2011-2012 ms handbook

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Parent & Student Handbook Middle School

2011-2012

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Welcome to IDVA Middle School!

It is with much excitement that I welcome all of you to IDVA Middle school. Let

me tell you some things that will help you as you plan your year!

Go to class. Classes are going to be places where you not only learn fromyour teacher but from each other. You are an important part of the learningcommunity. You can do your part by being prepared for class with yourassignment and materials, and by coming to class on time, every time.

Do your assignments. Teachers are going to give you assignments. Theassignments will be from the OLS as well as directly from your teacher.The teachers will be specific with their expectations, how they are going to

grade, and what you need to do. Be sure to turn those assignments in ontime!

Be active in class. Classes won’t be super long and they will be interactive.You will definitely benefit from being an active part of each class.

Communicate. Communicate with teachers if you are struggling or youfinally got it or you don’t feel like you’ll ever get it. They are here to helpyou. If you have something crazy going on in your life and you can’t getyour homework in on time, or if your family is going to Brazil for theweekend….communicate with your teachers.

Do your job. A really important part of being in middle school is gettingready for high school and beyond. Your job is becoming an independentlearner. Make sure you know when your assignments are due, whenclasses are held, and what time you need your alarm to go off in themorning. Paying attention to all of these things will make you increasinglyindependent!

We are really excited about what we are going to accomplish together this year.Working together for your success is our highest priority.

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Administrative Contact Information

Desiree Laughlin

Head of School

[email protected] 208.322.3559 ext. 4001

Kari Granier

K8 Principal

[email protected]

208.322.3559 ext. 4021

Tara Ball

Special Education Director

[email protected]

208.322.3559 ext. 4008

Kelly Edginton

Director of Academic Services

[email protected]

208.322.3559 ext. 4004

Heidi Higgins

School Growth Coordinator

[email protected]

208.322.3559 ext. 4006

Allen Wenger

Business Manager

[email protected]

208.322.3559 ext. 4003

Mike Groshong

Human Resources

[email protected] 208.322.3559 ext. 4012

Chase Trapp

Technology Manager

[email protected]

208.322.3559 ext. 4005

Andrea Hampton

Central Office Manager

[email protected]

208.322.3559 ext. 4010

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Your IDVA Teachers

Principal Kari Granier Sandpoint 208-304-0425 [email protected]

K8 Master Teacher Jenny Whelan Sandpoint 208-954-3196 [email protected]

MS Lead Teacher Amber Hatrock Spirit Lake 208-687-9024 [email protected]

Math Carrie Chizum Hagerman 208-961-0573 [email protected]

Math Esther Scott Boise 208-477-4649 [email protected]

Math Sam Johnson Meridian 208-901-0018 [email protected]

ALP/Language Dani Andrus Meridian 208-615-6494 [email protected]

Language Jennifer Zollinger Challis 208-954-0877 [email protected]

Language Carrie Stuart Boise 208-954-0801 [email protected]

Special Education Amanda Judd Orofino 208-435-4380 [email protected]

Special Education Jennifer Zollman Meridian 208-954-1699 [email protected]

Special Education Lorrie DeNinno Boise 208-407-8230 [email protected]

Special Education Lori Ellesmere-Jones Eagle 208-407-8193 lellesmerjones@idaho

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2012-2012 Calendar

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Outings/Events

IDVA families will have a variety of opportunities to participate in outings/events across the state. Outing

information will be on the IDVA Community Board event calendar, and on our School Calendar at the Big Think

IDVA website. IDVA families may participate in outings and academic workshops planned by other IDVA

teachers with approval of the IDVA teacher planning the event. Participation may be limited to space

availability. IDVA Outings may be included in Attendance Data. Please contact your teacher with anyquestions.

Learning Coach Responsibilities

Kmail/EmailIn our model, Kmail a primary communication platform. We require the Learning Coach to:

• Inform the school and K12 of any changes to the family’s telephone number, mailing address, and/oremail address by editing the appropriate information on his/her My Info account

• Read your Kmail everyday.

• Check school related email a minimum of 3 times during the school week

• Reply promptly to any email received from your IDVA teacher or administrator.

• Refrain from sending spam email to IDVA staff.

Getting Started with the Online SchoolIt is strongly suggested you watch the mini tutorials available at the IDVA start up website before school starts.

These will help you get familiar with the Online School and be a good resource in the first few months of

school.

K¹² Tutorials On-line Tutorials:

http://idva.k12start.com/

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Video Tutorials:

K12 has created a series of short video tutorials to help you do everything that you need for start up,

organizing and using the K12 curriculum at IDVA. The link to these video tutorials is

http://k12.jlog.com/Client/0400f333-c178-4360-9a7a-9dbc0094c66f

Create a Student AccountCreating a student account is required at the Middle School level. This will help students become moreresponsible for their own learning and prevent them from using the Learning Coach account which hasaccess to attendance and answer keys. Setting up the student account takes only a few minutes andmust be done from the Learning Coach account. If you need help with this contact your IDVA teacher orvisit the K12 website and view the tutorials.

