2024: Year in Review and Our Ongoing Focus on Growth and Improvement
As we rapidly approach a new year, all of us at VHS Learning are reminiscing on our efforts and accomplishments throughout 2024. This year has flown by as we’ve connected thousands of students with online learning opportunities and watched them excel and achieve great things.
Reflecting on 2024, VHS Learning has had many rewarding moments developing new courses, building valuable partnerships, and furthering our vision to cultivate a diverse global learning community and foster a safe and supportive learning environment that nurtures students and gives them the unique educational choices they need to be successful in careers and life.
Our Five-Year Strategic Plan
While we appreciate all that our organization and our students have achieved in 2024, we’re also taking an opportunity to look forward into the upcoming year and beyond. Our ongoing focus on growth and improvement is central to the VHS Learning vision and mission, which is why we developed and released a five-year strategic plan in 2024.
In May, we shared our five-year strategic plan for online education, which details our intentions and strategies to advance our mission and improve access to online education. At VHS Learning, our mission is to provide high school students with world-class online courses and teachers that ignite a passion for learning.
Providing Quality Online Learning Programs
For nearly thirty years, our nonprofit has been committed to providing equitable access to quality online education. We are dedicated to improving access to educational choices and cultivating diverse classroom communities that inspire and engage students. In our efforts to expand quality online education, VHS Learning is closely involved in setting national standards for quality online education.
In August, Amy Michalowski, VHS Learning’s Dean and an executive board member of the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA), helped co-lead a refresh of the National Standards for Quality Online Programs. Her efforts coincided with an overall update of the National Standards for Quality, a set of openly licensed standards designed to help evaluate and improve online education. The revised standards will be available in early 2025 at the National Standards for Quality Online Learning website.
Student Academic Achievement in VHS Learning Courses
One of the primary indicators of our impact is the success of our students, who are able to achieve their academic goals through VHS Learning courses and programs. VHS Learning offers one of the largest College Board-approved Advanced Placement® course catalogs anywhere. Students find great success in VHS Learning AP® courses, with most students on average exceeding global pass rates, which consistently remains true year after year.
At the forefront of our strategic plan is our commitment to supporting students so they are able to consistently achieve in their VHS Learning courses. We announced early this year that during the 2022-2023 academic year, the average student course completion rate was 91%. We have maintained this long-standing record of academic excellence, ending the 2023-24 academic year with an increased course completion rate and above average AP® Exam pass rates across the majority of VHS Learning AP® courses.
Expanding Access to Computer Science Education
Another aspect of our strategic plan for online learning is a strong focus on career and technical education, preparing students for life beyond school. The diverse course offerings we provide enable students to explore career pathways, guiding them to discover their passions and future career opportunities.
In particular, we are dedicated to expanding access to computer science (CS) education to address the growing demand for CS skills. We are an active part of the CSforALL movement and make yearly commitments to the initiative, offering CS courses to students who wouldn’t otherwise have access.
In October, we once again made a commitment to CSforALL, making us one of 143 commitments from 136 organizations of all types, including schools and school districts, nonprofits, universities and colleges, curriculum and content providers, researchers, corporate partners, and more. In the 2024-2025 academic year, VHS Learning has committed to developing and delivering a new high-school level half-credit computer science course: Artificial Intelligence.
Building Connections and Setting Goals for the Future
Throughout the year, the VHS Learning team and our partner institutions had several articles featured in publications including eSchool News, EdTech Digest, and District Administration. We are also very proud of two VHS Learning students who were featured in District Administration and EdTech Digest for their articles about the benefits of online learning.
At VHS Learning, we strive to foster a sense of community and excellence through our high-quality, engaging online learning experiences. By directing our goals toward improvement and growth in the upcoming year, we hope to continue expanding access to online learning for students all over the world.
We are grateful for everything our organization has been able to accomplish in 2024. We can’t wait to see what new opportunities 2025 will bring, and we look forward to exploring new ideas, building new partnerships, and expanding our online offerings in the new year. On behalf of all of us at VHS Learning, happy new year!
