CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION FLORIDA VIRTUAL ACADEMY AT PALM BEACH COUNTY FLORIDA. VIRTUAL ACADEMy sm. Presented to

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1 CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION FLORIDA VIRTUAL ACADEMY AT PALM BEACH COUNTY FLORIDA VIRTUAL ACADEMy sm Presented to THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PALM BEACH COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS 3300 FOREST HILL BOULEVARD, IBIS BUILDING E WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA By SOUTH FLORIDA VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD, INC. Submitted August 1,2011 Revised December 22, 2011 Exhibit F

2 PALM BEACH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHARTER SCHOOL SUMMARY INFORMATION A. General Information Name of Charter School: Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County Name of Founder: Susan Goldstein, Chairwoman Name of Legal Entity: South Florida Virtual Charter School Board, Inc. Please see Attachment 5 for Articles of Incorporation Address: 3158 Inverness City, State, Zip Code: Weston, FL Telephone number: Fax number: address: skgoldstein@hotmail.com Cell number: Name of contact person(s): Brady J. Cobb, Esquire Address: Tripp Scott, PA 110 SE Sixth Street, Suite 1500 City, State, Zip Code: Fort Lauderdale, FL Telephone number: (954) Daytime number: Fax number: n/a Cell number: n/a address: bjc@trippscott.com Have you/will you file this application with other districts? NO If yes, please list such districts: Please provide a brief description of the proposed school (to be distributed to the media, as necessary) Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will be a fulltime virtual public charter school opening in the fall of 2012 enrolling students in grades K9 in its first year and adding one grade each year to a full complement of grades K12 in Virtual public charter schools were recently authorized in Florida in 2011 with the passage of the Digital Learning Now Act. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County i

3 The school s charter sponsor is the School District at Palm Beach County. Students will be instructed by Floridacertified (and NCLB Highly Qualified) regular and special education teachers who will provide daily guidance, instruction, and support to students and parents via , telephone, in person, and during synchronous web conference learning sessions. Each student will have an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) with her/his own learning goals. Kindergarten through 8th grade students will complete coursework in Language Arts/English, Mathematics, Science, History, Art, and Music including adaptive K5 math courses and Grades 35 adaptive reading remediation courses. Elementary and middle school students can also choose from World Languages in Spanish, French, Latin, and German. High school students will be enrolled in courses required for graduation and electives. The school will be able to offer more than 150 high school courses designed to help students earn their high school diploma and find their own path to posthigh school success whether that s in college or in the workforce. Math, English, Science, and History courses will be offered in multiple levels Core, Comprehensive, Honors, and Advanced Placement plus remediation and credit recovery courses to meet the needs of diverse learners. High school students can also take up to four years of a world language (depending on the language), in Spanish, French, Latin, German, and Chinese and choose from a variety of electives, including Anthropology, Web design, Entrepreneurship, and Green Design & Technology. The school s digital learning program will combine lessons accessed on the Internet with handson materials kits. Students will receive the course content, instruction, assignments, assessments and supplemental materials online as well as handson materials kits shipped directly to the student, including textbooks, workbooks, reference books and anthologies, DVDs, maps, and other handson activity materials (phonics kits, science experiments, art supplies, math manipulatives, musical instruments, etc.). Students meeting eligibility requirements will be able to check out a computer and printer and receive Internet cost reimbursement for the duration of their enrollment in the school. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County has chosen K 12 Florida LLC, an approved and successful provider of virtual instruction services in Florida, to provide the school s curriculum and management services. K 12 Florida LLC, using the K 12 curriculum, has shown academic success and achievement since their first year in 2003 in a virtual instruction pilot managed by the Florida Department of Education. As a state provider they received an A rating each year. With the legislative change in 2008, K 12 Florida LLC has partnered with over 40 school districts on their Virtual Instruction Programs and continues its success scoring over 500 points each year as an approved virtual instruction services provider with the Florida Department of Education. B. Student Enrollment Breakdown by Year Complete the student enrollment breakdown by year with the appropriate grades and enrollment as it pertains to your school: Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County ii

