North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) is the largest state-led virtual school in the country. Each year, there are 55,000+ student enrollments across North Carolina that take advantage of NCVPS to ensure they have access to an unprecedented set of choices. Through online, and blended courses, students are discovering the “virtual advantage” that will prepare them to excel now, and be ready for college and/or a career.
In Spring 2022, NCVPS launched a new statewide initiative designed to offer students an additional resource. The NCVPS Edvantage Tutoring Program offers virtual statewide wraparound support to middle and high school students in high-needs NC public and private schools, as well as homeschool coalitions. Tutoring through this program is available in Math, Science and ELA and is offered via a personalized partnership with district/school leadership to best meet the needs of selected students each semester. The overall mission of Edvantage Tutoring is to offer personalized support to impact and increase student growth in identified Math, Science and ELA standards, each academic year.
What does personalized support look like in a tutoring model? Before students can participate in the Edvantage Tutoring program, the administration and/or point person within each district or school provides a pacing guide and 10-14 identified standards students find most challenging, per grade level, per curriculum area. The Edvantage Tutoring team then builds content centered around those specific standards.
All of the Edvantage tutors are NC-licensed NCVPS teachers. And they have undergone targeted professional development suited to help them implement the High Impact Tutoring (HIT) model to the fullest extent possible. HIT is a strategic method that focuses on personalized support for each student, aims to stay within small groups whenever group support is warranted, and encourages building a tutor-student relationship throughout each tutoring session. Students are encouraged to sign up repeatedly with the same tutor. That tutor is then able to guide them according to the progress being made. There are many repeat students, as well as students who sign up for tutoring in several curriculum areas. And, daytime tutoring is offered multiple days per week.
Students across the state of North Carolina do not need to be enrolled in any NCVPS courses to participate with Edvantage Tutoring. Districts, public and private schools, and even homeschool students and co-ops across NC are welcome to participate. Why do they participate? Data is key! And increased understanding is the goal! A partnership created between participating schools and Edvantage Tutoring is the glue for helping students and districts meet their goals… with the overall intention of progressing students toward mastery.
Like most tutoring platforms, students register via a calendar system that allows them to schedule tutoring slots within 30-minute increments. Students may also register for weekly “Review Sessions” that demonstrate the standards (previously identified by school leadership) in a virtual group setting.
Curriculum expansion with Edvantage Tutoring continues each semester. Tutoring was initially offered in a few curriculum areas. With an increase in identified needs and district/school requests, students may now sign-up for tutoring in Math 1, Biology, and 8th grade ELA, Math and Science. The next expansion will include 7th grade curriculum areas as well. The Edvantage program has remained free from the onset but will move to a fee-based model during the 2023-24 school year.
Edvantage Tutoring is an exciting endeavor and yet one more way for NCVPS to support students across North Carolina. That list of support continues to grow! Over the years, NCVPS has also continued to offer peer tutoring to students who are enrolled in NCVPS classes. That form of tutoring has remained successful as well. NCVPS also supports students with virtual clubs, various CTE internships, career-exploration opportunities and a Culture Café Speaker Series that hopes to inspire students to travel abroad. With the virtual advantage from NCVPS, the sky’s the limit!
If you are a North Carolina school administrator (public, private, or charter) interested in partnering with Edvantage Tutoring, please take a few moments to share how Edvantage Tutoring can form a beneficial partnership with your district/school by completing the questionnaire found on the Edvantage Tutoring website.
For general information about NCVPS or Edvantage Tutoring, please visit the website or send an email to [email protected].
