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  • January 2016 (Revised November 2018)
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Ivy Academy: Blended Learning in Downingtown Area School District

By: John J-H Kim and Daniel Goldberg
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:27
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Abstract

In 2015, Downingtown Area School District (DASD), a suburban school district near Philadelphia, entered its second year implementing Ivy Academy, a blended learning program, in its two traditional high schools. Superintendent Larry Mussoline, having for several years worked to incorporate technology into student learning, hoped that Ivy Academy would deepen student learning, provide more rigorous courses, introduce more scheduling flexibility, and change the culture among teachers in his district. In Ivy Academy, classes meet two out of every six days in-person, and students are expected to work asynchronously online during the other days. In the first year, 341 students (out of 3,800 eligible) and 19 teachers (out of 240 eligible) participated in Ivy Academy; in the second year, the program grew. However, final exam results for students participating in Ivy Academy are mixed, and certain staff and parents remain skeptical of its effectiveness. This case explores whether DASD is ready to scale Ivy Academy and make it the primary way in which students learn.

Keywords

Organizational Change and Adaptation; Information Technology; Curriculum and Courses; Learning; Philadelphia

Citation

Kim, John J-H, and Daniel Goldberg. "Ivy Academy: Blended Learning in Downingtown Area School District." Harvard Business School Case 316-144, January 2016. (Revised November 2018.)
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About The Author

John Jong-Hyun Kim

General Management
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Related Work

    • July 2017
    • Faculty Research

    Ivy Academy: Blended Learning in Downingtown Area School District

    By: John J-H Kim
    • January 2016 (Revised November 2018)
    • Faculty Research

    Ivy Academy: Blended Learning in Downingtown Area School District

    By: John J-H Kim and Daniel Goldberg
Related Work
  • Ivy Academy: Blended Learning in Downingtown Area School District By: John J-H Kim
  • Ivy Academy: Blended Learning in Downingtown Area School District By: John J-H Kim and Daniel Goldberg
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