Assignment Policy and Procedure

About Work Samples/AssignmentsAssignments for Middle School continue to be a vital part of assessing Idaho Virtual Academy students’

academic growth. Submitted student work helps teachers understand students better, provides the student

with additional accountability for high quality work, provides the student an opportunity to develop pride and

satisfaction in work well done, and assists teachers in best helping students and their learning coach in the

ongoing learning process.

IDVA has established a list of select work to be submitted. In Middle School, students will turn in regular

assignments for a grade in their math and language arts courses. Students will submit the assignments to

their teacher as they are due according to the class syllabi. These assignments are examples of the student’s

response to one or more specific Idaho Content Standards as well as to the K12 lesson objectives. Exceptions

to the published requirements will be made on an individual basis and with administrative approval only.

Submitted work may become part of the student’s portfolio. All assignments for math and language arts

courses will be submitted through Study Island.

When to Submit Assignments in Study IslandStudents are required to submit their assignments on or before the date they are due, unless they have

previously made alternate arrangements with their teacher. Assignments must be submitted before promotion

to the next course.

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Attendance and Truancy Policy

Attendance and Truancy Policy

Background and Assumptions:

Idaho Code #33-512 (1) requires that each school district adopt a calendar that provides students at each

grade level with the following minimum number of hours of instruction. Idaho Virtual Academy (IDVA) requires

the following hours:

K 450 hours

Grades 1 -3 810 hours

Grades 4-8 900 hours

Grades 9-12 990 hours

Idaho Code #33-202 establishes that school attendance is compulsory for students between the ages of seven

(7) and sixteen (16), unless the student is comparably instructed. IDVA is one of the public school options

available to parents to fulfill this obligation. Parents should understand that IDVA is a public school alternative,

not a home school alternative. As a part of the public school system, IDVA has responsibility to account for the

attendance and progress of each individual student enrolled and for which IDVA receives public funds.

This policy relates not only to attendance issues, but also delineates the procedures by which students can be

suspended, expelled and reenrolled, as well as the appeal process.

It is necessary to carefully track and document Attendance in the On Line School (OLS) of Idaho Virtua

Academy for accountability purposes as well as funding from the State Department of Education. Progress and

mastery in the On Line School relate to promotion of the student in the curriculum.

Attendance Definition:

Attendance is defined as the more advantageous of:

1.) actual hours of attendance in the public virtual school on a flexible schedule, or

2.) the percentage of coursework completed,

Under either definition, the student’s time computation must include the actual time the student is engaged in

activities of the K-12 curriculum under the direct supervision and/or monitoring of the identified responsible

adult who is working with the student on the IDVA educational program. This time can also include activities of

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the employed teacher directly interacting with the student, as well as time when the student is engaged in K-12

online and off-line activities on the computer.

In addition to direct instructional time, additional engaged learning experiences may qualify for attendance

computation. Examples of such appropriate general learning experiences include but are not limited to:

1.) consultation with a professional in an area of expertise, i.e., a geologist,

2.) visit to a historical or art museum as a component of an art or history assignment.

The supervising adult will be responsible for tracking all hours and reporting them as required on the OLS. The

OLS will be the official recording of attendance for a student. In order to assure balanced learning,

supplemental hours in music, art and Physical Education are limited to two (2) hours in each area per week to

be included in the total hours for attendance. Physical education activities are to be structured, organized and

supervised.

Attendance Goals and Expectations:

Except in extraordinary cases, students will be expected to “attend” 100% of the annual attendance

requirements for the student grade level. These hours may be earned through a flexible schedule as provided

in the school calendar.

“Extraordinary” circumstances which may be considered acceptable for less than 100% student attendance

include:

• extended illness of the student or• other such individualized circumstances that prevent the student from attending to school work

If recorded and reported attendance falls below acceptable standards the Head of School or designee may

take initial action to suspend the student for truancy. As outlined below, repeated lack of required attendance

may result in action by the Board regarding habitual truancy.

Denial of Enrollment – Students seeking IDVA enrollment

Pursuant to Idaho Code § 33-205, IDVA may deny enrollment and attendance to any student who has been

expelled from another public school district (LEA) within the state of Idaho or any other state.

IDVA recognizes that due to the unique educational structure of the educational program, a student who has

been expelled from another public school district (LEA) may be able to attend IDVA and continue their

educational advancement, without any risk of harm to other students, faculty or school facilities.

