Distance Learning Program
Jennie Hallisey, Coordinator
Click here to view the Mission and Requirements of the Distance Learning Program. (PDF)
Because many of the students at BDEA have a challenging load of responsibilities at home that make consistent in-school attendance difficult, BDEA created a Distance Learning program. The program has the mission to provide students who have difficulty attending school on a regular basis with alternative opportunities for achieving academic goals while maintaining a flexible schedule.
The program is designed to provide a solid education that meets the academic requirements of BDEA, while also providing students with a schedule that meets their needs. This personalized education program is delivered through workshops, independent study, and interdisciplinary projects using technology to effectively and efficiently link students, faculty, and information. The Distance Learning program enables those students who are most at-risk of dropping out of school to stay engaged and continue to work toward earning a high school diploma.
Each term, students work with the Program Coordinator to establish academic goals for each subject and design a weekly schedule to fulfill those goals. Project work can include: written assignments that combine readings with inquiry and analysis; individual assignments that focus on a particular student’s skill development needs; web-based research; and participation in on-site workshops.
Workshops are 50-minute in-class instructional blocks during which the instructor focuses on one or two specific topics, presents information to enhance topic-related skill level, and challenges students to practice and demonstrate the skill. Students maintain a student portfolio and at the end of each term are required to demonstrate benchmarks achieved in each subject area.
Critical to the success of the Distance Learning program is open and ongoing communications between faculty and students to address each student’s individual academic and personal needs, academic challenges and difficulties encountered, and goals for the future. The Distance Learning community has its own advisory group, meeting weekly to discuss program issues, do community building, and present and discuss post-graduation options.
If you are interested in learning more about the Distance Learning program, please contact Jennie Hallisey at (617) 635-6789.
20 Kearsarge Avenue • Roxbury, MA
02119
Phone: 617-635-6789 • Fax: 617-635-6380