brad.rathgeber@onlineschoolforgirls.org or 301.365.6114
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Online School for Girls Launching this fall
Nationwide Consortium of independent all-girls' schools to launch first
online school for girls
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June 22, 2009... A nationwide consortium of independent, all-girls'
schools announced the creation of the first ever online school dedicated
to secondary education for girls, The Online School for Girls. Developed
by a consortium of independent, all-girls' schools including Harpeth
Hall School (Tenn.), Holton-Arms School (Md.), Laurel School (Ohio), and
Westover School (Conn.), the School will begin offering pilot classes in
the 2009-2010 school year.
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"Online education is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the educational
experience of the twenty-first century," says Brad Rathgeber, Director
of Technology at Holton-Arms School. According to K-12 Online Learning:
A 2008 Follow-up of the Survey of U.S. School District Administrators,
more than one million secondary school students enrolled in online
courses and 70 percent of high schools had at least one student who took
an online class during the 2007-2008 school year.
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In addition, Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning reports that 44
states have or are in the process of creating virtual secondary schools,
"but none of them specifically address the educational needs of girls,"
explains Ann Pollina, President of the National Coalition of Girls'
Schools and Head of School at Westover School. "We believe that girls
inhabit online spaces differently than boys and that this initiative can
combine a powerful, transformative online learning environment for girls
with a high-quality, twenty-first century academic experience."=20
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Guided by current research on how girls learn best, the School will
focus on several key principles: emphasizing connections among
participants; incorporating collaboration into the learning experience;
inspiring and rewarding creativity; and engaging in real-world problems
and applications while having students probe the social and ethical
dynamics that define and stretch our global society. =20
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"Not every girl has the opportunity to attend an all
girls' school," says Larry Goodman, Co-Director of the Center for
Research on Girls at Laurel School, "so our hope in embarking on this
initiative is to inspire and challenge girls on a worldwide scale."
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The Online School for Girls officially launches in
September 2009, offering two pilot courses in the fall semester and four
courses in the spring semester of the 2009-2010 school year. Students
from consortium member schools will take and evaluate the initial
courses. Courses offered for the first year will be upper-level
secondary courses in math, the sciences and humanities. "We envision an
educational experience designed for girls that provides vigorous
coursework, exposure to new ideas, and a fun, relevant learning
environment in an online setting," says Ann Teaff, Head of School at
Harpeth Hall School.
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In coming years, the Online School will expand the scope and reach of a
traditional girls' school and work to engage a worldwide and diverse
student base, including students who are in need of a more flexible
school schedule, are home schooled, or would not otherwise have
opportunities available for challenging or unique coursework.
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For further information, contact Brad Rathgeber at
brad.rathgeber@onlineschoolforgirls.org or 301.365.6114
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Brad Rathgeber
Director of Technology
History Teacher
Holton-Arms School
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Office: 301-365-6114
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brad.rathgeber@holton-arms.edu <mailto:brad.rathgeber@holton-arms.edu>=20
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"Education not only of the mind, but of the soul and spirit"
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