RISE to Achieve Student Success

Students attend Missouri Connections Academy for different reasons; some need a more individualized approach, while others seek flexibility to learn at their own pace or to better balance their schoolwork with outside activities such as music or athletics. Some students enroll in the online school because they may have fallen behind and are credit deficient and need a more intensive approach to learning to get back on track.

This academic year, Missouri Connections Academy began offering those students an alternative high school experience called RISE, an integrated flex-schedule, credit recovery model that provides students, and their families, with a team of teachers dedicated to each individual student’s success.

RISE puts several intervention strategies to work that include one-on-one and small group tutoring sessions as well as:

• Weekly study hall sessions with teachers where they discuss assignments, weekly plans and lessons.
• Weekly open office hours for students to pop in with questions on content.
• Weekly hangout meetings on Fridays for socialization and teambuilding.
• Blocking through the online platform scheduler where students work on one class daily, enabling them to finish one or two courses at a time.
• Daily text reminders.
• Graduation recovery plans, which include long-term planning on course selection to get students back on track with their graduating cohort.
• Credit recovery, Missouri Option Program and summer school options.
• Availability of reaching teachers with questions after hours and on weekends.
• Counseling services.

Before an enrolled student is recommended to participate in the school’s RISE program, several factors are considered such as: credit deficiency, past academic performance, number of courses/credit recovery courses taken, off cohort or grade level. The program will also consider if the student is recommended by a counselor or other factors such as teen parenting, homelessness, and other child welfare issues.

According to Missouri Connections Academy Principal Lynsie Hunt, the team of RISE teachers are the main teachers for each student whereas they teach all the Math, English, Science, Social Studies and Business courses. So even though students are taking multiple math or science courses - they have one teacher.

“For many families, education in general has not been a positive experience,” Hunt said. “Through RISE, we want the family to feel comfortable and confident in their teachers. Having one teacher allows the student to grow more comfortable and reach out when they need additional support.”

Hunt added that RISE also facilitates direct and meaningful connections with the family which often results in better and more successful students.

“Virtual learning is alternative education so the faculty at Missouri Connections Academy have a deep understanding of what makes students successful and where students seem to struggle,” she said. “By working closely with our families, we have noticed the more engaged a family is with Missouri Connections Academy staff, the more successful they are in their academic pursuits.”

Missouri Connections Academy parent/learning coach Kim said they enrolled her son Keegan in the online school this year because he was deficient in credits, and she learned about the school’s RISE program.

Kim said Keegan quickly discovered he prefers working in an online environment over a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom. She added that Missouri Connection Academy gives her a better ability to follow his progress and ensure he remains on track. Currently a junior, Keegan is working through a plan that will get him back on track to graduate on time.

According to Kim, RISE has made a big difference in Keegan as he has gone from planning to dropout to now planning to graduate and continue with his education to hopefully become a pilot. Missouri Connections Academy has also helped to change his motivation and to set goals for the future.

“We have felt very supported so far, and I actually have some hope we are going to get Keegan to graduate after all,” Kim said. “He probably doesn't appreciate it now, but I like the fact that I can be very involved with his education and ensure he is doing his best work. Everyone has made us feel very welcomed and my questions have been answered very timely.”

About Missouri Connections Academy

Missouri Connections Academy (MOCA) is a unique, tuition-free, online public school for K-12 students. Every day, we create a high-quality educational experience that keeps students motivated and engaged in a safe, virtual learning environment. In addition to academics, teachers focus on emotional well-being and social development, working closely with families to help students learn how they learn best. Here, students gain the skills and confidence they need to direct their own educational journey, learning to thrive in the real world by first learning how to be resourceful and resilient. For more information, call 1-800-382-6010 or visit www.MissouriConnectionsAcademy.com.