When a student who has been expelled from another school district (LEA) seeks to become enrolled at IDVA

the Administrative team of IDVA shall communicate with the prospective student (parents) and the student’s

former school district (LEA) to determine the basis for the student’s expulsion as well as the student’s genera

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disciplinary record. Thereafter, the administrative team shall evaluate whether or not the prospective enrollee

poses any danger or risk of harm to other IDVA students, IDVA faculty or IDVA property. If it is determined

that there is no risk of harm to other students, faculty or property and IDVA can provide an education to the

child, the Board of Directors has authorized the Administration to enroll the student, based upon a behaviora

plan individually created to address the specific disciplinary issues for the child. Should the Administration

determine that enrollment of the child would pose a danger to other students, faculty or property which can not,

in the judgment of the administrative team, be addressed through a behavioral plan, the Board of Directors has

authorized the Administration to provisionally deny enrollment into IDVA. Should a student be provisionally

denied enrollment due to prior school expulsion, the student will be advised of a right to a hearing before the

Board to contest this decision.

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Course Promotion

Academic achievement through content mastery is the cornerstone of the Idaho Virtual Academy. IDVA

understands that children do not learn at the same rate or in the same manner. Our program offers families

flexibility in scheduling and instructional strategies. IDVA focuses on mastery of lesson objectives, encouraging

families and students to spend the time needed daily and throughout the year to master lesson objectives.

Students may advance to the next course level upon mastery of the current course work. Sufficient progress in

all courses is expected before course level advancement in one area will be considered. Advancement of a

student from one course level to the next requires the approval of the IDVA administration.

Achievement expectations are outlined in the table below. These will serve as the minimum requirements for

promotion to the next course level by the end of the school year. In order to promote to the next course level in

any subject during the school year, the student must master 100% of that subject, have submitted the required

assignments for the subject, and have sufficient progress in all courses.

Students enrolled in Idaho Virtual Academy will need to show required progress and have turned inthe requisite assignments in each curricular area to be promoted to the next course level. Theadministrative team has looked at each subject individually to form these percentages. Students willmaster the K12 curriculum to the required level before course promotions will be approved. Note:Students working below grade level in Math and/or LA/English may promote at 80% course mastery.

Percentage Requirements for Promotion during the School YearNo placement changes will be made until after September 30th. Holistic progress in ALL courses is a

determining factor in the approval of “in year” course promotions. Administration has the discretion to hold off

on a course promotion if other courses are lagging behind. Teachers will send “in year” promotion requestswhen a course is 90-95% mastered and completed in the “view core lessons” view of the OLS (Algebra I being

the exception. See above.). However, the course will still require 100% completion/mastery before beginning

the next course if the promotion occurs during the school year.

April 29, 2012 --The last day for “in year” course promotions

Promotion for Students Working Over the Summer

Students working over the summer will have the opportunity to promote to the next level in any course in

August. IDVA teachers will submit course promotions for students meeting end of year mastery percentage on

the first day that they return from summer break. If a student chooses to work over the summer to meet the

end of year promotion requirements, s/he will need to complete the “end of year” promotion percentages in a

course by the first day of the academic year in order to promote under those guidelines. The percentage

requirements for Promotion during the school year go into effect on the second day of the academic school

year.

Special circumstantial requests may be made in writing to Principal Kari Granier at [email protected]

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Promotion Standards for K-8 Students Working in Courses Below Age

Appropriate Grade Level in Math and Language Arts/English

In our efforts to provide opportunities and means for each student to achieve academic success and reach

proficiency at his/her age appropriate grade level (AAG), Idaho Virtual Academy has developed alternate

promotion guidelines for students working in Math and/or Language Arts/English courses below AAG.

Percentages will be taken from the “view core lessons” view of the OLS.

Math 80%

Language Arts 80%

Students promoting at 80% must master the end of second semester math assessment and/or any semester

assessment in the Language Arts/English strands (GUM, Composition, Vocabulary, Test Ready, Literature,

etc.) available for the course before the Math and/or LA/English promotion is approved AND submit all required

work samples for the portion of the course completed. Teachers will work closely with students and teaching

adults to ensure that mastery of core concepts is attained. Students promoting at these lower percentage

Promotions are to be submitted to the principal following promotion process and are to include in the notes thatthe student is working below AAG. Teachers will submit these promotions when the student reaches 75%

mastery in the Math or LA course.

School administrators may approve promotions at lower percentage of completion at their discretion.

Class Connect Attendance

Middle school students meet regularly with their teachers online using the Elluminate classroom for Math and

Language Usage/Composition classes. These classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday beginning

Tuesday, September 6th

, 2011 and will continue throughout the school year.

Students attend Math class two times a week and Language Arts class two times a week via our online

teaching platform called Elluminate/Blackboard Connect. Attendance for students is taken by the teacher and

students are required to attend 60% of their live classes per IDVA attendance policy. You will find the link to

class along with the time and days of the week class is scheduled on the home page of the OLS.

