About CT AVHS

The Connecticut Adult Virtual High School (CT AVHS), funded by the State's Bureau of Health and Nutrition, Family Services and Adult Education, provides students enrolled in Connecticut's Adult Credit Diploma Programs the option of earning credits online. These online courses are designed specifically for the adult student and include assignments and one-on-one teacher interactions.

Online courses are as rigorous as the traditional face-to-face format. In fact, some students find online courses to be more challenging, demanding more time and effort. Each CT AVHS course contains six weeks' worth of course materials, averaging six hours of coursework for each week. However, due to the flexibility of the online format, students will have ten weeks to complete each course in its entirety. Students are also required to spend a designated number of hours onsite (verifiable hours) at an Adult Education Center.

All CT AVHS online teachers are CT certified and trained to teach online asynchronous courses. They understand students will be logging on at different times of the day and on different days of the week to access and complete their coursework.

CT AVHS History

Adult Credit Diploma Programs in Connecticut do not have the same resources, community reach, or success. Web-based distance learning provides Connecticut with the benefit of a system with shared resources that is available to students across the state, regardless of where they are located, or their ability to commute to a traditional classroom setting. The professional development components of this Project increase local expertise and standardize educational resources. The central delivery of student registration, course development, staff development, and program management represent a statewide improvement in learning outcomes, cost efficiencies and program equity.

The Program began in 2002-2003 with a charter to create a scalable model for an online program to serve the CT Adult Credit Diploma community. Four centers (Hartford, Vernon, New London and Middletown) participated in a pilot year, from which four online courses and an Orientation to Online Learning course were produced. In September 2006, the CT AVHS became a statewide program.

The CT Adult Virtual High School's program currently offers half credit courses for adult credit diploma credits, online GED Preparatory courses, and a Student Success Orientation course.

Each participating adult education center must have a trained Online Learning Coordinator to administer the program and must assign a trained Mentor to each student enrolled in an online course. The CT AVHS provides this training.