Novel grabs headlines in TX for summer school program

LONGVIEW, Texas – Pine Tree High School students are taking school on summer vacation this year, thanks to Educational Options’ Novel courses.

The Pine Tree Independent School District is offering students the opportunity to take their web-based summer school courses from home or virtually anywhere that has internet access, giving students the flexibility to still pursue vacations and jobs.

Debbie Connor, director of academic achievement for the district, said administrators decided to offer the web-based summer school courses to give students more course choices and opportunities to gain credits.

“The world is so different for teenagers today,” Connor said. “We’re exploring all options which will offer students the opportunity to gain knowledge that will help them be successful in whatever path they choose after graduation.”

The unique summer program has already caught the eye of local media entities such as the Longview News-Journal and KLTV Channel 7, which ran stories about the web-based summer school in early June.
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If the summer program is as successful as Pine Tree district administrators anticipate it will be, Connor said they plan to offer even more web-based courses in the future.

“As an education society, we’re constantly trying to adapt instructional strategies to match student learning styles,” Connor said. “We continue to maintain high expectations for all our students, but they can complete (their courses) in a variety of ways— which is a “win-win” situation for the student, school district, and community.”

Educational Options, Inc. is the proud recipient of the 2006 U.S Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award. The company’s premier product, the Stars Suite, features more than 38 middle and high school courses, and solutions for state test preparation, high school preparation, and GED study. Educational Options is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, and is the parent company of Blue Ridge International Academy, an accredited online school able to grant course credits and full high school diplomas.

KLTV news story on Pine Tree ISD summer school program