Student & Parent Handbook Blue Valley School District 15020 Metcalf Avenue Overland Park, Kansas 66283 1
Program Overview... 4 Admission Requirements... 5 Enrollment Procedures/Prerequisites... 6 Fees... 7 Attendance... 8 Special Education/Section 504 Plan... 9 Drop/Add Policy... 10 Suspended/Expelled Students... 11 Documentation Collection... 12-13 Student Orientation... 14 Grading Policies... 15 Final Exam Procedures... 16 Online Course Components... 17 Online Access... 18 Parent/Guardian Access... 19 Participation Requirements... 20 Student Code of Conduct... 21 Discipline Procedures... 22 Technology Usage... 23 Student Email Requirements/Restrictions... 24-25 Student Online Work/Records... 26 Materials and Technology... 27 2
Student Support... 28 Contact Virtual Education... 29 3
Program Overview: Blue Valley Virtual Education provides students with the opportunities to design their own personalized student learning. Students who participate in web-based instruction are participating in courses with students across the district. Virtual classrooms allow students the freedom to work on the coursework when and where they have time. The online classrooms contain a variety of technologies including: discussion forums, assignments, quizzes, and virtual textbooks. Each web-based course is designed to align with the Blue Valley District curriculum and the Kansas state standards. During the school year, over 10 virtual courses will be available for student participation. For additional information about Blue Valley Virtual Education, contact Robert Asquith at rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org. 4
Admission Requirements: Blue Valley Virtual Education courses are available to any high school aged student who is enrolled in the Blue Valley School District. Students who have successfully completed the 8 th grade year of middle school can enroll in virtual courses immediately following the 8 th grade year. Course pre-requisites apply on some of the courses. These can be found in the course description guide located at http://www.bluevalleyk12.org/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid =7867&. As part of the admission policy, students enrolled in a virtual course are required to log in to the virtual course within the first two weeks of school. Students who do not comply with this policy will be involuntarily withdrawn from the program. *See Drop/Add Policy on page 10 for further details. 5
Enrollment Procedures: The high school counselors conduct enrollment in online courses during the academic school year. Only the high school counselors can make revisions to the student schedules during the fall or spring semesters. Students can choose to take a virtual course as part of their typical school day (either hours 1 or 7) or they can choose to enroll in a virtual course in addition to the traditional 7 class hours. Summer class enrollment is done online through the Blue Valley Summer School site located at www.bluevalleyk12.org. Summer enrollment opens during the month of March each year. Virtual classes will remain open for enrollment until classes are at capacity. All virtual courses, including those courses offered during the summer semester, follow the district s prerequisites for each course. Prerequisites can be found in the course description guide located http://www.bluevalleyk12.org/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid =7867&. 6
Virtual Education Fees: Students who enroll in a virtual course during their school day (1 st or 7 th hours) are not charged a fee. Online courses taken in addition to their 7 classes are charged a fee of $250.00 per class per semester. Fees can be paid either at the high school bookkeeper office or through Blue Valley Parents Online/ParentVue (http://www.bluevalleyk12.org). Summer school classes are paid online at the time of enrollment. *If a student is dropped, either voluntarily or involuntarily, BEFORE the 10 th day of the semester (including summer school), the full fee will be returned. If a student is dropped, either voluntarily or involuntarily, AFTER the 10 th day of the semester (including summer school), the fee will not be returned. 7
Online Attendance : Blue Valley Virtual Education instructors are required to keep online attendance/participation for all students. If a student has not logged into the course or engaged with the online content for more than five (5) consecutive days, the instructor will notify the parents through email and/or phone calls. Students are required to notify instructors of any foreseen absences. Students who have communicated attendance issues with the instructors and made arrangements for course continuance will not be penalized for any missed deadlines or submissions. 8