4 School Year Grade Levels Total Projected Student Enrollment Student Enrollment Capacity (if known) First Year K Not applicable Second Year K Not applicable Third Year K Not applicable Fourth Year K Not applicable Fifth Year K Not applicable C. Mission and Vision Please provide below the mission and vision of proposed charter school: It is the mission of Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County to provide students and families with a highquality, innovative public virtual charter school education choice using digital learning to meet the individual needs of kindergarten through twelfth grade students in Palm Beach County. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will be accountable for developing each student s full potential by utilizing researchbased digital content and instructional materials, meaningful teacher/student/parent involvement, and engaging individualized learning. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will develop and enrich all of its students by fostering their desire to be lifelong learners to reach their full potential in life. D. Proposed Facility As a virtual charter school, Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will only require leased facilities for administrative offices as well as meeting space for Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach Countyrelated activities, such as Board meetings, learning coach and teacher meetings, and workshops. E. Location The facility will be conveniently located in the area served by the South Florida Virtual Charter School Board. F. Proposed School s Legal Counsel Name: Brady J. Cobb, Esquire Telephone Number: (954) Firm: Tripp Scott, PA Address: 110 SE Sixth Street, Suite 1500, Fort Lauderdale, FL bjc@trippscott.com G. Proposed School s Schedule The instructional day at the school will begin at (time) each day. *See note Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County iii

5 The instructional day at the school will end at (time) each day. *See note Minutes of instruction each day will be. *See note Number of instructional days per year will be 180 day minimum. The school will follow the PBCPS school calendar to the extent possible. * See Note NOTE: Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County is a virtual charter school whose students will follow a selfpaced schedule according to a functional equivalent of the instructional model of attending school five days per week, thirtysix weeks per year. Although Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will encourage students to learn at their own pace, they will meet all Florida state requirements for instructional time and attendance days including a school year minimum of 180 days of instruction; an annual minimum of 720 instructional hours for grades K3; and an annual minimum of 900 instructional hours for grades 412. Given the virtual nature of the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County program, however, student learning time will not be confined to a traditional academic calendar or school building hours. As a virtual school, Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will not have a set daily schedule with regular classroom periods. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County model is fluid and flexible. With 24/7 access to the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County online school and lessons as well as books and other materials, students will be able to complete lessons and assignments at any time and have it credited to meet their required instructional hours. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County iv

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS PALM BEACH COUNTY APPLICATION COVER SHEET... 2 I. EDUCATIONAL PLAN... 4 Section 1: Mission, Guiding Principles and Purpose... 4 Section 2: Target Population and Student Body Section 3: Educational Program Design Section 4: Curriculum Plan Section 5: Student Performance, Assessment and Evaluation Section 6: Exceptional Students Section 7: English Language Learners Section 8: School Climate and Discipline II. ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN Section 9: Governance Section 10: Management Section 11: Education Service Providers Section 12: Human Resources and Employment Section 13: Student Recruitment and Enrollment III. BUSINESS PLAN Section 14: Facilities Section 15: Transportation Service Section 16: Food Service Section 17: Budget Section 18: Financial Management and Oversight Section 19: Action Plan IV. PALM BEACH COUNTY STATEMENT OF ASSURANCES ATTACHMENTS Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 1

7 PALM BEACH COUNTY APPLICATION COVER SHEET NAME OF PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL: Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County NAME OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION/MUNICIPALITY UNDER WHICH CHARTER WILL BE ORGANIZED OR OPERATED: South Florida Virtual Charter School Board, Inc. The Organization has applied for 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status: Yes No X Provide the name of the person who will serve as the primary contact for this Application. The primary contact should serve as the contact for followup, interviews, and notices regarding this Application. NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Brady J. Cobb, Esquire TITLE/RELATIONSHIP TO NONPROFIT: Board Counsel MAILING ADDRESS: Tripp Scott, PA 110 SE Sixth Street, Suite 1500 Fort Lauderdale, FL PRIMARY TELEPHONE: (954) ALTERNATE TELEPHONE: (954) ADDRESS: bjc@trippscott.com NAME OF EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDER (if any): K 12 Florida LLC NAME OF PARTNER/PARENT ORGANIZATION (if any): None Projected School Opening: 2012 School Year Grade Levels Total Projected Student Enrollment Student Enrollment Capacity (if known) First Year K Not applicable Second Year K Not applicable Third Year K Not applicable Fourth Year K Not applicable Fifth Year K Not applicable Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 2

