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Students to get educational boost online
Wednesday, October 03, 2001 By Carmen J. Lee, Post-Gazette Education Writer
Pittsburgh Public Schools will launch a computer-based instructional program this month to help students who have fallen behind or been disruptive in class get back on the right track.
While the self-paced NovaNET program may resemble a cyber school, Jan Ripper, the district's new director of alternative education, said it will be different because teachers will be physically present to assist youngsters when needed.
School officials hope to eventually expand use of the program to homebound students and possibly charge a fee for interested home-schooled youngsters.
But even in those cases, teachers will be expected to visit homebound youngsters to monitor their progress while parents will serve as the on-site instructors for home-schooled children, Ripper said.
NovaNET was one of several alternative educational services Ripper presented to the board last night. The board could vote on the program as early as this month.
The computer-based program's curriculum will provide courses for middle and high school students, Ripper said. It also could be used by advanced students who work at a more accelerated pace as well as by youngsters who have fallen behind.
The district will spend $250,000 a year for the program. This year there will be 250 connections to NovaNET available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 11 schools -- Allderdice, Brashear, Carrick, Oliver and Schenley high schools; Arsenal, Columbus, Milliones and Reizenstein middle schools; Letsche Education Center and the Options Center. In January, NovaNET sites will be established at Langley, Peabody, Perry, South Vo-Tech and Westinghouse high schools.
Because the connections will be available continuously, school officials could schedule as many as 2,000 students to take courses through NovaNET, Ripper said.
Teachers will be trained in using NovaNET next week, with the program expected to be available to students by end of the month.
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