Special Education/Section 504 Plan: Blue Valley Virtual Education accepts enrollment from students who are identified as Special Education or Section 504* eligible. Students with either an IEP or a 504 plan must meet the enrollment requirements for the Virtual Education program. When a student enrolls with current Special Education eligibility and a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Virtual Education staff will be provided with a copy of the IEP. The case manager will provide a copy of the IEP to the Virtual Education administrative team and/or online instructor. This document will include, but is not limited to, the accommodations and modifications required to support the student. Typical accommodations for virtual courses may include: Additional time on tests or assignments** Someone (parents, special education teacher, and paraprofessional) may read the course content to the student. Screen readers (Blackboard, the learning management system for the district is compliant with the majority of screen readers). Hard copies of the course content Hard copy of the course textbook and supplementary readings Audio file submissions for assignments (excluding those assignments/projects that require typing skills Computer Applications, Advanced Computer Applications, research projects, etc.) ** Fewer number of questions/choices on tests** The items that are marked with ** require notifying the Virtual Education department prior to start of the virtual class of the need for the accommodation. The nature and details of the accommodations is determined by the IEP or 504 team in conjunction with representatives from the Virtual Education department. Because of the expectations of Virtual Education classes, an accommodation that is requested may become a fundamental alteration rather than an accommodation. The Virtual Education department makes the decision as to whether the proposed accommodation fundamentally alters the course. The IEP or 504 team, which also includes a representative from the Virtual Education department, may be consulted in regards to the status of an accommodation. The building administrator makes the final decision. *A complete copy of the Special Education and Section 504 guidelines can be viewed at http://www.bluevalleyk12.org/iep_504 9
Drop/Add Policy: Blue Valley Virtual Education accepts student drops WITHOUT fee reimbursement until the 11th week of classes. Voluntary Drops Students who wish to voluntarily drop an online course must meet with a high school counselor to update their course schedule. Students who voluntarily drop an online course BEFORE the 10 th day of the semester will receive a full fee reimbursement. Students who voluntarily drop an online course AFTER the 10 th day of the semester will NOT receive a fee reimbursement. Involuntary Drops Students can be involuntarily dropped by the Virtual Education Department for any noncompliance to the policies and procedures contained in this document. Students and their parents/guardians will be notified via email and phone prior to the student being dropped from the online course. Students who are involuntarily dropped from the online course BEFORE the 10 th day of the semester will receive a full fee reimbursement. Students who are dropped from the program AFTER the 10 th day of the semester will NOT receive a fee reimbursement. Adding a Virtual Course Student enrollment into a virtual course is accepted until the semester has started on a space availability basis. Any additional students who wish to enroll in a virtual course must meet with the high school counselor to confirm course availability. The Virtual Education program will work with counselors to meet student s requests to add courses after the start of the semester. *Virtual Education staff will have the final decision about students enrolling in an online course after the semester has started. 10
Suspended/Expelled Students: The Virtual Education program follows the policies and procedures set forth by the Blue Valley School District. Any student who is long-term suspended or expelled from the traditional high school setting may be removed from the virtual course. Individual building administrators have the authority to make the final decision regarding enrollment or continued enrollment in the Virtual Education program for a student who is long-term suspended. Designated district administrators have the authority to make the final decision regarding enrollment or continued enrollment in the Virtual Education program for a student who is expelled. During a long-term suspension and with approval from the building administrator students may enroll in a Blue Valley or other approved virtual course to complete required high school credits. During an expulsion and with approval from the designated district administrator students may enroll in a Blue Valley or other approved virtual course to complete required high school credits. 11
Data Collection: The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) requires all virtual education programs to document student participation on two pre-determined dates during each fall semester. Students are required to login and engage with the online course content between August 16th and September 19th. Students are also required to login and engage with the online course content between September 20 th and October 4th. *Any student who does not complete the state collection requirements can be involuntarily removed from the virtual program without reimbursement of the virtual registration fee. *If you have questions about this policy, please contact Robert Asquith at rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org. 12
