Challenge

The Temecula Valley Unified School District was looking for a solution that would offer students the option of a college prep education with the flexibility of using digital curriculum in a nontraditional setting.

More Choices and More Opportunities for Students to Succeed

In 2012–2013, the Temecula Advantage Virtual School partnered with Apex Learning to support both full-time virtual and concurrent students to earn original credit. The Temecula Advantage Virtual School supports students who are looking for a college prep education, but whose schedules might require flexibility due to life events, unique opportunities or pursuits, or when a traditional setting may not be a fit. For example, students attending Temecula Advantage Virtual School range from a participant on The Voice, to a race car driver who competes all over the country, to Olympic soccer and gymnastics athletes. “Through the virtual program, these individuals have the flexibility to pursue their passions and extracurricular lifestyles outside of school without disrupting their lives,” said Brian Balaris, teacher for Temecula Advantage Virtual School. “With Apex Learning, we have been able to provide our students with a high school education and prepare them for a four-year college due to the rigor of the online program, and also keep them within the district.”

Solution

The Temecula Advantage Virtual School offers Apex Learning original credit courses for the a-g compliance pathways and for the concurrent enrollments for college prep.

Success for Accelerated Students

“Adding the new AP Environmental Science course has had a significant impact on the number of students coming to Temecula Advantage Virtual School for AP courses and has enabled us to secure academically stronger students,” said Sara Wardak, teacher for Temecula Advantage Virtual School. “The new course has opened the door for more students to take our AP courses.”

Support for Students Right When Needed

Apex Learning delivers on the promise of digital curriculum to personalize learning and meet diverse student needs, allowing students to move at their own pace through instructional content. The curriculum addresses different learning styles by incorporating multiple approaches to instruction, actively engaging students to ensure learning takes place, and providing extensive opt-in scaffolds to support all students in mastering rigorous content.

Result

All students taking the AP Environmental Science course in the Temecula Advantage Virtual School passed the course in the first semester of implementation of the program. All students in the Temecula Advantage Virtual School taking AP Psychology passed the course for the last three years.

Ongoing District Support

Apex Learning Implementation Success Managers partnered with Temecula Valley USD to plan, implement, and ensure the ongoing success of the program, which has made an impact. “The support we have received as a district from Apex Learning has been tremendous,” said Joe Balleweg, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. “Anytime we need Apex Learning, the response is immediate and incredibly helpful. We have been very pleased with the customer service, and the willingness to partner with us has been fantastic. This support from Apex Learning has led to our success and has been the reason we’ve stayed with them as long as we have.”