As part of a Blended Learning Program that replaced the Montgomery Virtual Academy, MCPS offers flexible e-learning options to medically impacted students.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) initiated a new Blended Learning Program (BLP) on November 6 about long-term medically challenged students. The new program came after the early closure of Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) due to budget cuts.

More than 700 students were affected by the closure of MVA; most of them have some forms of medical condition which make them attend school classes personally. Unlike the short-term Interim Instructional Services, BLP can accommodate a long period of learning, as it serves students who cannot attend school in person for an entire year. It is a hybrid of synchronous and asynchronous distance learning through virtual classroom instruction that is personalized for each student.

BLP is serving about 66 students now, giving these learners the flexibility and support they need due to special education concerns or language barriers. Some families are dubious about the effectiveness of such a program, but BLP offers much-needed options for e-learning among these at-risk populations. MCPS seeks to evolve this program over time to meet such needs among students continuously.