8 Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 3

9 I. EDUCATIONAL PLAN Section 1: Mission, Guiding Principles and Purpose A. Provide the mission statement for the proposed charter school. The mission statement should, in a few concise sentences, indicate what the school intends to do, for whom and to what degree. A school s mission statement provides the foundation for the entire application. It is the mission of Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County to provide students and families with a highquality, innovative public virtual charter school education choice using digital learning to meet the individual needs of kindergarten through twelfth grade students in Palm Beach County. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will be accountable for developing each student s full potential by utilizing researchbased digital content and instructional materials, meaningful teacher/student/parent involvement, and engaging individualized learning. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will develop and enrich all of its students by fostering their desire to be lifelong learners to reach their full potential in life. B. Describe how the school will utilize the guiding principles found in section (2)(a), F.S. In accordance with the law, charter schools shall be guided by the following principles: Meet high standards of student achievement while providing parents flexibility to choose among diverse educational opportunities within the state s public school system. Promote enhanced academic success and financial efficiency by aligning responsibility and accountability. Provide parents with sufficient information on whether their child is reading at grade level and whether the child gains at least a year s worth of learning for every year spent in the charter school. The academic philosophy of our school is based on using innovations in digital learning to create and harness the power of individualized learning plans. As a public virtual charter school, Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will be open to any grade K12 child eligible for attendance in public schools in Palm Beach County, including students from diverse backgrounds, urban, rural, special populations of students, such as gifted and talented students, students attending schools designated as needs improvement under NCLB, special education students, homebound students, teenage mothers, or those who are struggling academically and in need of an alternative choice for their public school education. Too many students in both Florida and the nation are not graduating from high school at all, or are graduating unready for the expectations of higher education or meaningful careers. This reality, central to the mission of Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County, merits the creation of strong and innovative solutions. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 4

10 Nearly 30% of students in the high school class of 2008 in the U.S. didn t graduate 1 Nearly 36% of all students in the class of 2008 in Florida didn t graduate 2 We understand that not all children learn the same way and we believe that individual students and families should have access to an array of high quality public education options. The Florida Legislature specifically recognized this year, with the passage of the Digital Learning Act, that the creation of fulltime virtual charter schools in the state is an important component of providing such an array to the state s students. We will be recognized as a school that is studentcentered, looking at each student as an individual and matching teaching methods to individual learning styles and student performance. Students will collaborate with their teachers, parents, learning coaches, and school leaders to define, plan, and work towards achieving their academic and nonacademic goals. They will share an ethic of cooperation, hard work, and high expectations. The content of our program and the quality of our instruction will be evaluated on the metric of student learning. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will demonstrate that it is implementing an effective Individual Learning Plan (ILP) for each student. Two measures of attaining that goal shall be that all students will (1) be reading at grade level and (2) be achieving a minimum of one year s growth in one year s time. Several assessment instruments both online and on paperwill be used to measure student learning including the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT 2.0), Florida EndofCourse Assessments (EOC), early literacy screening (DIBELS), pre and post diagnostic benchmark assessments (Scantron Performance and Achievement Series), standardsmastery assessments (Study Island), and embedded lesson, unit and semester curriculum assessments. Student progress in the curriculum will be regularly measured and reported to students, parents, teachers, administrators, the Board, and the district throughout the school year. The Board is responsible for accountability to all of its stakeholders. The Board is responsible for setting policies and budgets for the school, and for monitoring and ensuring compliance and successful implementation of those policies and budgets. The Board will employ the School s auditors and will help select the school leader. Its major roles and responsibilities will be to establish and approve all major educational and operational policies as they relate to the school, approving all contracts, establishing the school s annual budget, and overseeing the school s fiscal affairs. The Board intends to fulfill its obligations relative to the daytoday management of the school and the provision of curriculum, technology, and other educational services, through a Services Agreement with K 12 Florida LLC ( K 12 ), a wholly owned subsidiary of K12 Inc., and a FLDOEapproved private provider of virtual instruction services. The Services Agreement (see Attachment 1) reflects the Board s determination that K 12 is uniquely situated with 10 years of experience providing not only the K 12 endtoend curriculum 1 Gewertz, C. (2011). "College for All" Reconsidered: Are Fouryear Degrees for All?. Diploma Counts, 30(34), 4. 2 Gewertz, 2011 Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 5

