By George Slaughter
The Texas Distance Learning Association has recognized the Katy Independent School District’s Katy Virtual School as the 2021 K-12 winner of the Outstanding Commitment to Excellence and Innovation in Distance Education recognition.
“Katy ISD was the only K-12 school district in Texas to receive such a prestigious award,” Susan Richards, Katy ISD Instructional Technology e-Learning Manager, said in a news release. “Katy Virtual School has expanded over the years to provide secondary students quality instruction outside of normal school hours and during the summer to support their graduation plans.”
The district launched Katy Virtual School in 2013. The district’s goal was to offer choice and flexibility for online courses developed and taught by district teachers.
This year, the program offered over 45 advanced placement, Katy Advanced Program, and academic-level courses to students. The district adds more courses each year. Over 4,000 students took courses through Katy Virtual School.
Katy Virtual School is a different program from the recently developed Katy Virtual Academy (KVA), which was created for online learning during the pandemic.
For more information, visit Katy Virtual School.