Student Orientation: Students enrolled in one or more online courses are required to attend one (1) orientation session at the beginning of each semester. During the orientation session students will receive their online account, course documents, specific directions, and information pertaining to the Virtual Education Department requirements. Students who do not attend an orientation may be subject to an involuntary drop from the online course. Students who are dropped BEFORE the 10 th day of the semester (including summer school) will receive a full fee reimbursement. Students who are dropped AFTER the 10 th day of the semester (including summer school) will not receive a fee reimbursement. 13
Grading Policies: Blue Valley Virtual Education instructors are required to keep the grade book current in the district s learning management system (LMS). Grades will be updated in the LMS on a regular basis. A grade overview will also be included in the district s student management system. Grades are determined based on the A, B, C, D and F scale. Each online course syllabus contains a specific point break down. The syllabus can be located in the LMS and the student orientation packet. Each online course contains specific grading rubrics for the online course requirements. Progress reports and final grades are released at the same time as traditional classes. Questions about student grades should be directed to the online instructor. *Grade challenges are accepted for one (1) year following the student s enrollment in the virtual program. The high school administrator or counselor must initiate grade challenges. 14
Final Exam Procedures: The Blue Valley School District requires that all virtual courses conduct a proctored final exam. Each student enrolled in a virtual course, is required to attend the scheduled final exam for his or her specific course. Students must bring a photo ID to participate in the final exams. The final exam schedule will be posted in the LMS. Students and parents/guardians will also receive an email with the final exam schedule and student participation requirements. *All coursework must be completed prior to the student taking the final exam. Any coursework not completed will count against the student s final grade for the course. *Students may not drop the course after completing the final exam. 15
Online Course Components: Blue Valley Virtual Education courses include video, audio, online quizzes, discussion forums, blogs, assignments, and projects. All virtual education courses require students to submit their work through the learning management system. Textbooks and supplemental resources are available in the online courses. Students who require a hard copy of the textbook or supplemental reading materials can obtain them through the high school libraries. *Course content may require students to download or install specific software to participate in the online content. A complete list of the software requirements is included on page 27 of this document. 16
Online Course Access: Blue Valley Virtual Education courses are published using the district s learning management system (LMS). Students will be assigned a username and password during the online orientation meeting. The Virtual Education website is http://bluevalleyk12.blackboard.com. All users are required to have a username and password. Students can access the courses from any location with internet access. Final exams are password protected and must be completed in a proctored setting. Online content is not accessible without a virtual education account. Virtual courses have specific deadlines for assignments. Instructors have the authority to alter the deadlines at any given time. Course deadlines will be posted in the learning management system. Questions about course deadlines or requirements should be directed to the online instructor. 17
Online Course Parent/Guardian Access: Blue Valley Virtual Education courses are published using the district s learning management system (LMS). Parents or guardians will be assigned a username and password at the beginning of each semester. Parent/guardian access is limited to their specific student s information and will not have access to other student s work or information. The Virtual Education website is http://bluevalleyk12.blackboard.com. All users are required to have a username and password. *If you have questions or would like to obtain access to your student s online course, please contact Robert Asquith at rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org. 18
Online Participation Requirements: Blue Valley Virtual Education courses contain online assignments, group work, blogs, wikis or discussion forums that require the students to engage and interact with other students. During the online interactions, students are required to be respectful of others, use appropriate grammar and spelling, and follow netiquette for all online communication. Sample collection data requirements: Students are required to login and engage with the online course content on specific dates during the months of August and September. Students are also required to login and engage with the online course content on specific dates during the months of September and October. *For additional clarification about student participation requirements see the Course Documentation section on pages 12-13 of this document. Netiquette: Netiquette is the term for common-sense guidelines for communicating online. Students in Blue Valley are expected to respect and abide by the following guidelines: Swearing is unacceptable at all times. Avoid sarcasm and slang, especially when participating in online discussion. Derogatory comments including those regarding race, gender, religion, politics, sexual orientation, physical or mental status, or ability will not be tolerated. All criticism must be constructive. Avoid spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. Content of online discussions, and personal information learned through online discussion must remain private. Never reveal personal information including phone numbers or addresses by means of the online classroom. 19