11 and learning system, but also the associated administrative and technology services necessary to deliver that curriculum and maximize student academic achievement. This delegation of the daytoday management responsibilities, while maintaining oversight, provides the Board with the opportunity to concentrate on their responsibilities for accountability. C. Describe how the school will meet the prescribed purposes for charter schools found in section (2)(b), F.S. In accordance with the law, charter schools shall fulfill the following purposes: Improve student learning and academic achievement. Increase learning opportunities for all students, with a special emphasis on lowperforming students and reading. Encourage the use of innovative learning methods. Require the measurement of learning outcomes. Utilizing technology in education is an appropriate, and necessary, way to educate the many digital students of the Millennial generation. The Florida Legislature, with the passage of the Digital Learning Now Act, expressed this belief in their finding which introduces the Act: The Legislature finds that each student should have access to a highquality digital learning environment that provides: (a) Access to digital learning. (b) Access to highquality digital content and online courses. (c) Education that is customized to the needs of the student using digital content. (d) A means for the student to demonstrate competency in completed coursework. (e) Highquality digital content, instructional materials, and online and blended learning courses. (f) Highquality digital instruction and teachers. (g) Content and instruction that are evaluated on the metric of student learning. (h) The use of funding as an incentive for performance, options, and innovation. (i) Infrastructure that supports digital learning. (j) Online administration of state assessments. For this generation, technology is an integral part of their lives. They are growing up with the Internet and thrive in a multimedia, highly communicative environment. Learning online is natural to them. They expect their education to be in line with their every day technologyrich experiences. Technology has the power to customize education for each and every student so all students can achieve their full potential for learning. Digital learning is a proven Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 6

12 method. 3 Digital learning allows students to learn in their own style at their own pace, which maximizes their opportunities for success in school and beyond. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will: expand access to high quality, rigorous K12 courses and provide a new network of highly qualified teachers to students in underserved Palm Beach County communities both rural or urban; offer customized and personalized learning for a spectrum of students: from struggling students who need a second chance to master a subject through credit recovery if they fall behind, to students ready for advanced placement courses to promote college readiness; connect students to a vast network of resources that will help them compete and succeed in the global economy; and meet the growing demand for graduates with greater knowledge and skills. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will address the needs of Palm Beach County students because it is premised on the belief (and proven experience) that given a comprehensive and masterybased curriculum, high expectations, state of the art technology, strong instructional support, collaborative community learning, guidance from experienced teachers, and a strong commitment from parents (or other responsible adults), a wellconceived digital learning education program can help boost student achievement, serve the unique needs of students and families, and offer a new model for effective public education. The instructional model for the school, as well as its curriculum, systems, and management team will be similar to the highly successful Florida Virtual Academy which operated as a pilot program under the Florida Department of Education from 2003 to K 12 Florida LLC was hired by the Florida Department of Education to use its instructional and operational models as well as its curriculum and systems to design and launch the program. Its success informs this application and the Board s desire to see a similar model offered more widely. In 2005, the first year K 12 Florida LLC was given their own grade as Florida Virtual Academy, the school celebrated a B with 400 points 10 points shy of an A. From school year (with the addition of the science component) to school year , the Florida Virtual Academy received an A under the Sunshine State accountability system. 89% of the students tested demonstrated high standards in reading. With the legislative change in 2008, K 12 Florida LLC has partnered with over 40 school districts on their Virtual Instruction Programs and continues its success scoring over 500 points each year as an approved virtual instruction services provider with the Florida Department of Education. 3 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. (2010) Evaluation of EvidenceBased Practices in Online Learning: A MetaAnalysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 7

13 D. Describe how the charter school will fulfill, if applicable, the optional purposes of charter schools found in section (2)(c), F.S. In accordance with the law, charter schools may fulfill the following purposes: Create innovative measurement tools. Provide rigorous competition within the public school district to stimulate continual improvement in all public schools. Expand the capacity of the public school system. Mitigate the educational impact created by the development of new residential dwelling units. Create new professional opportunities for teachers, including ownership of the learning program at the school site. As mentioned in the response to Question B above, the content of our program and the quality of our instruction will be evaluated on the metric of student learning. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will demonstrate that it is implementing an effective ILP for each student. Several assessment instruments both online and on paperwill be used to measure student learning including the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT 2.0), Florida EndofCourse Assessments (EOC), early literacy screening (DIBELS), pre and post diagnostic benchmark assessments (Scantron Performance and Achievement Series), standardsmastery assessments (Study Island), and embedded lesson, unit and semester curriculum assessments. In addition to individual student goals in the ILPs, the school will strive to reach studentcentered academic and nonacademic goals for the school overall that are aligned with the school s mission and the educational plan. The governing board, administration, and teaching staff will share a common vision for student success that is measurable and meaningful. We view it as our responsibility to educate the whole child. Please refer to Section 5: Student Performance, Assessment, and Evaluation for a detailed description of the school s academic and nonacademic goals that the school will strive to accomplish in its initial five years of operation and the innovative measurement tools we plan to use to measure how well those goals are being reached. We will demonstrate best practices: optimal use of technology in learning and teaching, high quality instruction and curriculum, datadriven decision making, and focused and wellstructured instructional practices. The instructional practices in our public virtual charter school will be models that will foster competition and continual improvement for other virtual charter schools in Florida to replicate especially in the areas of creating individualized learning plans (ILPs), parent engagement, mastery of standards, webbased and inperson professional development, a detailed instructional model, creating valueadded measures of student achievement, and providing successful intervention for students who are struggling. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County is committed to datadriven instruction and decision making, responsive governance, acrosstheboard accountability, and transparency in all aspects of school operations. The recent enactment of the Digital Learning Now Act (s F.S.) and related amendments to the Florida charter law (s ) have provided students and families Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 8

