The Georgia Virtual School program (GaVS) has been providing schools and students with options and opportunities to supplement public, private, and home school course offerings since 2005. GaVS offers courses during the proper school year as well as providing a tuition based summer school program.
What is Georgia Online Learning Law?
Senate Bill 289, which was passed in 2012, directs the state Board of Education to “maximize the number of students” who use digital learning to complete high school coursework in some way shape or form. This effort to maximize participation will begin with students entering the 9th grade during the 2014-2015 school year. In addition, all end-of-course examinations will be available online starting the 2015-2016 school year.
Why is the state of Georgia so invested in online education?
Online education is a significant and fast-growing segment of education. The Online Learning Law was passed on a largely bipartisan basis in an effort to use all available tools to educate Georgia’s students and make Georgia a national leader in this growing field.
How will it impact my child’s education?
The Online Learning Law will offer parents and educators another option for improved outcomes for Georgia’s students. Online education is growing and this bill is a signature effort by the Georgia Department of Education to ensure that our state’s children are prepared to lead.
Is it a mandate?
No, this legislation does not make online learning mandatory for Georgia students.
How does Georgia Virtual School affect classroom teachers?
Georgia Virtual School and the Georgia Department of Education fully support local teachers. Georgia Virtual School products are simply another way to educate Georgia’s students.
How much does a Georgia Virtual School class cost?
Georgia Virtual School’s classes cost $250 per half credit course. All Georgia public school students will have their tuition paid by their local school board if they take a Georgia Virtual School class as a part of the child’s school day.
I home school my child. Can I use Georgia Virtual School to help me educate my child?
Yes, home school students can take Georgia Virtual School classes. Students can take all of their classes of just one of their classes with Georgia Virtual School. Tuition is the same price as public school students - $250 per half credit course.
My child attends a private school in Georgia. Can he or she take a class at Georgia Virtual School?
Yes, private school students can take one or several Georgia Virtual School classes. Tuition is the same price as public school students - $250 per half credit course.
What type of courses does Georgia Virtual School offer?
We offer 120 course offerings in core subjects, electives, and Advanced Placement classes. All courses are fully accredited and meet state and national education standards. To see all of the courses, visit our course info page and select the semester in which you are interested.
Who teaches Georgia Virtual School’s classes?
All of our teachers are certified by the state of Georgia. They are experts in their subject area and have been honored both locally and nationally for their teaching skills.
How do Georgia Virtual School’s students perform in the classroom?
Georgia Virtual School’s students consistently outperform their offline counterparts on Advanced Placement tests.
What are the requirements to take a class at Georgia Virtual School?
All Georgia Virtual School students must have a valid e-mail address, high-speed internet connectivity, and consistent computer access.
1. Are all courses offered in the summer? Check the course offerings list available here. Usually all high school courses except for Advanced Placement courses are offered. Please click the course name to read for more info. For middle school, 6th-8th grade math, language arts and science are offered as a review of all the GA Performance Standards. The courses can be used for remediation, review or preview.
2. What do summer courses cost? Are any courses free? Summer courses are $250 per half unit and $500 for a full unit course. VISA or Mastercard are accepted online paid through the student account. Middle school courses are $250 each.
3. Do you have to log in everyday? Beginning on your start date, you must login every weekday. A half unit class will average 4 hours of work per weekday, and a full unit class could average up to 8 hours per day. You are doing 18 weeks of work in 5 or 6 weeks. Middle school students may expect 3 hours or so of work per weekday.
4. Is this summer program independent study? No, the courses are taught by highly qualified Georgia certified teachers, and there is a pacing schedule to follow with penalties for late work.
5. How do I access the courses? Courses are available from any reliable internet connection 24/7.
6. How do I contact my teacher? Instructors will post their office hours and contact information on the course homepage. Phone and email are available.
7. What if I have a camp or vacation planned during the session? You must have a minimum of 5 full weeks that you can devote to the course. If you have less time than that, you will not be successful.
8. How do I get the credit put on my transcript? Schools must approve your application(s) and in doing so, are agreeing to accept the numerical grades earned and award the credit according to local school policies.
9. What if I need to drop from the class? Students are eligible for a refund the first three days after the start date. Students may drop through the last week of class, but no refund will be issued. If a student attempts the final exam, the student is not eligible to drop the course.
10. How do I get enrolled? From the main website (www.gavirtualschool.org), follow the Login to GaVS link and Register for a STUDENT account. Apply for courses from your student account. Your school must agree to participate and approve your online application.
11. Is there any kind of Orientation? There is nothing face to face, but an online Student Orientation Course is available before the session begins. If you have not taken it previously, GAVS requires that you take it.
12. Do parents have access to student progress? Yes. A parent may register for an account which will provide access to grades during the session.
13. Can I take my final exam early? No. GaVS has a final exam week, and students must take exams during that week. Students should not enroll in a summer course if there is a conflict with the final exam week.
Public school students: Local schools will pay tuition and fees for students enrolled in a GaVS course that is part of the student's regular school day. Private and home school students: An allotment of state funded seats is available fall and spring semester on a first-come first serve basis. After the allotment has been reached, students are required to pay tuition and fees for all GaVS courses. Out of state students: Students are required to pay all tuition and fees associated with their GaVS courses. Tuition Schedule High school A or B course: $250 tuition High school AB course: $500 tuition Middle School course: $250 tuition
Georgia Virtual School courses are offered in either the A, B or AB format. Students on a traditional school schedule usually take the A and B courses. Students on a block schedule typically take the AB courses.
