has issued more than 50,000 OSSD credits since 2001 and expects 9000 enrolments in 2018.
ABOUT FLVS
Florida Virtual School® (FLVS®) is a fully accredited, statewide public school district offering more than 150 courses to Kindergarten-12 students. Its certified teachers use a variety of personalized instructional programs to create individualized educational plans for every student. Since 1997, FLVS students have successfully completed more than 3.6 million semester enrollments. FLVS also provides its courseware and expertise to online and blended learning programs across the nation. Services include content licensing, FLVS Global School, District Virtual Schools, digital learning labs, and professional development. As a not-for-profit, FLVS reinvests revenue into the development of new educational technologies and the creation of the highest-quality courses, benefiting students in Florida and beyond. To learn more, visit www.flvs.net.
ABOUT D2L
D2L believes learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests. Working closely with organizations globally, D2L has transformed the way millions of people learn online and in the classroom. Learn more about D2L for schools, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.
VHS PRESS CONTACT
Kim Loebach
Director of Operations, Virtual High School
866-679-9377 ext. 310
[email protected]
FLVS PRESS CONTACT
Tania Clow
Manager, Communications
407-513-3627
[email protected]
D2L PRESS CONTACT
Virginia Jamieson
Vice President of PR and AR, D2L Ltd.
650-279-8619
[email protected]