14 across Florida with an exciting new choice for public school education in this state: public virtual charter schools such as Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County. While over the past few years, some Florida students have had the opportunity to enroll in public virtual pilot programs and public virtual instruction programs and schools (with some restrictions and limitations), Florida students have not previously had the opportunity to enroll in a public virtual charter school. The Digital Learning Act Now requires that public school districts expand the capacity of the public school system by establishing multiple opportunities for student participation in parttime and fulltime kindergarten through grade 12 virtual instruction. Options (to) include Fulltime virtual charter school instruction authorized under s At their best, charter schools can serve as a type of research and development for public education. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County plans to share our successes and struggles with public school leaders and policy makers across the state. The instructional practices in our public charter school will be models for school districts. We look forward to stimulating continual improvement in all public school districts and to expanding the capacity of the public school system. The Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will enhance the public school opportunities for students in Palm Beach County through establishing a stateoftheart, fulltime, online learning environment. This learning environment is more than just a delivery system. It is the comprehensive wraparound services that our partner K 12 will bring to the table: from the development of strong community within the virtual academy to establishing unique settings for students and parents to interact. Within the virtual learning environments parents or caring adults play a strong and engaged role in the daytoday success of the students. Instead of conferences with parents every nine weeks, teachers are communicating with parents regularly through s, and scheduled meetings (these often occur every two to three weeks). Parents will be provided with opportunities to expand their learning through online sessions just for parents that happen monthly. Students will be exposed on a regular basis to students across the United States in other virtual academies and across the world. The Board fully appreciates the benefits of and supports the need for ongoing professional development for all teachers and other staff, particularly in the areas of curriculum and instruction. K 12 has the capability to provide the professional development our teachers will need. Professional development opportunities will be a combination of K 12 s best practices and training along with required annual professional development for all teachers and other staff. Professional development will be a yearlong pursuit focused on providing teachers with the skills and competencies to meet the needs of students and their families. Each teacher will have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that is a combination of required professional development as deemed appropriate by their tenure or as identified by an administrator as an area where development is needed, and other optional offerings particular to their areas of interest. Teachers and staff will receive professional development on these and other topics, at various points throughout the year. Professional development will begin with Intake Training for new teachers and continues with Ongoing Training monthly for new and experienced teachers. The responsibilities of the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 9

15 teachers are communicated through weekly staff meetings, monthly Professional Development sessions, and the teacher handbook. Section 2: Target Population and Student Body A. Describe the anticipated target population to be served. If applicable, applicants should describe if they will target, in accordance with the law, certain populations defined in section (10)(e), F.S. Our school will be a fulltime virtual public charter school open to any grade K12 child eligible for attendance in public charter schools in the sponsor s district and statutorily eligible for attendance at a virtual charter, including students from diverse backgrounds, urban, rural, special populations of students, such as gifted and talented students, students attending schools designated as needs improvement under NCLB, special education students, homebound students, or those who are struggling academically. To attend a virtual charter school, students must meet one of the following eligibility criteria: The student has spent the prior school year in attendance at a public school in the state and was enrolled and reported by the public school district for funding during the preceding October and February for purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) surveys. The student is a dependent child of a member of the United States Armed Forces who was transferred within the last 12 months to this state from another state or from a foreign country pursuant to the parent s permanent change of station orders. The student was enrolled during the prior school year in a virtual instruction program under s , the K8 Virtual School Program under s , or a fulltime Florida Virtual School program under s (8)(a). The student has a sibling who is currently enrolled in a virtual instruction program and that sibling was enrolled in that program at the end of the prior school year; or The student is eligible to enter kindergarten or first grade. The Board will, of course, make appropriate modifications to these eligibility criteria as needed to adhere to changes in legislation that affects student eligibility for virtual charter schools. B. Provide the following projection for each year of proposed operation: the grades that the school will serve, the projected number of students to be served in each grade, the number of students expected in each class, and the total number of students enrolled. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 10

