For years, the Vail School District in Vail, Arizona has been known for innovative approaches to education. Vail's newest school has continued the innovative tradition by introducing a hybrid online learning option.
Vail Academy and High School, Vail's only K-12 campus, is also home to the Vail Digital Learning Program.The VDLP has been a part of Vail High School for over four years, but this year its students have gained new educational opportunities. This past summer, Vail became one of the few districts statewide that were approved to be AOI (Arizona Online Instruction) providers. This distinction brings a new option to students of the Vail School District: the chance to take some of their regular classes online during the school day.
A number of students have already taken advantage of the new learning option by combining both online and on-campus classes. The combination of classes varies for each student based on his or her needs and desires. Whereas one student may take three classes online and his other three classes (including AP courses) on campus, another student may simply choose to take Art or PE first thing in the morning, leaving the rest of her day open to work on online classes. Some students choose to remain on campus between classes to work on schoolwork or have lunch and socialize with friends.
All students taking a class on-campus at VAHS receive a netbook to use while enrolled in that class.