If there is a conflict with your family schedule, contact your teacher immediately to avoid your student being

counted absent. There are generally other alternatives which can be arranged such as a change of the time of

day to accommodate your family plans. We encourage you to contact your teacher if your student is absent or

is going to be absent.

Teachers record the lesson to help students review concepts taught and also to use in case of an excused

absence. It is not recommended to use the recordings in place of live class but on occasion might be a

necessary alternative. The recorded links will be sent to you by Kmail after every Math and Language Arts

class.

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You are also encouraged to contact the lead teachers for assistance when needed. K8 Master Teacher: Jenny

Whelan [email protected] or MS Lead Teacher: Amber Hatrock [email protected]

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Progress Reports

One of the many features offered by the On Line School is an up to date report of each student’s academic

progress and attendance information. A parent may log on to the system at any time and view this information.

For student records purposes a Report Card, including On Line School Progress, Attendance Information, and

IDVA teacher comments will be sent to the parent/guardian at the conclusion of each school year or upon

student withdrawal from IDVA. If warranted, a “Red Flag” Report Card may be sent to the parent/guardian at

any time during the school year. All Report Cards, including Red Flag Report Cards, will be filed in the student

file.

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Middle School Minimum Standard

The state of Idaho has implemented the minimum standard law. In order for

students to be promoted to the following grade level and earn credits,

students must meet the IDVA MS minimum standard requirements.

Students will have an opportunity to earn 10 credits throughout the 2011-2012 school year.

• Students shall be required to attain a minimum of 80% of their credits in order to be

promoted to the next grade level. Students must earn a minimum of 8 out of 10 credits.

•Students will not be allowed to lose a full year of credit in one area (i.e. a student would

not be able to fail a full year of math) and automatically move on to the next grade level.

Math

2 credits (Credits are earned through the final grade for the course.)

• Mastery of a minimum of 30% of the Math core lessons/units by the end of the end of the first semester

(December 21, 2011). Mastery of a minimum of 60% Math core lessons/units by the end of the school year

(May 30, 2012).

• Your final grade will be based on 70% OLS progress and 30% Study Island (assignments and quizzes). In order

to meet the minimum standard, your overall grade must be a minimum of 60%=”D” by May 30, 2012.

Math Grades: (Grades based on 70% online progress and 30% Study Island Assignments.)

A = 90% to 100%

B= 80% to 89%

C= 70% to 79%

D= 60% to 69%

F = 59% and below

How will credits be earned for Math?

60% and above = 2 credits

30% to 59% = 1 credit29% and below = 0 credits

You will be promoted to

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Language Arts


• Mastery of a minimum of 30% of the overall GUM, Composition, Vocabulary, and Literature core

lessons/units by the end of the first semester (December 21, 2011). Mastery of a minimum of 60% of

the overall GUM, Composition, Vocabulary, and Literature core lessons/units by the end of the school

year (May 30, 2012). *Progress from GUM, Composition, Vocabulary, and Literature will be averaged.

• Your final grade will be based on 70% OLS progress and 30% Study Island (assignments, quizzes, and essays).

In order to meet the minimum standard, your overall grade must be a minimum of 60%=”D” by May 30, 2012.

Language Grades: (Grades based on 70% online progress and 30% Study Island Assignments.)

A = 90% to 100%

B= 80% to 89%

C= 70% to 79%D= 60% to 69%

F = 59% and below

How will credits be earned for Language?


30% to 59% = 1 credit

29% and below = 0 credits

History, Science, and Electives (FL, Music, and Art)


Grades:

Mastery (M) = 80% to 100% progress in the OLS

Pass (P) = 60% to 79% progress in the OLS

Fail (F) = 59% progress in the OLS and below

How will credits be earned? (This will vary based on enrollment date.)


30% to 59% = 1 credit


** Students who fail both semesters of the same class will be placed on the

alternate pathway.

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Middle School Grade Marks

Math and Language Arts Grades:

A = 90% to 100%

B= 80% to 89%

C= 70% to 79%

D= 60% to 69%

F = 59% and below

How will credits be earned for Math and Language Arts?

*Overall percentage (70% progress and 30% Study Island)


30% to 59% = 1 credit


History, Science, and Elective (Foreign Language, Music, and Art) Grades:

Mastery (M) = 80% to 100% progress in the OLS

Pass (P) = 60% to 79% progress in the OLS

Fail (F) = 59% progress in the OLS and below

How will credits be earned?


30% to 59% = 1 credit


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Students will earn letter grades in Math and Language Usage/Composition. Grades will be based on OLS

progress and the quality of collected assignments, tests and quizzes in Study Island. Students will not be

promoted without fulfilling the requirements of the classes, and grades will become part of the student’s

permanent record with IDVA.

IDVA’s philosophy is that all curriculum is learned to mastery. Middle school students at IDVA will need to

meet the same standards in their graded assignments to successfully promote to the next grade level.

