Bigfork offers online diploma option

It all started four years ago, when a group of Bigfork High School staff members started meeting and brainstorming ideas of how to better serve students.

At the top of the list: offering a platform for students to explore the rapidly expanding realm of online education.

“We felt that it was important for us to be able to have that experience available to our students,” said Bigfork High School principal Matt Porrovecchio. “They’re likely going to have some form of online learning in college, so really, experiencing an online classroom is just as important as the actual content because it’s a skill in itself.”

In 2008, the school began offering electives through Virtual High School (VHS), a national program that offers a variety of courses on topics such as video game design, criminology and world religions. The school also offers a selection of Advanced Placement (AP) classes in more traditional subjects.

“We set out to find what we felt was the best program available, and that was VHS,” Porrovecchio said. “There are a lot of online programs out there that are more in the category of correspondence classes, and that’s not what we were shooting for. We wanted a platform that was as close to a traditional classroom as possible, where students were required to communicate with their instructors and their classmates on a regular basis.”

As interest in the program grew, staff members started looking into additional online learning options that could be integrated into the school’s curriculum — enter Montana Digital Academy (MTDA), a state-run online learning program that offers core academic courses designed to fit state curriculum standards.

Bigfork began offering classes through MTDA two years ago. Since the classes satisfy state graduation requirements, students can actually work toward receiving a high school diploma without ever setting foot inside of a traditional classroom.

“We were one of the first schools to really push that in the state,” Porrovecchio said. “It involved a lot of calls to OPI (the Office of Public Instruction) and a lot of discussions with the school board, but we felt it was really important for us to provide this option.”

High school guidance counselor Christina Nadeau said the program allows students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend school a chance to obtain a diploma.

“The traditional seven-period day isn’t for everybody,” Nadeau said. “A lot of kids are dealing with family issues or health problems, and I would hate to see one of them drop out or not receive a quality education because of those circumstances.”

Although she feels “very confident” in the quality of education provided by both VHS and MTDA, Nadeau said many school districts are reluctant to promote online learning to the extent that Bigfork has.

“There is this weird concept that people have that online education isn’t real,” Nadeau said. “Even the Montana High School Association requires that students be in school for at least two hours a day in order to compete in school sports. So, we still have a ways to go with the concept of online learning.”

According to Nadeau, Bigfork is the only school in the Flathead Valley currently offering an all-online diploma option. That, she said, is due in large part to the support and enthusiasm of school board members and administrators, who have approved the use of resources such as teachers, technology staff and computer equipment for online learning.

“Other districts don’t have the infrastructure we do for online learning,” Nadeau said. “You have to have the support of all sides, and we really have that in Bigfork. I’m eternally grateful that the district has been so progressive in how we deliver education.”

Bigfork students have been equally grateful. Currently, 23 students are enrolled in VHS courses, including four homeschooled students. Seventeen students are enrolled in MTDA classes.

Seats in online classes offered through the school are open to all students, regardless of whether they live in the Bigfork district.

Bigfork senior Colter Mahlum has taken several classes through VHS, many of which are related to the career field he plans to pursue in the future — engineering.

“It gives me insight into what I will be doing in college, so I can better prepare for it,” Mahlum said. “It has been a great addition.”

Fellow senior Amber McDaniel has also enrolled in several online classes over the years, including journalism, poetry and Latin.

“VHS offers so much more than what we can do here at school,” McDaniel said. “We’re a small school, so we can’t really afford to have obscure classes.”

According to McDaniel, online classes are, in many cases, more difficult than courses offered in a traditional classroom format.

“They’re a lot more work actually,” McDaniel said. “It’s helpful, though, because you have to be self-motivated, and that prepares you for life.”

Porrovecchio cautioned that online learning — though a powerful tool — isn’t for everyone.

“It poses some unique challenges,” Porrovecchio said. “There is no instantaneous feedback. Students must be even more proactive. They can’t procrastinate in any way.”

He added that online classes should not be considered “a fix” for students who are not succeeding in a traditional classroom.

“The reality is, if a student is not enjoying a math class, they’re not going to take an online math class and just be blown away — that’s not how it works,” he said.

Still, Porrovecchio and his colleagues are proud of the work they have done to keep Bigfork students competitive as the global educational landscape continues to evolve with changes in technology.

“We believe in students getting their diplomas,” Porrovecchio said. “So as a public school, we want to provide that opportunity to as many students as possible. That, really, is the heart of it.”