By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

Beginning in Fall 2016, the Shelby County School System will allow a select number of students who meet certain guidelines to explore a virtual education option in both history or English.

The decision comes based on a new state mandate for every school district to develop and implement a virtual education option, according to Shelby County Schools District High School Coordinator Jay Peoples.

Peoples presented a report to the Shelby County Board of Education members during the instruction report at the monthly board meeting on Jan. 21.

“Students at high school will be given the opportunity to take advantage of digital virtual online learning,” said Peoples. “What we settled on is calling it Virtual Shelby County. Next year, students in grades 10-12 who meet certain criteria will be eligible to take a course or courses in English and/or history.”

Peoples said that State Legislation encouraged every school district to offer virtual education courses for every subject beginning in year one, but Peoples said in his mind he felt that was “a recipe for disaster.”

“We didn’t feel like that was wise,” said Peoples. “So what we’ve done instead is develop an incremental, gradual approach hoping to build from small successes and over the next couple years, add the other core subjects as well as electives.”

One caution area Peoples gave was that the research behind virtual learning is not very encouraging for a select group of students who do not already perform at a high level in a traditional classroom setting.

“If they’re not doing well in that setting where they have a highly qualified teacher who lays eyes on them every day and holds them accountable, it’s incredibly unlikely that they are going to do well in a virtual setting where they have much more freedom and less accountability,” said Peoples.

The virtual education option will allow students to take the courses at home that will be taught by Shelby County School System teachers, which Peoples said the district was adamant about doing.

Those wishing to participate in Virtual Shelby County will need to meet requirements such as having a high reading level, a solid grade point average and good attendance.

“What we’re looking at is primarily upperclassmen who are already school-savvy, school-ready and are looking to do something that maybe frees them up to do other things early or late,” said Peoples. “This also helps them get ready for that highly digital virtual environment that they’re going to see in college.”