Students who do not meet the grading standard will have to repeat the course and finish it successfully to

promote to the next grade level.

Note: Some of our Language Arts/English courses are shown in strands on the On Line School. Lang Skills,

Literature, and Spelling are examples of some of our strands. Ideally, progress in each strand of LA/English will

be evenly distributed. If, however, progress in one strand does not meet completion or mastery percentage

requirements (promotion requirements), all strands will be marked Incomplete and promotion will occur when

each strand meets the required percentage. The exception is Spelling. A Language Arts course may promote if

Literature and Language Skills both meet required percentage even if Spelling does not. Additionally, the

Language Skills strand must have the Composition, Vocabulary, and GUM sub strands at the requiredpromotion percentages in order to promote the entire course.

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Standardized Testing

IDVA students are required to participate in all Idaho State Standardized Testing. These tests will be

administered by IDVA teachers. Each IDVA teacher will contact the parent/guardian of the IDVA student andshare testing dates and locations prior to the administration of the test. It is the responsibility of the

parent/guardian to transport the student to the testing location at the appropriate date and time. These tests

will provide useful information to parents and teachers regarding student academic achievement.

All IDVA students are required and expected to participate in the appropriate standardized testing detailed

below:

Name of Test Participants Testing Window

Scantron All Students:

Required graded

assignment in

LA and Math

Fall: August 17, 2011 -

September 30, 2011

Spring: May 7, 2012 - May 25,

2012

Idaho

Standards

Achievement

Tests (ISAT)

All students in 3rd

-8th & 10th Grades

Spring: Mid-April to Mid-May

each year

The individual assessment information we receive is invaluable. Teachers and parents will work together to

pinpoint areas of academic strength and weakness, set academic goals and work towards improvement.

Student academic success is our main goal at IDVA!

Scantron Testingk12 Inc has contracted with Scantron to provide accurate assessment and performance tracking to

assist you and your child’s pursuit for an exceptional education.

What is Scantron? Scantron is an easy to use assessment program that will allow you and your teacher toquickly assess the current achievement and potential educational needs of your child. The Scantron

Performance Series utilizes a web-based model to identify the instructional level of each student by using your

child’s answers to previous questions to adapt the difficulty of the subsequent question. The teachers at IDVA

want to work with you to provide the best education possible for your child. By using the Scantron

Performance assessment you and your teacher will have the performance data necessary to tailor instruction

to meet his/her needs.

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Please be advised:

• Scantron will replace the ISAT examinations for all IDVA students this fall. There will be no ISAT examsin the fall, but there will be ISAT in the spring.

• Scantron is all online—that means no traveling long distances to test sites!• Each child grades 3-10 will take a math, reading and language Scantron exam. Each exam will take

about an hour.• Scantron offers a detailed report which will be sent to you via email so you and your child’s IDVA

teacher can immediately begin to use it to inform your teaching and to ensure you are working in theareas most needed.

How does the assessment work? The Performance Assessment is Computer-adaptive test-that lets you

quickly pinpoint the proficiency level of your student: the computer will adapt the test based on your child’s

answers/ability.

Am I allowed to help my child? For the purpose of Scantron to be effective, it is necessary for students to

work independently. NOTE: Parents of students who are on an IEP or 504 plan may administer the

accommodations listed on that plan. Reading tests may not be read to students, even if they are on IEPs or

504 plans. (This also would not be on their list of accommodations for this subject.) Other students should not

receive accommodations.

Why can I not assist my child? Since Scantron uses the students' own responses to determine the difficulty

of subsequent questions, assistance will quickly get your child into a level he/she cannot complete

successfully. It is important that you allow the testing software to target the specific instructional level of your

child so that the questions adapt to your child’s particular needs.

How is the test scored? Unlike other tests, the test is not scored on the basis of how many questions the

students answers correctly. The incorrect answers give just as information as the correct answers. It is

intended that your child will NOT know the answer to all questions. The difficulty of the questions will adjust

itself based on the answers your child gives, so if you provide the answers, chances are your child may get

even more difficult questions than s/he can answer. Additionally, if students are working too far above gradelevel, the test may be “spoiled.” Please do not help your child!

How should I encourage my child? Please tell your child that they should expect to see some challenging

questions, but do not help your child by pointing to the screen, reading to them, giving them hints, etc. The tes

will automatically adjust itself to your child’s answers.

Will this test be used to determine I am doing as a teaching coach? This assessment will not be used to

make decisions about course placement, promotion, or participation in any special programs. This

assessment will give you specific information on your child’s strengths and weaknesses and assist you and the

school staff to plan appropriately for your child’s education.

What are the pre-requisites for my child to take this test?

Your child should be able to do these things prior to testing:

• Use a mouse to point and left click

• Scroll up and down a web page

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• Enter necessary student information (if required: parent can assist with entering student information only.)

