Oregon Connections Academy
Encyclopedia
Oregon Connections Academy (ORCA), is a virtual charter school affiliated with the Scio School District in Scio, Oregon
, United States. The district contracts operation to Apollo Management, a Baltimore, Maryland company operating similar Connections Academies
in other states.
since 2006.
The academic record of Connections Academy
in other states was called "spotty" by The Oregonian
in 2005, comparing the 1:50 teacher:student ratio to the 1:20 ratio of the Clackamas Web Academy
.
Of the eight high school students in 2008, three dropped out and five are still in high school. (There were no graduates that year as the 12th grade was not added until 2009.)
The school opened before the Oregon Legislature's law regulating virtual schools to draw at least 50% of its students from the home district came into effect. This home rule law, effective September 2, 2005, was intended to prevent the school district (in this case, Scio School District) from "poaching" students from their local district. The school was grandfathered in, becoming a de facto monopoly
. The school's contract expires June 30, 2010, and the school would then be responsible for meeting the "home rule" law; an ORCA spokesman indicated he "believed the school was permanently exempt" from the law. The school was given a waiver following a 2008 Oregon Administrative Rule
.
In 2006, the school was informed by the Oregon Department of Education
that it would not receive state funding due to requiring parents to serve as learning coaches, and for failing to use a lottery system for student admission. The parent involvement requirement was not allowed as a condition for enrollment, as the only charter school enrollment requirements allowed are age or grade level. State Representative Linda Flores, then Chair of the House Education Committee, called the denial "heavy-handed tactics". The school complied by changing the "parent involvement requirement" to a "parent involvement recommendation."
In 2009, Oregon Senate Bill 767 was passed, capping the enrollment of virtual schools at their May 2009 levels.
Scio, Oregon
Scio is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The population was 838 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-History:...
, United States. The district contracts operation to Apollo Management, a Baltimore, Maryland company operating similar Connections Academies
Connections Academy
Connections Academy in the United States is a company which runs free public school that students attend from home. It combines aspects of homeschooling with those of traditional public education....
in other states.
School profile
As of 2007, the school was the only virtual school (of 80) in Oregon to not be associated with a traditional school.Academics
The school has been provisionally accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited SchoolsNorthwest Association of Accredited Schools
The Northwest Accreditation Commission , formerly named the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, is an organization based in Boise, Idaho which accredits a variety of schools, including K-12, elementary, middle, and high schools; schools offering distance education; non-degree-granting...
since 2006.
The academic record of Connections Academy
Connections Academy
Connections Academy in the United States is a company which runs free public school that students attend from home. It combines aspects of homeschooling with those of traditional public education....
in other states was called "spotty" by The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
in 2005, comparing the 1:50 teacher:student ratio to the 1:20 ratio of the Clackamas Web Academy
Clackamas Web Academy
Clackamas Web Academy is a public school in Clackamas, Oregon, United States.-General information:Clackamas Web Academy is a free, public charter school, which operates in the North Clackamas School District and is endorsed by the state of Oregon. The 2010-11 school year will kick off the school’s...
.
Of the eight high school students in 2008, three dropped out and five are still in high school. (There were no graduates that year as the 12th grade was not added until 2009.)
Funding
Each student enrolled at the school is worth $5800 in tax money; 5% of this goes to the school district, with the remaining 95% going to Oregon Connections Academy. In 2009, 99% of the school's students were from outside the district.The school opened before the Oregon Legislature's law regulating virtual schools to draw at least 50% of its students from the home district came into effect. This home rule law, effective September 2, 2005, was intended to prevent the school district (in this case, Scio School District) from "poaching" students from their local district. The school was grandfathered in, becoming a de facto monopoly
De facto monopoly
A de facto monopoly is a monopoly that was not created by government. It is most often used in contrast to de jure monopoly, which is one that is protected from competition by government action....
. The school's contract expires June 30, 2010, and the school would then be responsible for meeting the "home rule" law; an ORCA spokesman indicated he "believed the school was permanently exempt" from the law. The school was given a waiver following a 2008 Oregon Administrative Rule
Oregon Administrative Rules
Oregon Administrative Rules Compilation is the official compilation of rules and regulations having the force of law in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the regulatory and administrative corollary to Oregon Revised Statutes, and is published pursuant to ORS 183.360...
.
In 2006, the school was informed by the Oregon Department of Education
Oregon Department of Education
The Department of Education of the U.S. state of Oregon is responsible for implementation of state policies with respect to public education at the kindergarten through community college level, including academic standards and testing, credentials, and other matters not reserved to the local...
that it would not receive state funding due to requiring parents to serve as learning coaches, and for failing to use a lottery system for student admission. The parent involvement requirement was not allowed as a condition for enrollment, as the only charter school enrollment requirements allowed are age or grade level. State Representative Linda Flores, then Chair of the House Education Committee, called the denial "heavy-handed tactics". The school complied by changing the "parent involvement requirement" to a "parent involvement recommendation."
In 2009, Oregon Senate Bill 767 was passed, capping the enrollment of virtual schools at their May 2009 levels.
Notable staff
- Jerry KrummelJerry KrummelGerald A. Krummel is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of Washington, he served as mayor of Wilsonville, Oregon in the 1990s. An educator and athletic trainer, he is a former member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing Wilsonville and parts of...
, currently principal of the Nevada Connections Academy; formerly a high school social studies teacher and Master Teacher at ORCA and an Oregon State Representative.