Anne Arundel schools’ Virtual Academy has 100% graduation rate, official say

Anne Arundel County Public Schools Virtual Academy has graduated 100% of its students and expects to continue the trend with  its upcoming third graduating class, school officials said Wednesday.

The Virtual Academy is an online learning platform offered by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system. It provides students with the opportunity to engage in virtual education, offering a flexible and personalized approach to learning. The academy, launched as a learning alternative following the pandemic, has become a viable option for hundreds of students throughout the county who find the workflow and flexibility of the course material a better fit for their schedule.

The school board approved the academy in June 2021, allowing students in grades 3 to 12 to apply to the program.

“What sets us apart is that we are more than a school at the virtual academy; we are an educational community,” said Lindsay Drager, principal at Virtual Academy.

On Wednesday, Drager and Pat Crain, director of educational options and school climate at Anne Arundel County Public Schools, gave a presentation to the school board highlighting their achievements with the academy. The school initially started with over 550 students enrolled in 2021. This year, that number is down to 425, but with 150 recently enrolled, next year is expected to return to nearly 575 students.

The numbers dropping can be attributed to some students returning to in-person learning, Crain said.

The program is represented by each cluster within the county with the highest concentration of students in Glen Burnie, Meade, North County, Old Mill clusters.

This May, they will have 64 staff members and all Anne Arundel County Public Schools educators are skilled at designing and implementing creative student support that best fits unique learning needs and academic development, Drager said.

“Their skill at utilizing the instructional technology available to maximize student learning as well as their focus on continuously improving their instructional practice based on feedback provided to them is positively impacting our virtual academy students that we serve each day…” she said.

The Maryland State Department of Education gave the Virtual Academy four out of five stars in both the 2021 and 2022 school years. The academy was one of 12 schools in the county to show improvement. They showed academic growth for both middle school and high school and increased percentile ranking at all three levels.

“Obviously, there was a lot of heartache during COVID,” said District 4 school board member Melissa Ellis. “A lot of students really struggled with virtual learning. But we were able to recognize that we have students with all sorts of backgrounds and all sorts of learners. It’s clear that this is going to be good thing for some, and thank you for what you’ve done with it.”

Virtual students now will be able to participate in sports as a result of a state bill passed last year.

“Thank you for all your hard work,” said Joanna Bache Tobin, an Annapolis school board member. “I’m glad the [Virtual Academy] gave an opportunity for this. There are teachers who really thrive in a virtual environment, as we know. They may be a minority, but they are there.”

The goal of the Virtual Academy is to help ensure positive outcomes for students, and that ultimately includes graduation. Drager said the feedback the school receives from families is a testament to their efforts to create a sense of belonging for all the students that attend.

“This program embodies Dr. [Superintendent Mark] Bedell’s vision for our school system to belong, grow and succeed,” Drager said.