If you are not sure that your child has these skills, please talk to your teacher on how to assess their

skills or teach them prior to beginning the test.

What should I not do? The following types of interactions will not help your child and should be avoided

during the test:

• Reminding them of the time

• Asking your child about the test

• Helping them with words or problems that are too difficult for them

• Reading any part of reading passages to the student

• Helping your child narrow their answer choices

• Providing any help with reading passages or question content or meaning

• Hovering over the students as they are tested.

What am I allowed to do? Your child may need help with tasks that do not directly affect the content of the

test. Stopping and starting a test for a bathroom break or stopping a test if you notice fatigue.

The best practice is to get your student started on the test, tell him or her that you know s/he will do his or her

very best and then move into the next room or away from the computer. Tell your child that you will be

available if s/he needs to pause the test to go to the restroom or just to take a break. If you need to pause the

test for longer than this—to go to a piano lesson, for example, you may, but the test must be completed by the

end of the testing window.

When possible, it is beneficial for your child to complete the testing in one sitting.

ISP Subsidy

ISP Subsidy Policy: Only students who meet income qualification guidelines for Free and Reduced Lunch will

receive the ISP subsidy. Parents/Guardians of students who qualify must fill out an ISP Subsidy survey form

online. Information and the link to the survey will be sent in fall and spring. (NOTE: If your income has changed

since you filled out an income form with our school, please, click on the following link to update your

information: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/familyincome )

.

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Presidential Award for Academic Excellence

School Criteria/Standards: A student must meet the following criteria by the end of the school year.

Age Appropriate Eighth grade students promoting to High School are eligible to receive this award. Mastery of 95% or more of all lessons (including optional lessons) in Math, Language Arts/English,

History, Science, and either Art or Music. Minimum of 900 attendance hours for the school year (this may be adjusted accordingly for late

enrolling students) Spring ISAT scores in math or reading must fall in the proficient or advanced range for the student’s

age appropriate grade level. Consistent and excellent work samples/assignments Student must submit an essay regarding his/her goals for the future and how high achievement in

school will help them reach those goals, OR Student must demonstrate that he/she is involved incommunity activities—this could be youth group, drama productions, service clubs, volunteering,etc.

ORRecommendations from a Teacher Plus One Other Staff Member: A teacher may recommend astudent to reflect outstanding achievement such as English, mathematics, science, history, geography,

art, foreign language, and any other courses that reflect a school's core curriculum. This judgment is tobe supported by tangible evidence that is comprised of either results on teacher-made tests, portfolioassessment, or special projects. Additionally, the second recommendation from a school staff membermay address, for example: involvement in community service or co-curricular activities includingtutoring other students and/or demonstration of creativity and achievement in the visual and performingarts.

Presidential Award for Educational Achievement The purpose of this award is to recognize students that show outstanding educational growth, improvement,

commitment, or intellectual development in their academic subjects but do not meet the criteria for the

President's Award for Educational Excellence. This award should not be compared to the President's Award for

Educational Excellence or be seen as a second tier award, for it recognizes a very different type of academicachievement. It is meant to encourage and reward students who work hard and give their best effort in school,

often in the face of special obstacles to their learning. Teacher nominates student(s) from his/her class

that show outstanding growth on the ISAT or outstanding achievement in the face of adversity, etc.

The teacher writes a paragraph about the student including the reasons for the nomination.

When a student meets one or more of the following criteria, he/she may be nominated for this award.

• Student shows tremendous growth in an academic area but does not meet all the criteria for thePresident's Award for Educational Excellence. Growth may be from the Spring to Spring ISAT,achievement in a specific subject or goal area, achievement in the arts such as music or theater, etc.

•

Demonstrate unusual commitment to learning in academics despite various obstacles.• Maintain a school record that would have met the school's selection criteria for the President's Award

for Educational Excellence but illness, personal crisis, or special needs prevented the student frommaintaining such high standards despite hard work.

• Student must have full attendance for the school year.

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Middle School Project Guide

The Middle School project is a meaningful learning experience for all 6 th-8th graders enrolled in IDVA. Theproject provides each student with the opportunity for in-depth learning of a self-selected topic. Studentsshould be able to demonstrate a significant understanding of the topic upon completion.

Each student should seek topic approval from their Language Arts teacher. After a particular area of interest is

identified and approved, students will ask questions, select sources, conduct research; and then develop awritten report, oral presentation, and visual exhibit on the chosen topic.

The K12 curriculum instructs students in completing a written research report, oral presentation, and visual aid.The goal of this Middle School project is to highlight what your student is already doing and provide anaudience and feedback for their work. Participation in the Middle School Project is required and will bedocumented on your final report card. You will also receive a grade on your research report and this will bepart of your final Language Arts grade.

