The Virtual Academy will be offered to students in 7TH through 12TH GRADES whose preferred learning environment is a flexible yet effective, tuition-free online learning approach.

Virtual learning will be offered via VIRTUAL ARKANSAS. All instruction and course work will be delivered by Virtual Arkansas teachers. The Learning Management System will be CANVAS, and the interactive video technology used will be ZOOM. Students will work with their counselors to enroll in the courses that meet their personal learning goals as well as adhere to Arkansas course credit requirements. Students may enroll in up to 3 courses on site. Virtual students are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities if they choose.    

•Virtual course offerings can be accessed here: bit.ly/7-12virtual 
•Students will work with their counselor to enroll in Virtual Arkansas courses that adhere to Arkansas course credit requirements for graduation. Virtual students may choose to enroll in up to 3 courses on site in the event they prefer to take a specific course on site or the course(s) are not offered virtually. It will be the student/parent’s responsibility to secure needed transportation to on site courses.

•Virtual students may participate in extracurricular activities. It will be the student/parent’s responsibility to secure needed transportation to extracurricular activities.

Entrance Criteria:
•7-12 students who failed one or more virtual courses in the Spring 2021 semester will not be eligible to enroll in the Virtual Academy for the 2021-22 school year.
•Any student who did not complete state mandated standardized testing in the Spring 2021 semester will be ineligible to enroll in the Virtual Academy for 2021-22.  
•District personnel have the right to deem a student ineligible for enrollment in the Virtual Academy due to their lack of success in a virtual learning environment in the previous school year.
•Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on an individual basis by the BSD Virtual Academy Executive Committee.
•Although not required, recommended virtual student characteristics include the following:
 - Self-motivated
 - Independent Learner
 - Computer Literate
 - Good Time Management
 - Effective Communicator
 - Personal Commitment
 - Academic Readiness


Transition Criteria:
•Any student who exceeds the number of absences (8) per the handbook policy for the 1st semester will be required to transition to on site for the remainder of the school year.
•Any student with a failing grade in any credit/core course will be returned to on site instruction at the end of each quarter and remain there for the remainder of the school year.
•Mandated transition due to failure to meet requirements (attendance, grades) will occur on an as needed basis.
•Students/parents may choose to opt out of the Virtual Academy within 10 SCHOOL DAYS of the start of the semester (August 27 & January 14) or at the end of the quarter.
•Any time a student transitions from virtual to on site (due to their choice or mandated return), they and their parents will be required to complete the Virtual Academy Drop Form.
•Students may not re enroll in the Virtual Academy during the 2021-22 school year after returning to on site.

•Virtual students will adhere to all BSD Student Handbook and Virtual Arkansas Student Handbook Policies. The Virtual Arkansas Student Handbook can be found here: bit.ly/vastudenthandbook2021
•BSD Student Handbooks can be found at beebebadgers.org under "Parent & Student Resources."
•All standardized assessments will be required to be taken ON SITE at designated dates, times, and locations set by the district.
•If approved for enrollment in the Virtual Academy, all students must attend (either virtually or in person) an orientation session to be held the week of Open House (August 9-13).
•Before school begins, all virtual students must submit this Virtual Academy contract as well as all student handbook forms, including the chromebook contract. Students will also submit a Virtual Arkansas Audio Visual Release Form.
•It is HIGHLY recommended that students who enroll in the Virtual Academy have high speed, reliable internet service at home. In the event that a virtual student needs internet access, the district can provide a hotspot. However, there are barriers for students who use hotspots as their permanent internet source so this would only be a temporary solution. Any student who checks out a school hotspot will need to sign and submit a hotspot contract before receiving it.

Devices:
•All students will be issued a district-owned chromebook.
•Calculators will be available for check out to all virtual students as needed.
•Temporary hotspots are available to virtual students as needed.

Meals:
•Virtual students may participate in the “Grab and Go” Meal Program to receive weekly breakfast and lunch meals.

Special Services:
•Virtual teachers will provide accommodations and/or modifications to students with IEPs or 504s as needed. The virtual Special Education teacher will ensure all special education students receive required special education minutes/services.
•Therapy services will be available in person or virtually.

Gifted & Talented:
•Beebe School District will follow all Gifted and Talented Program Approval Standards with virtual and face-to-face students.
•Details about services for Gifted and Talented virtual students can be found here: bit.ly/bsdvirtualgt

Mental Health Support:
•9-12 students will have the option to enroll in an advisory course to help them stay on track and maintain connections within the district.
•3-6 virtual students will have a weekly counseling session provided to them via Google Meet, and counselors will be available for individual and group counseling as needed.
•7-12 School counselors will send out a Wellness Check Google Form once per week to all virtual students. Counselors will reach out to any students who do not respond to the form by the end of the week. Counselors will be available for individual and group counseling as needed.

If, after reading all Virtual Academy information, you wish to enroll your student in our virtual learning option during the 2021-22 school year, please continue to the next section and submit all information.