A courses are the first semester of a course. These courses are half a carnegie unit towards graduation.
B courses are the second semester of a course. These courses are half a carnegie unit towards graduation.
AB courses are the full year of a course. These courses are a full Carnegie unit towards graduation.
Students are expected to login and participate in the online course on a daily basis Monday through Friday. Fall/Spring semester: Time will vary by course, but students should plan to spend 5-8 hours per week for a half unit course (A or B) and 7-10 hours per week on a full unit (AB) course. The shorter the time a student is enrolled in a course, the greater the time commitment each week.
Summer semester: Time will vary by course, but students should plan to spend 15-25 hours per week for a half unit course (A or B) and 30-40 hours per week on a full unit (AB) course.
Please note that students may not be logged in to the course the entire time, but need to plan on the work taking that much time. Students may be able to complete some of the work offline but will need access to a computer and the internet daily Monday through Friday.
Once you are enrolled in a course and the term begins, you will complete a Getting Started Module within your GaVS course. It is found as the first module inside each GaVS course.
Yes. All Georgia Virtual School courses are taught by highly-qualified, Georgia certified teachers.
Labs can be performed at home in the kitchen or any place in the house. Most courses have a combination of hands-on and virtual labs. Since we are aware that many of our students do not have access to an actual scientific laboratory, all of the hands-on labs utilize materials that can easily be found around the home or purchased at a local grocery store or drug store.
Students who take health with Georgia Virtual School are eligible to take eADAP to obtain certification prior to earning a Georgia driver's license. Students must register with the Department of Driver Services on their own, take the test, and print the completion certificate. The steps to register are below.
Q: Can I utilize a tablet to complete Personal Fitness?
A: Yes, a tablet is permissible as long as you have access to an internet connection.
Q: Is there specific software I need to download or access?
A: There are no specific software requirements for Personal Fitness.
Q: How many workout must I complete each week?
A: Students are required to complete 6-7 workouts per week during the summer semester. Each workout will be 30-45 minutes in length. The workouts are recorded on a fitness log, and it is turned in weekly to the instructor. All 6-7 weekly workouts are recorded on the same log.
Q: How are the fitness logs completed?
A: GaVS does require handwritten signatures on our Fitness Logs. Therefore students must have access to a printer and have the ability to scan or take a picture of their completed Fitness logs to upload to the Dropbox.
Q: Who can sign the fitness logs?
A: The fitness sponsor can be a parent, coach, teacher, or counselor. The fitness sponsor needs to be present at the time of the workout or must be able to verify that the student completed the workout as it is recorded on the fitness log. The fitness coach does not have to be the same person for each workout. For example, it might be a parent for some and a coach for others.
Q: What are the face to face requirements?
A: GaVS does not have face-to-face requirements for courses.
Q: Is “book work” required?
A: While fitness logs constitute about 50% of the personal fitness course, there are additional requirements (i.e. discussions, assignments, quizzes and tests) for the course.
Q: What constitutes a workout?
A: A workout must be 30-45 minutes in length where the student is reaching his/her target heart rate.
Q: How long must the strenuous workouts be? Can they be done in bulk or do they have to be done by completing a certain number per day? For example, if there must be a total of 35 that are completed over the course of 5 weeks, that's an average of 1 per day . . . can a student double up on the workouts for several days and have several days with no workouts?
A: Students have a required number of workouts that are due each week. However, students are only permitted to complete a maximum of 2 per day. So theoretically, the student could have days during the week with no workouts if they choose to do this. The workouts range from 30 to 45 mins where students must reach their target heart rate.
Q: What is the status “waiting on waiver” and how do I access the waiver?
A: An application for personal fitness is “waiting on waiver” when the parent needs to sign the waiver granting the student permission to participate in the physical activity required for the course. The waiver is emailed from Georgia Virtual School to the parent email address on file. The parent email address was provided when the student created his/her student account.
Q: What do I do if I do not receive the personal fitness waiver via email?
A: Please use the link to request the waiver be resent to you. Contact Us
Q: Can I work ahead and if so, are these specifics guidelines for this?
A: Students can work ahead in their courses, but we always ask students to log in daily Monday-Friday as teachers may post new information within the course. However, working ahead in the course does not allow a student to take a final exam early and students can only complete a maximum of 2 workout per day. Final exam dates for summer semester are posted on the student dashboard and the GaVS website.
Q: What is the FitnessGram? Can my student complete the FitnessGram early if needed?
A: The FitnessGram consists of five simple fitness assessments. Students are not graded on their performance but rather on completing the tests and recording their scores accurately. Students can complete the FitnessGram early if needed.
Q: Will my student receive a heart rate monitor or need to purchase any special equipment for the course?
A: GaVS no longer uses the heart rate monitors for our Personal Fitness course. Instead, students document their workouts using a fitness log that is provided within the course. They will not need to purchase any special equipment to measure their heart rate. They will learn how to measure carotid and arterial pulse during the course.
For EOC courses, public school students are required to take EOCs at their local school's next administration of the exam. The local school will report the score to GaVS. Private and home school students will take the final exam in those courses.
For non-EOC courses, all students are required to take the final exam. GaVS does not permit students to exempt final exams.
If you have additional questions, one of our support team members will be happy to assist. Please complete the Contact Us form from the tab on the top of your screen. A team member will get back to you within 24 hours.
Once enrolled your first point of contact is always your GaVS instructor. We do have support team members always available to answer your questions. Just complete the Contact Us form from the tab at the top of the home page.
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