Upon completion of the Middle School project, each student will have the opportunity to share their work at alocal Middle School Project Fair. These fairs will be held in the Spring at a location near you. Please plan onattending this significant event. Elluminate sessions may be arranged between your Language Arts teacher

and student for presentations as a last resort, if necessary.

Students will have two choices with the Middle School project: a Science Fair entry or a Passion Project entry.IDVA students must complete a Science Fair project at least once during their Middle School career with IDVAunless their first enrollment is as an 8 th grader . Please see the Science Fair Guidebook for additionalinformation. The Passion Project’s topic is general and can be an expansion of a k12 lesson in history, art,music, a favorite hobby, or a service project.

Please discuss with your student which project they would like to complete this year and read the appropriatesection and requirements for that project. Your Language Arts teacher will be happy to answer any furtherquestions you may have.

The complete Project overview, guidelines, and requirements can be will be sent to you by your Language Artsteacher through Kmail. All topics assignments will be submitted in Study Island.

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Code of Conduct/Acceptable Use Guidelines

This document describes the policies and guidelines for the use of the IDVA middle school and exists to

ensure that all IDVA students are aware of and understand their responsibilities when accessing and using

IDVA resources.

IDVA reserves the right to update or alter this agreement at any time. Such revisions may substantiallyalter access to IDVA instructional computing resources. IDVA instructional computing resources include

any computer, software, or transmission system that is owned, operated, or leased by IDVA.

As a student enrolled in IDVA, you should be aware of the following guidelines and expectations. Any

activity that is not listed here, which violates local, state, or federal laws, is considered a violation of theStudent Code of Conduct and Acceptable Use Guidelines.

Failure to follow these guidelines could result in the:

• Removal of your access to IDVA instructional computing resources, which could result in yourinability to complete learning activities.

•

Involvement with law enforcement agencies and possible legal action.Accountability

• Posting anonymous messages is not permitted unless authorized by the course’s online teacher.Impersonating another person is also strictly prohibited.

• Use only your own user name and password, and do not share these with anyone.

• Do not interfere with other users’ ability to access IDVA or disclose anyone’s password to others orallow them to use another user’s account. You are responsible for all activity that is associated withyour username and password.

• Do change your password(s) frequently, at least once per semester or course is encouraged.

• Do not publicly post your personal contact information (address and phone number) or anyone else’s.

• Do not publicly post any messages that were sent to you privately.

• Do not download, transmit or post material that is intended for personal gain or profit, non-IDVAcommercial activities, non-IDVA product advertising, or political lobbying on an IDVA owned

instructional computing resource.

• Do not use IDVA instructional computing resources to sell or purchase any illegal items or substances.

• Do not upload or post any software on IDVA instructional computing resources that are notspecifically required and approved for your assignments.

• Do not post any MP3 files, compressed video, or other non-instructional files to any IDVA server.

Inappropriate Behavior

Inappropriate behavior includes the following:

• Insults or attacks of any kind against another person.

• Use of obscene, degrading, or profane language.

• Harassment (continually posting unwelcome messages to another person) or use of threads.

• Posting material that is obscene or defamatory or which is intended to annoy, harass or intimidate

another person. This includes distributing “spam” mail, chain e-mail, viruses, or other intentionallydestructive content.

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Student Internet Safety

• Do not reveal on the Internet personal information about yourself or other persons. For example, you

should not reveal your name, home address, telephone number, or display photographs of yourself orothers to persons outside of the IDVA.

• Do not agree to meet in person anyone you have met only on the Internet and who is not affiliated withthe IDVA.

Network Etiquette

As an IDVA student, you are expected to follow the rules of network etiquette or netiquette. The word

"netiquette" refers to common-sense guidelines for conversing with others online. Please abide by thesestandards:

• Avoid sarcasm, jargon, and slang. Swear words are unacceptable.

• Never use derogatory comments, including those regarding race, age, gender, sexual orientation,religion, ability, political persuasion, body type, physical or mental health, or access issues.

• Focus your responses on the questions or issues being discussed, not on the individuals involved.

• Be constructive with your criticism, not hurtful.

• Review your messages before sending them. Remove easily misinterpreted language and proofread fortypos.

• Respect other people’s privacy. Don't broadcast online discussions, and never reveal other people's

email addresses.

Use of Copyrighted Materials

All materials in the courses are copyrighted and provided for use exclusively by enrolled students.Enrolled students may print or photocopy material from the website for their own use by or distribution to

others is prohibited unless expressly noted. Unauthorized copying or distribution may result in revoked

access to course(s).Users shall not upload, download, transmit or post copyrighted software or copyrighted materials,

materials protected by trade secrets or other protections using IDVA computer resources. This includes

copyrighted graphics of cartoon characters or other materials that you found that may appear to be non-copyright protected.

