Campbell County Virtual School

A distance education program offered by Campbell County School District #1

• Website: www.k12.com/ccvs
• Enrollment: Fulltime K-6
• Medium: Online, Correspondence, Interactive

Student requirements

Students must be residents of the state of Wyoming and meet all age requirements for attending school in the state of Wyoming.

• Step #1 is to fill out an on-line application
• Step #2 is to submit, by mail or fax, required documentation (birth certificate, immunization records, proof of residency) to the Campbell County Virtual School office
• Step #3 is for the student to complete an on-line placement test in the areas of Math and Language Arts.

When this test is completed, a placement conference is held between the student, his/her parents, and a staff member of the Campbell County Virtual School to determine individual course levels. Final approval for enrollment is then given by the school administrator and the student materials are ordered. For students residing outside of Campbell County, a memorandum of understanding between the resident district and Campbell County School District must be completed before registration is complete.

Pre-enrollment consultation

As part of the enrollment process, each student must take a placement test in Math and Language Arts. A Wyoming certified teacher then discusses the results of this test with the parent/guardian and the student to determine course level placement and the compatibility of the student to the material. The parents are encouraged to take a compatibility survey located on the Campbell County Virtual School website before acceptance into the school is granted. Orientation, explanations of parent/guardian requirements, and emphasis on the operation of the on-line school and the commitment necessary by the parent/guardian, as well as the child, are stressed in either a face-to-face meeting or a phone conference. When possible, a hands-on session held in a computer lab is conducted with the parent/guardian to ensure they are familiar with the role they will play in the virtual school. A required orientation on the operation of the on-line school is given to each parent/guardian after registration is complete and before the student actually begins the school. A family risk assessment rubric (see attachment) will also be used by Campbell County Virtual School personnel to assist when enrolling students/families in the school.

Resident district instructional support

The role of the resident school's (district's) site coordinator will be minimal. Primarily, their role will be one of performing follow-up duties as needed. An example would be helping to collect necessary documentation (e.g. lessons, writing samples, projects, etc) and faxing or mailing said documents to the Campbell County Virtual School office if needed. The coordinator would also help in securing possible sites for administration of the state test (PAWS) and would serve as a monitor during this or other required testing times. Additional services may include provision and coordination of Special Education services. Permanent files for distance education students will be maintained in the resident district. It will be the role of the site coordinator to ensure that these files are housed and maintained in an appropriate manner. Finally, the coordinator would serve as someone who would be available to answer miscellaneous questions and direct the student or their family to the appropriate source for the information.

Although the day to day delivery of the course material lies with the parent/guardian of the distance education student, the partnership between the responsible adult and the certified Wyoming teacher cannot be downplayed. This partnership must also include the resident district's site coordinator. Multiple contacts weekly between the Campbell County Virtual School staff and the distance education student and their family through a variety of forms (email, phone, interactive computer programs, etc) must be used effectively. Access to the Campbell County Virtual School staff is a priority. Parents must understand the material and the desired methods of delivery before success can be obtained by the student. Constant communication between the parent/guardian and the instructor is a must. The site coordinator may be called upon to assist in this communication. This could take the form of relaying messages and information to the Campbell County Virtual School staff, setting up face-to-face meetings with the DE student and their family (if necessary), or possibly even tutoring the DE student in areas of concern. The best place to provide face-to-face meetings with distance education students is in a neutral site (public library, community center, etc.) Meeting rooms in district school buildings can also be used. The site coordinator would arrange for the location of these meetings to best accommodate the distance education student and their family.

Communication between the resident district site coordinator and the DE program staff is crucial when issues of compliance arise. Notification must be given to the site coordinator explaining the unsatisfactory areas so an appropriate meeting with the student and their parent/guardian can be arranged. This could be a phone conference or a face-to-face meeting if necessary. A conference call meeting involving the DE teacher, the site coordinator, the student and the parent/guardian will be held when needed. All necessary materials will be provided for the site coordinator.

Provider's accountability

Monitoring of student performance by the DE administration and instructors is easily accomplished through an on-line student management system. This system is provided as part of the contractual agreement between Campbell County Virtual School and it's vendor, K¹². The system allows for the administration or instructor to log-in to each student's account and, at a glance, view attendance records, grade records, assessment scores, lesson and unit scores, progress reports, and unfinished work. Instructors also collect student samples of work at pre-determined times throughout the course. Weekly contacts with each student allow the instructor to conduct random assessment checks on the student's progress and mastery of the material.

Intervention plan

Instructors are available via email, phone, and computer interaction for student contact. Response to student questions typically takes place within 24 hours from the time of the inquiry. Often, one-on-one tutoring sessions are set up between an instructor and a student. This can be done face-to-face, or through a computer assisted program called Elluminate. A number of academic activities, field trips, and social gatherings are offered each month for the student's participation. Families are encouraged to form support groups to aid in their child's education.