Student Code of Conduct: Students enrolled in a Virtual Education course must adhere to the Blue Valley School District s code of conduct rules and policies. Academic Honesty - Academic integrity is the foundation of the academic community. Because each student has the primary responsibility for being academically honest, students are advised to read and understand all sections of this policy relating to standards of conduct and academic life. Information contained in the virtual courses should not be distributed, duplicated or shared by students (including assignments, tests, quizzes or documents) unless given permission by the course instructor. Students who distribute materials without permission of the instructor will be subject to the appropriate discipline procedures and policies. Plagiarism and Copyright - Plagiarism is claiming to be the original author of language or ideas copied from another writer. This behavior is not tolerated in Blue Valley Schools. Examples of plagiarism: Copying or rephrasing other students' work Completing other students' work Copying directly from any resource without proper acknowledgement Using or rephrasing the ideas from any resource without proper acknowledgement Copyrighted Material - The online classroom receives special permission to make copyrighted material available online for students to use while enrolled in an online course. The reproduction of any of these materials without authorization, or the distribution of these materials to others, is strictly prohibited. 20
Discipline Procedures: Virtual Education student discipline issues will be reported to the program director and the corresponding high school administration. The Virtual Education Director and the corresponding high school principal determine decisions about the student s punishment for any discipline issues. Parents/guardians will be notified of any discipline issues. 21
Technology Usage: Students enrolled in a Virtual Education course must follow the Blue Valley School District s acceptable use policies. Students agree to this policy each time they access the online courses. Blue Valley Acceptable Use Policy - Use of Blue Valley computer systems and other communications technologies is governed by the Board of Education's acceptable use policies (3518 - Students and 6420 - Employees) and supporting guidelines. (See www.bluevalleyk12.org/boe/policies for more information.) This is a reminder that you have no reasonable expectation of privacy in your use of this technology and that violation of these policies may result in disciplinary action. By logging in, you are agreeing to these policies. 22
Student Email Requirements/Restrictions: All high school students are assigned a Blue Valley student email account. Students enrolled in an online course are required to use the Blue Valley student email account for all online course communications. Students will receive information about and access to their Blue Valley student email account during the online orientation held at the beginning of each semester. Online instructors will direct students to use the Blue Valley student email account for all online course correspondence. Students must follow the school district s email guidelines included on the next page of this document. The online instructor will not accept student work if it is submitted via email. Students must submit the online assignments through the learning management system. To access the Blue Valley student email go to http://studentemail.bluevalleyk12.net. *If you have questions about Blue Valley student email, please contact Robert Asquith at rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org. 23
Guidelines for Using Student E-mail in the Blue Valley School District The Blue Valley School District will begin issuing district student email accounts to a pilot group of students enrolled in certain Blue Valley courses, at no cost to the student. Students will be expected to use this account for communication within their virtual education course. Students can access this account from their homes or on a district computer in their home sc hool Students in Blue Valley are expected to respect and abide by the following email guidelines. Messages should be kept simple and direct using correct grammar and spelling. The use of appropriate language is expected. Swearing is unacceptable at all times. Sarcasm and slang should be avoided and any criticism should be constructive in nature. Derogatory comments including those regarding race, gender, religion, politics, sexual orientation, physical or mental status, or ability will not be tolerated. Content of online discussions, and personal information learned through online discussions, must remain private. Personal information such as student ID, social security number, address, or phone number should never be revealed in an email. E-mail messages must not be assumed