Academic Integrity

Idaho Virtual Academy seeks to establish academic integrity within the high school community. IDVAhas identified the following as unacceptable practices, including, but not limited to:

1. Cheating in its various forms, whether copying another student’s work, allowing your own to be

copied, using unauthorized aids on an assignment, essay, quiz, or test, having someone else

complete an assignment, essay, quiz, or test for you, submitting as your own another person’swork, rescheduling a test on a false excuse;

2. Plagiarizing (e.g. presenting as your own the words or ideas of another person), including

inadequate documentation of sources (electronic, internet, or print) and excessive dependence onthe language of sources even when documented, relying on similar order of sentences while

altering a few words or word order;

3. Submitting the same work for more than one course or assignment without prior written approvalfrom the instructor(s);

4. Using copywrited material without appropriate citation or copying software or media files (such as

music, movies, etc.) without permission;

5. Fabricating data: This includes falsifying or manipulating data to achieve desired result, reportingresults for experiments not done, or falsifying citations in research reports;

6. Destroying, tampering, or altering another student’s work to impede academic progress;

7. Signing in to an Elluminate session for another student who is not present, or leaving an Elluminatesession without logging off or indicating that you have “stepped away” from the session;

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At the instructor’s discretion, depending on the nature of the offense, the student’s grade or ability to earn

credit for the course may be affected. All students who violate the principles of academic integrity will be

reported to the appropriate administrative authorities. Violations may also lead to further disciplinaryaction.

Monitoring

IDVA reserves the right to review any material transmitted using IDVA instructional computing resourcesor posted to an IDVA instructional computing resource to determine the appropriateness of such material.

IDVA may review this material at any time, with or without notice. E-mail transmitted via IDVAinstructional computing resources is not private and may be monitored.

IDVA Indemnification ProvisionIDVA assumes no responsibility for information obtained via the Internet, which may be illegal,

defamatory, inaccurate or offensive. IDVA assumes no responsibility for any claims, losses, damages,

costs, or other obligations arising from the use of instructional computing resources. IDVA also deniesany responsibility for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through user access. Any

statement, accessible on the computer network or the Internet, is understood to be the author’s individual

point of view and not that of IDVA, its affiliates, or its employees. K12 assumes no responsibility fordamages to the user’s computer system.

Nothing in this policy negates any obligation the student and parent have to use the instructional

computing recourses as required in the Use of Instructional Property Agreement ("Agreement") the parentor guardian signed as part of the student's enrollment packet. In the event that this Code conflicts with the

Agreement, the terms of the Agreement shall prevail.

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Notification of Rights Under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) afford parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible

students”) the following rights with respect to the student’s education records:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the district receives a

request for access.

The parent or eligible student should submit to the school principal a written request that identifies the

record(s) he or she wishes to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or

eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2. The right to request an amendment of the student’s education record that is believed to be inaccurate or

misleading. The parent or eligible student should make a written request for an amendment of records to the

school principal by clearly identifying the part of the record that needs to be changed and specifying why it is

inaccurate or misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record as requested, the parent or eligible student

will be notified of the decision and advised of the right to a district hearing regarding the request.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education

records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

One exception that permits disclosure without consent is to school officials with legitimate educational

interests. A school official is a person employed by the district as an administrator, supervisor, teacher, or support

staff member (including health staff and law enforcement personnel); a person serving on the board of trustees; a

person or company that the district has contracted to perform a special task; or a parent or student serving on an

official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in

performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review aneducation record to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the district will disclose education records without consent to officials of another school district

in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the district to

comply with the requirements of FERPA. The office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

600 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20202-4605

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Regarding Right to Receive Teacher Information

Federal law requires that each school district receiving Title 1 funds notify parents of each student attendingany school receiving these funds that information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’sclassroom teacher(s) may be requested.

As a parent of a student attending a school receiving federal program funds, you have the right to know:

Is my child’s teacher licensed to teach the grades and subject(s) assigned?

Is my child’s teacher teaching with a provisional license, meaning the state has waived requirements for my

child’s teacher?

What is the college major of my child’s teacher?

What degree or degrees does my child’s teacher hold?

If there are instructional aides working with my child, what are their qualifications?

If my child is or will be taught for 4 or more consecutive weeks this year by a teacher who is not highly

qualified, will I be notified in a timely manner?

To request the state qualifications for your child’s teacher or instructional aide, please contact Mike Groshong,

IDVA Human Resources Manager, at [email protected].

If you would like more information about this Idaho Virtual Academy please feel free to contact your IDVA

Teacher or Instructional Coordinator via phone, email, or Kmail

Questions, comments contact:

Kari Granier

IDVA K8 Principal

[email protected]

(208) 304-0425

Or

Jenny Whelan

IDVA K8 Master Teacher

[email protected]

(208) 954-3196

2011-2012 ms handbook

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