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Like many high school seniors, James River High School student Olivia Rappe is working her way through a course in British literature, studying the great works of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Joyce. But unlike her peers, she is doing so in Quito, Ecuador. It’s an option that is only possible through Chesterfield County Public Schools’ (CCPS) expanded online class offerings.
“Twelfth-grade British literature was the last requirement I needed to graduate with an advanced diploma back in the United States,” explains Rappe, 17, who is studying in Ecuador for the duration of her senior year. “Obviously there are no regular British literature classes here in Ecuador. I wouldn’t have been able to study abroad if these types of options weren’t available.”CCPS initiated online classes about 10 years ago as an option for at-risk students, but has expanded its offerings to appeal to a wide range of students. Currently, 829 Chesterfield students are taking classes online, with enrollment rising steadily each year.
“Probably one of the fastest growing educational phenomena nationwide at the K-12 level is online learning,” says David Rankin, who manages the online program. “Our classes are available to any student, though they do have to have the approval of their school counselor and school principal.”
Source: Chesterfield Observer
