National Center for Juvenile Intervention

Lack of Behavior Options Fuels Computer-Based Elementary and Secondary Schools

by Tam Nguyen

Over the past several years there has been an increase in growth among online schools. Previously the domain of drop-outs and homeschoolers, Internet education has expanded to accommodate a wider and more varied clientele. With fewer limits on what can be regionally accredited, both public and private schools have sprouted up on the Web in increasing numbers.

In a recent interview with Mr. William Dixon, Board Chair of William Cross Academy, a residential and online school, I posed the question: What needs are being met today online that were impossible a few years ago?

William Dixon: Well, it’s an interesting question because I think the possibilities of reaching young people in many of the ways we are have been around for some time, but no one has been taking advantage of them until now.

Tam Nugyen: Why do think that is?

WD: Several reasons really. I think there hasn’t really been a precedent that meeting your child’s needs online was possible before now. Many families are just now becoming exposed to the idea of online assistance through their public schools. While online public schools are available in many states now, they still don’t necessarily meet all of the needs that are really out there.

TN: Now, you’ve been in operation since 2005. What sort of changes have you seen in the online education field?

WD: Well, I think certainly there is a lot more competition, but not all of it is accredited. Of course, if you’re a homeschooling family, you probably don’t have an accredited program either, but when you are paying to send your child to go to school you want to know that there is a regionally accredited option available to you.

I’ve seen online schools run anywhere from $75-$200 per month and vary quite a bit in what they offer. Most focus on teens that have been expelled from schools or can no longer attend school due to having a child at a young age. Others focus on homeschoolers or gifted programs. In our case, we operate a Christian-based behavioral school, but only as a supplement to our traditional residential program.

TN: A supplement? That’s interesting. So, do you offer the same residential program to families in an online format then?

WD: Well, not exactly. What we noticed was that our program’s design was an excellent fit for working specifically with local children in need of the services. But, we augmented it to bring in children from all over the US. The problem was that since we were dealing with younger children in an early-intervention setting, the ‘homesick’ factor was higher. We would get kids coming in from all over the U.S. that would do well in our program, but be forced to return early because the parents couldn’t handle the separation.

TN: So it was the parents who were homesick?

WD: Yes, exactly. When you are dealing with older children, that phenomenon doesn’t tend to occur as often. Maybe because parents are already ready to send their children away, I don’t know.

In any case, we had to adapt. Now our program is designed to bring in children for a shorter period of time and teach them some effective behavioral skills for a few months and then return them to their homes. The online portion helps us continue monitoring their academics and behavior for the remaining months of the program.

TN: Oh so it’s more of an extension of your residential program rather than a replacement.

WD: Yes, well, all of our students have to attend residentially first. Even then, the extension program varies by family. Some return to public school and stay with our online program as a credit recovery program. Others don’t attend online school, but they will remain with an online behavioral accountability. It just depends on the need.

TN: And has that been effective?

WD: We can reach a lot more families this way, yes. So, I’m sure other online schools are having the same experience depending upon how much effort they put into developing it.

TN: You mentioned earlier when we approached you about this interview that you have worked with NCJI in the past, what role have they played in your development?

WD: Well, the initial school concept was ours based on our own research. We had tried to get some assistance with grant funding through them, which I think a lot of people have misconceptions about. NCJI will be quick to tell you that they don’t do grant writing. But they did help us restructure our program into something that was more viable, and much of that input was free. Now I think we are much more adept at reaching the types of families we were aiming for initially and fulfilling our charter better.

TN: What do you see as the biggest obstacle facing online education in general today?

WD: In terms of pure academics, I would say very little. It’s very easy to teach via the Internet and to have good teaching going on. The hardest part is motivating the students in most cases. We get around this by calling the students daily to promote accountability in our stay-at-home kids.

As far as the intangible pieces, such as meeting their social and behavioral intervention needs, we hold an annual camp. Really, it’s mainly about seeing the needs that exist and finding a way to meet them; I think more and more schools are getting the message and taking these types of programs to the people that really need them.

TN: Where can people go to find out more about your program and the work your school is doing now?

WD: The best way is to contact us directly at WilliamCrossAcademy@gmail.com and schedule a consultation.

TN: William, thank you for your time.

WD: My pleasure Tam.



