But there’s no need for Carlsbad High School students to sign up, officials said, because the district already offers a virtual high school.

Kelly Barta, Carlsbad Municipal Schools director of secondary instruction, said the school district implemented its virtual high school as a pilot program this year and opened it to a handful of students. The 2012-13 school year will allow more students to participate.

Unlike Carlsbad’s virtual school, the N.M. Virtual Academy will offer individualized programs to students in grades six through 11 next year. The school will expand to offer 12th grade the following year.

“Our virtual education program allows our students to walk across the stage with the graduating class to receive their diploma. They will continue to be Carlsbad High School students,” Barta said.

“Farmington is using the K-12 online program. Our virtual program is the E20-20, an online curriculum that coincides and goes along with our classroom teachers’ instruction. We did not fully implement the virtual high school this year because we wanted to try it out and see how it goes.”

Barta said the pilot program was implemented by the school district to keep students

in school and increase the district’s graduation rate.
“We want to become a 21st century school system to educate and support our 21st century students,” Barta said.

For the rest of the article, go to  ’Virtual’ high school part of CHS curriculum