Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 160-8-1-.01 - Georgia Virtual School
(1)
DEFINITIONS.
(a)
Administrative Costs -
expenses incurred by the local school systems for delivery of online learning
courses via the Georgia Virtual School. Examples include: certain maintenance
and operations expenses and facilitator stipends.
(b)
Eligible Student - student,
age 21 years or younger, who attends a public or private school or is in a home
study program in the state of Georgia.
(c)
Facilitator - full-time,
part-time, contracted, and instructional or support staff from a public or
private school who have been selected to act as the designated contact for the
Georgia Virtual School and students in their school or district.
(d)
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) -
formula that divides high school students' regular school day into six
reporting segments or their equivalent for funding purposes.
(e)
Georgia Department of Education
(GaDOE) - the state agency charged with the fiscal and administrative
management of certain aspects of K-12 public education including the
implementation of federal and state mandates. Such management is subject to
supervision and oversight by the State Board of Education.
(f)
Georgia Virtual School -
Georgia Department of Education instructional program offering students online
learning courses in accordance with O.C.G.A. §
20-2-319.1hereto referred to as
the Georgia Virtual School.
(g)
Learning Management System - instructional technology used to
teach online classes.
(h)
Local Teacher-Led Virtual Course - a type of virtual course in
which the local school provides the highly qualified teacher and course
materials, and Georgia Virtual School provides the standards-based curriculum,
enrollment of students and locally provided teacher in Georgia Virtual School
courses, training and full-use of virtual classroom tools, technical support to
locally provided teachers and students, and instructional support to locally
provided teachers.
(i)
Online
Learning Courses - State Board of Education-approved courses of
instruction directly correlated to the state-approved curriculum that is
delivered via the Internet or in any other electronic medium not involving
on-site interaction with a teacher.
(j)
Regular School Day -
schedule of courses taken as part of public school students' regular school day
which consists of six segments or its FTE equivalent. For private and home
study students the regular school day is the equivalent of four and one half
hours during 180 instructional days.
(k)
Seat - equivalent of one
student enrolled in an online learning course for one half unit
credit.
(l)
Summer
School - time period in excess of 180 instructional days.
(2)
REQUIREMENTS.
(a)
General.
1. The Georgia Virtual
School is authorized to provide online learning courses to eligible students in
the State of Georgia.
2. Local
school systems and private schools, as a condition for participation in the
Georgia Virtual School shall agree to transcribe and award credit earned by
students completing coursework through the Georgia Virtual School.
3. The Georgia Department of Education shall
coordinate all Georgia Virtual School activities and services for private and
home study students.
4. The Georgia
Department of Education shall develop and maintain the necessary guidelines and
protocols for operation of the Georgia Virtual School.
(b)
Funding and Tuition.
1. The Georgia Department of Education is
authorized to establish a Georgia Virtual School grant account with funds
appropriated by the General Assembly. The amount of funds requested by the
State Board for this account shall be based on the annual state appropriation
and from collected tuition.
2.
Funds may be appropriated for online learning courses taken by students in
Georgia Virtual School courses who meet the following criteria for course
enrollments during the regular school day:
(i)
Public school student who is taking a course(s) as a part of their regular five
and one half hours instructional day or its time equivalent pursuant to State
Board of Education Rule
160-5-1.02 School Day and School
Year for Students and Employees.
(ii) Private or home study student who is
taking a course(s) as a part of his or her regular four and one half hours
instructional day or its time equivalent pursuant to O.C.G.A. §
20-2-690.
3. Local school boards with students enrolled
in online learning programs for courses during the regular school day shall be
funded in the amount that the participating students would have earned if those
students had been in an equivalent FTE general education programs in a local
school for that portion of the instructional day in which the students were
enrolled in an online learning course.
4. Tuition shall be collected by the Georgia
Virtual School staff for public school, private school, and home study
students:
(i) Who are enrolled outside of the
regular school day, as defined by the Georgia Department of
Education.
(ii) Who are enrolled in
a summer school term as defined in this rule.
(c)
Registration.
1. A student shall register for Georgia
Virtual School courses through an online registration system developed in
accordance with program guidelines.
2. Students registered in a Georgia public
school, private school or home study program shall receive written approval
from a facilitator prior to being enrolled in a Georgia Virtual School online
learning course.
3. Students
enrolled in a Georgia Virtual School online learning course shall be assigned a
Georgia Testing Identifier (GTID) as set forth in State Board of Education Rule
160-5-1-.07 Student Data
Collection.
(d)
Personnel.
1. Instructional
staff employed or contracted by the Georgia Virtual School shall meet the
requirements for teacher certification as required by the Georgia Professional
Standards Commission. Every Georgia Virtual School teacher is also required to
complete training as outlined in the Georgia Virtual School Teacher
Handbook.
2. As a
condition of employment, instructional staff employed by the Georgia Virtual
School shall abide by the responsibilities, guidelines and procedures as set
forth in the Georgia Virtual School Teacher Handbook.
3. As a condition of employment,
instructional staff-employed by the Georgia Virtual School shall be evaluated
based on criteria identified by the Georgia Department of Education.
4. Facilitators shall be appointed by local
school systems or private school administrators and may be full-time,
part-time, contracted, and instructional or support staff. Facilitators shall
abide by the responsibilities, guidelines and procedures as set forth in the
Georgia Virtual School Facilitator Handbook.
(e)
Student
Expectations.
1. Students must agree to
abide by the Georgia Virtual School guidelines, procedures, and policies as
outlined in the Georgia Virtual School Student
Handbook.
2. A student
enrolled in the Georgia Virtual School shall earn a final numeric grade at the
end of every course attempted unless the student withdraws from the course
according to the guidelines in the Georgia Virtual School Student Handbook
handbook. Grades earned, including final grades, final exams and state approved
assessments shall comply with State Board of Education Rule
160-4-2-.13 Statewide Passing Score.
Local school systems and private schools that approve student course
enrollment(s) shall accurately transcribe a student's Georgia Virtual School
final grade to the student's permanent record/transcript. A home study student
shall be provided a certificate of completion indicating date, course, and
numeric grade from the Georgia Virtual School.
(f)
Instruction Process.
1. The Georgia Virtual School and approved
entities shall provide access to students through a learning management system
that adequately teaches and assesses courses through the online
medium.
2. The Georgia Virtual
School and approved entities shall provide all instructional materials
necessary for all participating students and teachers, except those in local
teacher-led virtual courses, as defined in this rule. Approved entities or
local school systems with online programs shall provide the instructional
materials through their programs.
3. The Georgia Virtual School and all
approved entities shall maintain records of students' participation in online
learning courses pursuant to applicable records retention policies.
4. The Georgia Virtual School and approved
entities shall authorize the administration and abide by rules of all tests as
required by the Department for completion of a course(s).
5. The Georgia Virtual School and approved
entities shall maintain minimum accessibility to course contentas outlined by
the Department.
(g)
Curriculum and Course Quality.
1. The Georgia Virtual School and approved
entities shall adhere to course and course numbering as set forth in State
Board of Education rule.
Notes
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