Saved Schools

Oxford Virtual Academy

Oxford Virtual Academy, nominated by MiCoOp, is a elementary/middle/high school in Oxford, Michigan that describes itself as a public district school serving learners from a primarily urban/rural/suburban area.

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Location Oxford, Michigan

Governance Public district school

Grades Prekindergarten, Elementary, Middle, High

Students 2531

Locale Suburban

Principal Janet Schell

Demographics

Percentage of students*

2%

English Learners

25%

Free/Reduced Lunch

6%

Students with Disabilities

African American or Black —

American Indian/Alaska Native —

Asian —

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —

Hispanic or Latino —

White —

2+ Races —

Why Oxford Virtual Academy was nominated

Oxford Virtual Academy (OVA) began 10 years ago as a virtual school, but has transformed into a true personalized learning environment that includes virtual, seated, blended, project-based, independent study, dual enrollment courses and more. Some courses use third-party vendor curriculum, but they also create custom courses for students or groups of students. The school has a drop-in learning space and offers courses with community partners. OVA has a high level of academic rigor and requires 24 credits to graduate, but they offer many options for students to get there (i.e., multiple pathways to graduation). As Janet would describe, they are like the super highway to graduation because they offer the tools and capacity for students to choose their path and pace to graduation. Their student body is made up of students from different ethnic, socio-economic, and academic levels, yet each receives a personalized program to fit their needs. For example, traditionally homeschooled students may choose to enroll with OVA because they still have control over their learning with support from certified teachers. Students who want more rigor than the traditional school enroll to move ahead faster. The school has partnerships with foster care and court programs where they provide the path for those students to continue their education. One student may take courses from three different vendors while another is taking two online courses, two college courses, an art course at a local community partner, and getting credit for a job through a work-based program. I am always amazed at the perseverance and commitment they have for each individual student. Whether a student is in kindergarten or 10th grade, they don�t have to fit into the school�s box for learning. They can create their own path with the support from OVA�s administrators, counselors, teachers, and mentors.

Student experience design

The student experience that the learning environment is designed to create is flexible and personalized. Our goal is a student-centered approach to learning and teaching.

Core Practices

Core Practices Length of Use

Community And Business Partnerships
5+ years

All Courses Designed For Inclusion
1-2 years

Individual Learning Paths
5+ years

Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics
5+ years

All Practices

Advancement On Mastery

Student Advisories

Anti-racist Practices

Assessments For Career Readiness

Assessments For Deeper Learning

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Blended Learning

Career Prep And Work-based Learning

Community-based Organizations As Co-leaders

Families As Co-leaders

Industry-based Partners As Co-leaders

Students As Co-leaders

Teachers As Co-leaders

Co-leadership

Family And Community Support Services

Culturally Responsive Practices

Disaggregated Data On Student Participation

Early College High School

Extended Learning Opportunities

Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles

Grading Policies Focus On Mastery

Hiring For Equity And Inclusion Values

Interdisciplinary

Individual Learner Profiles

Mental Health Services

1:1 Mentoring

Multi-age Classrooms

Multiple Opportunities To Demonstrate Mastery

Project-based Learning

Peer To Peer Support

Performance Based Assessment

Physical Well Being Services

Place-based Learning

Reallocation Of Resources For Those Most In Need

Restorative Practices

SEL Curriculum

SEL Integration School-wide

Students Access Their Own Data

Self-paced Learning

Students Develop Projects

Trauma-informed Practices

Tutoring

Universal Design For Learning

key reasons for innovating

Stakeholder demand or advocacy

Date Updated: 4/1/2024

*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.