		© 2005-2010 National Center for Juvenile Intervention JAN/FEB 2010 Lack of Behavior Options Fuels Computer-Based Elementary and Secondary Schools by Tam Nguyen Over the past several years there has been an increase in growth among online schools. Previously the domain of drop-outs and homeschoolers, Internet education has expanded to accommodate a wider and more varied clientele. With fewer limits on what can be regionally accredited, both public and private schools have sprouted up on the Web in increasing numbers. In a recent interview with Mr. William Dixon, Board Chair of William Cross Academy, a residential and online school, I posed the question: What needs are being met today online that were impossible a few years ago? William Dixon: Well, it’s an interesting question because I think the possibilities of reaching young people in many of the ways we are have been around for some time, but no one has been taking advantage of them until now. Tam Nugyen: Why do think that is? WD: Several reasons really. I think there hasn’t really been a precedent that meeting your child’s needs online was possible before now. Many families are just now becoming exposed to the idea of online assistance through their public schools. While online public schools are available in many states now, they still don’t necessarily meet all of the needs that are really out there. TN: Now, you’ve been in operation since 2005. What sort of changes have you seen in the online education field? WD: Well, I think certainly there is a lot more competition, but not all of it is accredited. Of course, if you’re a homeschooling family, you probably don’t have an accredited program either, but when you are paying to send your child to go to school you want to know that there is a regionally accredited option available to you. I’ve seen online schools run anywhere from $75-$200 per month and vary quite a bit in what they offer. Most focus on teens that have been expelled from schools or can no longer attend school due to having a child at a young age. Others focus on homeschoolers or gifted programs. In our case, we operate a Christian-based behavioral school, but only as a supplement to our traditional residential program. TN: A supplement? That’s interesting. So, do you offer the same residential program to families in an online format then? WD: Well, not exactly. What we noticed was that our program’s design was an excellent fit for working specifically with local children in need of the services. But, we augmented it to bring in children from all over the US. The problem was that since we were dealing with younger children in an early-intervention setting, the ‘homesick’ factor was higher. We would get kids coming in from all over the U.S. that would do well in our program, but be forced to return early because the parents couldn’t handle the separation. TN: So it was the parents who were homesick? WD: Yes, exactly. When you are dealing with older children, that phenomenon doesn’t tend to occur as often. Maybe because parents are already ready to send their children away, I don’t know. In any case, we had to adapt. Now our program is designed to bring in children for a shorter period of time and teach them some effective behavioral skills for a few months and then return them to their homes. The online portion helps us continue monitoring their academics and behavior for the remaining months of the program. TN: Oh so it’s more of an extension of your residential program rather than a replacement. WD: Yes, well, all of our students have to attend residentially first. Even then, the extension program varies by family. Some return to public school and stay with our online program as a credit recovery program. Others don’t attend online school, but they will remain with an online behavioral accountability. It just depends on the need. TN: And has that been effective? WD: We can reach a lot more families this way, yes. So, I’m sure other online schools are having the same experience depending upon how much effort they put into developing it. TN: You mentioned earlier when we approached you about this interview that you have worked with NCJI in the past, what role have they played in your development? WD: Well, the initial school concept was ours based on our own research. We had tried to get some assistance with grant funding through them, which I think a lot of people have misconceptions about. NCJI will be quick to tell you that they don’t do grant writing. But they did help us restructure our program into something that was more viable, and much of that input was free. Now I think we are much more adept at reaching the types of families we were aiming for initially and fulfilling our charter better. TN: What do you see as the biggest obstacle facing online education in general today? WD: In terms of pure academics, I would say very little. It’s very easy to teach via the Internet and to have good teaching going on. The hardest part is motivating the students in most cases. We get around this by calling the students daily to promote accountability in our stay-at-home kids. As far as the intangible pieces, such as meeting their social and behavioral intervention needs, we hold an annual camp. Really, it’s mainly about seeing the needs that exist and finding a way to meet them; I think more and more schools are getting the message and taking these types of programs to the people that really need them. TN: Where can people go to find out more about your program and the work your school is doing now? WD: The best way is to contact us directly at WilliamCrossAcademy@gmail.com and schedule a consultation. TN: William, thank you for your time. WD: My pleasure Tam.