By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
EdNet continues to be important to a great number of
students at Juab High School and, as far as the pocketbook
is concerned, to a great number of parents.
"The numbers in the very beginning of EdNet I don't
have," said Gay Hansen, who is over the program in Juab
School District.
The district did not have a facilitator in those early
days of the program. The counseling office through Alan
Sperry was overseeing the program as well as taking care of
student counseling.
"When Alan (Sperry) and Rick (Durbin, school
principal) were given the go ahead to hire someone, I took
over," said Hansen.
"Fall semester 1998 we had 35 students enrolled in
EdNet courses compared with this Semester 163," she
said.
Hansen, and her husband Richard Hansen, attended
school board meeting on Tuesday to explain the cost savings
to parents and the benefit to students. Continued support
for the program represents savings to parents in the form of
dollars and to students in the form of time.
"We have some numbers which represent the savings to
parents," said R. Hansen.
The numbers are especially significant for parents of
students who are college-bound in that students can leave
high school with a significant part of their first two years
of college classes completed.
Many of the required subjects can be finished through
EdNet, he said.
"During 1998-1999, 225 students participated and the
credit hours for those students at a college would have cost
a parent $36,825," said R. Hansen.
G. Hansen said that the figures used were for UVSC,
which at the time, was charging $351 per credit hour.
In 1999-2000, 235 students participated at a savings
to parents of $38,460; in 2000-2001, 492 students
participated at a savings for parents of $80,524; In 2001
-2002, 405 students participated at a savings to parents of
$66,285; in 2002-2003, 621 students participated at a
savings to parents of $101,637; in 2003-2004, 607 students
participated at a savings for parents of $99,343; and in
2004-2005 571 students took EdNet classes for a savings to
parents of $93,451.
EdNet allows students and community members to take
classes and attend special events that might not be
available to them locally.
This two-way, fully interactive video network connects
schools throughout Utah and beyond using various
technologies. Each site in the network interacts with other
sites in real-time. Currently more than 270 interactive
sites make up the EdNet system.
The Utah Education Network Satellite System (UENSS) is
an integrated component of the EdNet system. This digital
satellite technology provides one-way video and two-way
audio for course delivery to over 90 sites throughout the
state.
"There were some failures," G. Hansen said.
Mostly there are successes, she said. Some senior
students do not want to be bothered and some are frightened
by the idea of taking college courses.
The aviation class, for example, does not draw a lot
of students but, nevertheless, there are a number who do
take the class and, later, qualify for a pilot's
license.
"It does help some kids graduate," said G. Hansen.
"There are students who would not graduate if it were not
for EdNet."
It also gives students the idea that they can have
confidence in their learning abilities and that they can be
successful at college.
One problem with the program is that UVSC only gives
one month for students to decide whether or not they can
take the class and pass it or whether, in the estimation of
the student, the class should be dropped officially.
The program used to give students a longer to
determine whether or not the class was one the student
thought they could have success with or not.
Superintendent Kirk Wright said the biggest problem
was that the district does not get funding for students who
participate in EdNet unless the student completes the
course.
"If the kid drops the class, then the district has to
subsidize the cost," said Wright.
He said that, theoretically, students should be
screened prior to signing up. There are other resources open
to students who need classes to graduate from high school.
One is the electronic high school, he said, and another is
PLATO.
"Through EdNet, a student can complete a course in one
semester," said G. Hansen.
"We have students who don't cut it in high school but
we have so many of those students who do well in college
because it comes down to motivation," she said."I have no
more failures that other teachers, mine just show more."
EdNet helped students gain confidence that they could
succeed, she said.
Delanie Hathaway, board vice president, said she
agreed and supported the program.
"College represents a big transition in the life of a
student and EdNet helps with that transition," she said.
Stacy Brooks, board member, said she had appreciated
the financial help the classes represented to her household
as her daughter participated and filled many of the college
required classes before leaving home for college.
"That is a big savings to parents," said R.
Hansen.
There is now data and history of the EdNet program in
the Juab School District for educators to review and to see
that the success is there, said G. Hansen.
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