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Virtual School Acceleration Requirements for Grades 4 and 5 The passage of House Bill 7197 by the Florida Legislature created a state law which enables high-achieving 4th and 5th grade students the opportunity to take 6th grade accelerated courses on-line. Students scoring 4 or 5 on FCAT Reading and/or Math, who earned a grade of “A” in reading, math, science or social studies the previous school year may be eligible to enroll online for an optional grade 6 accelerated core course.
FAQ’s What is the purpose of the program? The purpose of the program is to allow high-achieving students to challenge themselves with on-line accelerated coursework instead of the course work they would take in the normal sequence of course instruction. In this way, utilizing distance learning technology, students can progress more quickly at an individual rate. Are online classes offered at a specific time during the school day? By their nature, online classes do not have to be offered at a specific time of the day. Online teachers primarily interact with students on an individual basis using different methods of communication at various times of the day. Do online teachers have to meet the same requirements as other public school teachersin Florida? Florida’s virtual programs and schools require teachers to hold Florida teaching certificates. Does the virtual curriculum and course content in public virtual education programs haveto meet state standards? Yes. The virtual curriculum and courses are required to meet state standards. Am I required to place my child in a virtual class? No, your child will not be placed in a virtual course without your request. In addition, the school administration must determine that acceleration is academically appropriate. Why must the administration determine that it is academically appropriate to accelerate my child? If your child is placed in a virtual class, then s/he will not be enrolled in the same subject area, grade-level course. The school must be certain that the student has achieved mastery at the previous grade level (FCAT) as well as in any grade level content that would be missed as a result of acceleration. I received a letter about my 4th grader. Can I request acceleration into 5th grade virtual classes? No, virtual classes are available for advanced middle school courses only. We do not have an option for 5th grade level courses through this program. If my child participates in this program, who will be the teacher? The teacher for online coursework will be the teacher assigned by Palm Virtual School. The teacher is fully certified by the state of Florida and all grading will be evaluated by that teacher only. Upon completion of the course a grade will be entered into the Palm Beach County grading system for your student. Parents should be aware that if a student does not complete an online course a grade of “F” will be recorded and it may significantly impact student placement for the next school year. How will my child communicate with the online teacher? Students and parents will communicate regularly with the teacher primarily through email and phone. Will my child be able to accomplish all coursework at school? No. Some online coursework will need to occur outside the regular school day. Where will my student go while the regular class has reading, math, etc? This is a school-based decision. Students may remain in the classroom, they may be in a computer lab, or they may be assigned to the media center while their classmates participate in the regular curriculum. What FCAT test will my student take if he/she is enrolled in an accelerated middle school course? Each student will take the FCAT tests that are required for his/her grade level. Although your student may be enrolled in a course for a higher grade level, he/she is still classified as a 4th or 5th grader and therefore will take all of the FCAT assessments for the assigned grade level. How can I get assistance with the required technology for the online course? In order to meet all FLVS course requirements, the student should be knowledgeable and comfortable using the computer and technology tools to complete and submit assignments. Students should be able to communicate with the virtual teacher regarding the submission of required assignments, projects, etc., and work independently. Technological assistance is available through FLVS technical support at 800-374-1430. What will happen if my student does not perform well in the online advanced course? If a student is not able to maintain a consistent pace, as outlined in the class pace chart, or has a failing grade, the student will be withdrawn from the class with the first 28 days without penalty. After the 28 day grace period, the academic grade earned on the 6th grade middle school virtual course will become part of the student’s permanent academic record.
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