16 The table below contains our projected enrollment for each of the five years of the charter. 5 Year Projected Student Enrollment Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year Proj. Proj. Proj. Proj. Proj. Grade Stdnts Grade Stdnts Grade Stdnts Grade Stdnts Grade Stdnts K 109 K 131 K 157 K 189 K Total 873 Total 1048 Total 1258 Total 1509 Total 1811 Section 3: Educational Program Design A. Describe the school s daily schedule and annual calendar, including the annual number of days and hours of instructional time. Florida virtual charter schools are required to comply with the state s compulsory attendance laws (s ). Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will comply with these requirements. All of our students will be fulltime students. We will provide a minimum of 180 days of instruction equating to a annual minimum of 720 instructional hours for grades K3 and an annual minimum of 900 instructional hours for grades 412. Upon approval of our charter application, the initial startup of Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will coincide with the state requirement of not starting school more than 14 days prior to Labor Day. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 11

17 Students will follow a selfpaced schedule according to a functional equivalent to the instructional model of attending school five days per week, thirtysix weeks per year. Although Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will encourage students to learn at their own pace, they will meet all Florida state requirements for instructional time and attendance days. Parents (or responsible adults) and students will record student daily hours of attendance using the attendance tracking system that will be part of the Online School (OLS). Attendance records will be submitted to teachers by parents on a regular basis. Teachers will also be able to monitor daily student attendance through the OLS. Teachers will be responsible for submitting attendance records to Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County administrators according to school rules. However, given the virtual nature of the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County program, student learning time will not be confined to a traditional academic calendar or school building hours. As a virtual school, Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County will not have a set daily schedule with regular classroom periods. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County model is fluid and flexible. With 24/7 access to the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County online school and lessons as well as books and other materials, students will be able to complete lessons and assignments at any time and have it credited to meet their required instructional hours. B. Describe the proposed charter school s educational program. The Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County, has chosen K 12, an approved provider of virtual instruction services in Florida, because the Board s educational philosophy and the K 12 s are consistent with each other and with best practices demonstrated in high quality digital learning. The educational philosophy of Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County is consistent with conclusions reached in reports published by the International Association of K12 Online Learning (inacol) (Watson, 2008). All students deserve access to high quality curriculum and teachers regardless of socioeconomic or geographic barriers. Studentcentered environments encourage selfdirected, selfpaced learning. In the 21st Century, students utilize technology on a daily basis, learning in an environment that students are familiar with which engages students, fosters creativity and encourages 21st Century skills. The educational program of the school will be based on using innovations in technology to create and harness the power of individualized learning plans. The common denominator among parents who will choose the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County for their children and the staff selected to work with us will be a shared belief that not all children learn the same way and that individual students and families should have access to an array of high quality public education options. We will be recognized as a school that is studentcenteredlooking at each student as an individual and matching teaching methods to individual learning styles and student performance. Our students will define, plan, and work towards achieving their academic and nonacademic goals. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 12