to be confidential or private. Due to the fact that we cannot guarantee the privacy of electronic messages, e-mail should not be used for confidential or sensitive communications. E-mail messages on the BVSD system are subject to open records laws and may be requested by members of the media or public. In order to ensure a safe educational environment for students and staff and to ensure that certain types of confidential data is not being sent through email messages originating in the district, technological systems may be used to monitor and report suspected violations, including, but not limited to the following: a. Messages that contain sexually explicit language, graphics, or pictures; b. Messages that contain Social Security Numbers; c. Messages that contain Credit Card Numbers; d. Messages that contain references to the use and/or possession of illegal substances in the BVSD; e. Messages that contain references to the possession or use of firearms, other weapons or actions that may result in a threat to the safety of students and staff. Students are expected to respect and abide by the Blue Valley Board of Education s policies on acceptable use. Use of Blue Valley student email is governed by the Board of Education s acceptable use policies (3518 Students and 6420 Employees) and supporting guidelines. (See www.bluevalleyk12.org/boe/policies for more information). This is a reminder that you have no reasonable expectation of privacy in your use of this technology and that violation of these policies may result in disciplinary action. Each time you log into your student email account, you are agreeing to these policies. In the event that a student uses BVSD e-mail in an inappropriate or unacceptable manner, in violation of Board policies, or in violation of these guidelines, the student will be subject to disciplinary action. Such action may include, but shall not be limited to, detention, loss of class credit, loss of computer privileges, or suspension. 24
Student Online Records/Work: Virtual Education student participation records and online coursework will be kept in the school district s learning management system for approximately five years. At the end of that time, the virtual course will be archived and removed from the learning management system. Virtual Education staff members are the only individuals who may retrieve or access the online content. All online courses are backed up on a regular basis. If there is an interruption in the online course service, student work would be recovered from the most recent data backup. Students will be notified of any interruption or loss of online course service. 25
Materials and Technology: Virtual Education courses contain the online materials, assignments, and resources for the students. Any supplemental materials or readings will be made available to the students on an as needed basis. Course content may require the students to have specific software or hardware in order to complete the online course requirements. A list of the specific course requirements is available in each of the online courses. Virtual courses contain web addresses for downloading specific software packages. See the Get Help section of the online course for these web links. Computer Requirements Students can run either a Macintosh OR a PC (Dell, HP, IBM, etc.) for the online courses. Below are a list of specific software requirements: PC - (Windows 7/8/10) Firefox Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 or 2013 or 2016 Windows Media Player Adobe Acrobat Reader Macintosh - (OS X) Firefox Microsoft Office 2008 or 2011 or 2016 QuickTime or Flip4Mac or Windows Media Player for Macintosh Adobe Acrobat Reader *Students enrolled in Computer Applications or Advanced Computer Applications are required to have Microsoft Office 2007/2010 (including Microsoft Access) for the PC and Microsoft Office 2008/2011 for the Macintosh. *If you have questions about the computer requirements, please contact Robert Asquith at rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org. 26
Student Support: Virtual Education instructors are all certified in the content area in which they are teaching. Students should direct any questions about the content to their designated instructor. Instructor contact information is made available in each of the online courses under the Contact Your Instructor section. Technical Support Blue Valley Virtual Education staff will provide technical support to the online teacher, students and parents. At the beginning of each semester, Virtual Education staff members meet with each student for a mandatory course orientation (see page 14). Course materials and required information are reviewed at this time. Each virtual course contains a Get Help section that includes handouts and tutorials for the online course tools. Virtual Education staff will make return calls or emails within 24 hours of receiving the initial contact during normal district office hours. 27
Contact Virtual Education: Blue Valley Virtual Education Program Virtual Education Courses http://bluevalleyk12.blackboard.com Staff Members - Robert Asquith, Virtual Education Coordinator 913-239-4344 rasquith@bluevalleyk12.org Blue Valley School District 15020 Metcalf Avenue Overland Park, Kansas 66283 http://www.bluevalleyk12.org Revised 8/2/2017 28
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