I have seen this coming from the NCAA for some time now, but in August 2011, the NCAA put into effect a bylaw with some very interesting language regarding online courses. This bylaw can be best described this way: The NCAA is saying: Take an online course at your own risk. Pasted in below is the basic transcription which can be found in an article in the Post Gazette which was written in August. Take a look.
"This month, the NCAA initiated a new policy -- approved in January -- outlining how to determine if "nontraditional" courses meet NCAA standards. The new policy applies to courses completed after Aug. 1.
To be eligible to participate in Division I sports in the first year of college, the NCAA requires students to complete 16 core courses in high school, including four years of English, three years of math and two years of science, among others.
Under the new policy, the NCAA states that nontraditional courses must meet these conditions:
• Course meets all requirements for a core course.
• The instructor and student have ongoing access and regular interaction with one another, including the teacher helping the student.
• The student's exams, papers and assignments are available for evaluation and validation.
• The student's work is evaluated in keeping with the high school's academic policies.
• The course must be completed in a defined period.
• Any student could take the course, not just athletes.
• The course appears on the high school transcript."
I want to draw your attention to one section that specifically makes life difficult for those trying to become eligible through online courses.
"• The instructor and student have ongoing access and regular interaction with one another, including the teacher helping the student."
Please tell me how one can prove that an online teacher has helped the student. The best I can think of is a situation where the student would have to save a series of emails between him/her and the instructor. This would be necessary to attempt to show whether teacher has been helpful at all. Then, you're leaving it in the NCAA's hands to determine if that teacher was indeed 'helping' the student. 'Access' and 'interaction' are also ambiguous words. Access could be through email, but is interaction? How can you prove the teacher and student have been 'working together?' The article goes on to state: "Software-based credit recovery courses are highly individualized and may be customized for each student," Ms. Royer said. "Because of this customization, the courses must be reviewed to determine whether they meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements."
Remember this, the NCAA has been trying to get rid of 'fake' schools and online classes for a long time. This type of vague wording gives them the opportunity to deny online courses without facing a messy lawsuit from the school claiming that it is in fact legitimate. So in a way, the NCAA is saying you may take these classes at your own risk, but they're going to deny it.
This is important because a lot of basketball academies place their students in online courses. A local prep (not Westwind) that was around for only one year did that. I later got a call from one of their students hoping to transfer to our school since their courses were not approved. Another west coast basketball academy may be doing that as well, as they have their students enrolled in a charter school with an online campus.
I have said for a long time, to be skeptical and thorough when deciding between staying at your local high school, moving to a prep school, or attending a basketball academy. It all depends on what your priority is. If your priority is qualifying, then you need to stay away from anything that suggests online courses. Honestly, if you plan to play in college, it doesn't matter how good at the sport you are in terms of qualifying. If you don't qualify, then you're off to a JUCO for two years before you can play for an NCAA institution. So remember, if you're thinking about attending a prep, and they tell you they place their students in online courses, then move in the other direction.
For more information, follow me on twitter @coachdesautels
Source used: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10242/1083635-298.stm#ixzz1aQxQTsyE
"This month, the NCAA initiated a new policy -- approved in January -- outlining how to determine if "nontraditional" courses meet NCAA standards. The new policy applies to courses completed after Aug. 1.
To be eligible to participate in Division I sports in the first year of college, the NCAA requires students to complete 16 core courses in high school, including four years of English, three years of math and two years of science, among others.
Under the new policy, the NCAA states that nontraditional courses must meet these conditions:
• Course meets all requirements for a core course.
• The instructor and student have ongoing access and regular interaction with one another, including the teacher helping the student.
• The student's exams, papers and assignments are available for evaluation and validation.
• The student's work is evaluated in keeping with the high school's academic policies.
• The course must be completed in a defined period.
• Any student could take the course, not just athletes.
• The course appears on the high school transcript."
I want to draw your attention to one section that specifically makes life difficult for those trying to become eligible through online courses.
"• The instructor and student have ongoing access and regular interaction with one another, including the teacher helping the student."
Please tell me how one can prove that an online teacher has helped the student. The best I can think of is a situation where the student would have to save a series of emails between him/her and the instructor. This would be necessary to attempt to show whether teacher has been helpful at all. Then, you're leaving it in the NCAA's hands to determine if that teacher was indeed 'helping' the student. 'Access' and 'interaction' are also ambiguous words. Access could be through email, but is interaction? How can you prove the teacher and student have been 'working together?' The article goes on to state: "Software-based credit recovery courses are highly individualized and may be customized for each student," Ms. Royer said. "Because of this customization, the courses must be reviewed to determine whether they meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements."
Remember this, the NCAA has been trying to get rid of 'fake' schools and online classes for a long time. This type of vague wording gives them the opportunity to deny online courses without facing a messy lawsuit from the school claiming that it is in fact legitimate. So in a way, the NCAA is saying you may take these classes at your own risk, but they're going to deny it.
This is important because a lot of basketball academies place their students in online courses. A local prep (not Westwind) that was around for only one year did that. I later got a call from one of their students hoping to transfer to our school since their courses were not approved. Another west coast basketball academy may be doing that as well, as they have their students enrolled in a charter school with an online campus.
I have said for a long time, to be skeptical and thorough when deciding between staying at your local high school, moving to a prep school, or attending a basketball academy. It all depends on what your priority is. If your priority is qualifying, then you need to stay away from anything that suggests online courses. Honestly, if you plan to play in college, it doesn't matter how good at the sport you are in terms of qualifying. If you don't qualify, then you're off to a JUCO for two years before you can play for an NCAA institution. So remember, if you're thinking about attending a prep, and they tell you they place their students in online courses, then move in the other direction.
For more information, follow me on twitter @coachdesautels
Source used: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10242/1083635-298.stm#ixzz1aQxQTsyE
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