18 Students, teachers, parents, learning coaches, and school leaders will share an ethic of cooperation, hard work, and high expectations. Upon enrolling in Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County, each student will receive access to the complete curriculum a combination of webbased and handson. Students will also receive all the instructional materials they need for the school year delivered to their home. Our curriculum is standards and researchbased, contentrich, and meets or exceeds the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. The curriculum provides lessons for every subject, for every school day, for the entire school year, for kindergarten through grade 12. An innovative combination of traditional paperbased texts and handson instructional materials as well as webbased lessons, resources, and tools, the curriculum covers math, English/language arts, history, science, music, art, five world languages, a range of high school electives, and Advanced Placement courses as well as elementary adaptive and high school remediation and credit recovery courses. Each Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County family with one or more kindergarten through 8 th grade students who meets the eligibility requirements for free and reduced price meals or who is on the direct certification list and who does not have a computer will be eligible for a loaned computer and printer for the duration of their student(s) enrollment in the school. Each Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County high school student eligible for free and reduced price meals or who is on the direct certification list, and who does not have a computer or Internet access in his or her home will also be eligible for a loaned computer and printer/fax/scanner for the duration of his/her enrollment in the school. The school will also provide families with free and reduced meal eligible students, or those on the direct certification list, Internet access in their home with a set monthly reimbursement amount to assist with home Internet charges. Eligibility for loaned computers and peripherals and Internet service assistance will be determined each school year. All Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County students may also access the school s webbased curriculum via publicly available Internet such as in public libraries or schools if needed to supplement home access. Using these tools, the curriculum, instructional materials, and computer, and assisted by a team that includes teachers and learning coaches (parents or other responsible adults), each student is ready to start learning. Learning coaches and students log into the OLS where they will view the student s daily lessons, log attendance, access planning and progress tools of the learning management system that help manage the student s schedule and academic work during the year. The curriculum employs a variety of teaching strategies, including direct instruction, handson exploration, online learning, and the use of manipulatives and learning games. The curriculum also provides daybyday lesson plans, including: Clearly defined learning objectives; Stepbystep, easytofollow procedures for handson activities; Creative ideas for alternative teaching approaches; Materials to prepare and gather; Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 13

19 Keyword definitions and tips and strategies for pronunciation; and Suggestions for optional activities and readings beyond the lesson. A healthy working relationship between the student and the assigned teacher and between the learning coach and the teacher will be essential. A certified teacher will be assigned to each K8 student and will communicate with the parent through , telephone, online web meetings, and physical meetings. (Students in grades 9 through 12 will have content specific teachers who communicate with students by subject matter.) Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County teachers work closely with learning coaches to oversee the delivery of the curriculum and the learning of each student. Teachers assist students to achieve mastery of the curriculum s learning objectives, providing direct instruction, guidance, and support to students and parents via classroom instruction, , telephone, in person, and during synchronous sessions using web conferencing platforms such as Elluminate. It is the teacher s personal responsibility to ensure the academic success of each individual student in his/her class. They engage students in the coursework and continually motivate them, monitor student progress in the course, as well as grading and providing instructional feedback on assignments. Students learn from this feedback and then revise their efforts for future assignments. Teachers set the pace of the course through defining daily assignments and setting due dates, and support students through the use of asynchronous and synchronous methods. Each student will also have a homeroom teacher who addresses noncurricular questions. A key part of Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County program will be the Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). An Individualized Learning Plan is designed for each K8 child to ensure a customized program that fits each child s unique strengths, weaknesses, learning styles and aptitudes. An Individualized Learning Plan will be developed for each high school student also, mapping out multiyear personalized learning strategies for each student. The ILP is designed to organize and properly sequence the high school student s course work while helping articulate the student s academic strengths and weaknesses. It includes academic objectives, specifically posthigh school goals. The development of the ILP is a collaborative team process involving all parties the high school student, parent, teachers, guidance counselor, and advisor. Student progress in the curriculum is regularly measured and reported to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the Board throughout the school year. At the high school level, a comprehensive transcript review is completed to ensure students participate in the appropriate courses for graduation. The assessment component of the curriculum coupled with the learning management system generates detailed and ongoing data on academic achievement. Data from both on and offline lesson, unit, and semester assessments are entered into the system and are compiled to create a steady stream of information about student performance toward mastering specific learning objectives. The information is reviewed and analyzed by the school s teachers on a regular basis. Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 14

20 In kindergarten through grade 8, students are expected to obtain a mastery level of 80% or higher before they can advance to the next lesson or unit. Students will submit work samples to be included in their portfolios. A student moves on to more advanced work only after demonstrating mastery of the material in question. At the high school level, students earn points by taking quizzes, tests and completing teacher scored items. Grades are then awarded based on points earned out of points possible. The system is designed so that a student who is not mastering a particular lesson is redirected to alternate or additional instruction. The system can notify parents and teachers that a child is beginning to fall behind, allowing teachers to intervene in a proactive, timely way. With this kind of accountability and builtin transparency, there should be no surprises about student work. Together, the program works to ensure student progress is continuous and that students make steady academic gains to keep them at or above grade level. K8 Lesson plans will appear daily for each K8 student in the student s online school. This will update daily as students progress and master the content in each course. Teachers will provide both synchronous and asynchronous instruction and support to students and their learning coaches by phone, , and web conferencing. The teacher will lead academic conferences with the learning coach, but will also be available to answer questions the student and/or learning coach have as they progress through the lessons. The teacher will also provide direct instruction based on the students individualized learning plan through Elluminate, a webbased conferencing platform. Students will attend classroom sessions by logging in on Elluminate Live!, using chat, an interactive whiteboard, VoiceOver IP (VOIP), and other features to further explore and discuss lesson topics synchronously with teachers and fellow students. Teachers of K8 students will monitor individual student progress by setting goals, grading assignments, giving support and advice, and drawing on their years of experience and training. This approach, integrated with assessments and a comprehensive learning system will provide learning coaches and teachers with the support needed to deliver an unparalleled education. Teachers can proactively track individual student academic progress through ongoing lesson and unit assessments tracked in real time through the Learning Management System. Students who master lessons ahead of schedule can progress seamlessly into the next unit. Students who need additional instructional time can continue working on lessons until they master the lesson objectives. High School In the high school program, students will have one subjectspecific teacher for each subject studied, and these teachers will be responsible for reviewing all student work and providing instructional feedback. The teachers will work together on a teaching team, and employ a cooperative teamteaching approach. This approach will allow the parent to Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 15

21 focus on serving as a learning coach and guide to her/his student to help them achieve academic excellence. Students are regularly involved on a coursebycourse basis in threaded discussions, teachermonitored discussions with each other about key topics and ideas being covered. While the K¹² K8 curriculum is selfpaced, high school courses will make use of a weekly schedule of activities and assignments. Each week, there are due dates, and assignments and mandatory online discussion sessions designed into the program to: Allow a class to move through material at the same time or in close proximity; Enable teachers to run online group activities as needed for each section of students, helping many students to overcome the same often complex obstacles at the same time; Free parents from detailed academic support burdens at the high school level; Encourage students, with help from family and teachers, to acquire the experience of planning their work and lives day by day, which is a key skill for later in life. While providing students with the needed flexibility for work, extracurricular activities, and hobbies, the high school program s weekly schedule permits the teacher to ensure that each student is moving along at a reasonable pace, and enables stateoftheart distance learning techniques to be used, such as conducting a fullclass meeting online. The most successful online learning environments are those in which groups form a community of learners with their teacher. Students come to know each other, respect each other s differences and contributions, and work together. In the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County program, students will participate in online, teachermonitored discussions providing students with both practice and confidence in the underlying concepts of a particular topic, as well as practice in communicating. Teachers can both coach oneonone, privately, and provide direction to the whole group at once. Teachers and students get to know each other during these discussions. Technical Support K 12 provides technical support for students and Learning Coaches including webbased, , and phone support. All support personnel are knowledgeable in K 12 systems use and have received training on resolving technical support problems. K 12 Technical Support includes the following webbased support areas: 1) Using the K 12 Online School (OLS) 2) K 12 Supplied Computer Equipment 3) Connectivity ISP, Firewall, Troubleshooting 4) Materials 5) Account Information 6) Learning Coach Resources Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 16

22 K 12 s provides support in three (3) general areas: 1) Customer Care (using the LMS, shipment of materials); 2) Technical Support (available only for K 12 issued equipment or K 12 systems); 3) Enrollment Consultants (assistance for enrolling students). K 12 Technical Support is managed by a knowledgeable and mature Customer Support Team. Students and families can choose to access support through three separate channels; information about all three channels is available via the Customer Support portal on the K 12 website: Phone Support: The K 12 Customer Care and Tech Support is staffed to handle technical support issues 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The telephone number is provided on the K 12 Customer Support portal. support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The formdriven front end is accessed via the K 12 Customer Support portal, and guides the customer to provide all necessary information to allow a fast and accurate response. K 12 responds within 24 business hours of receiving a customer inquiry. Self Help: Self help is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. This webbased channel is accessed via the K 12 Customer Support portal; it provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), video tutorials, teaching resources, software downloads, and other information on common issues. Internal escalation processes are in place to provide quick access to secondline technical support as necessary, as well as access to resources in other groups such as Systems & Technology, Product Development, Customer Fulfillment, etc., if required. C. Describe the research base for the educational program. K 12 provides a curriculum which is based on more than fifty years of cognitive science research in the following areas: how students learn the structure of expert knowledge in school subject areas general instructional design principles, including researchbased elearning methods and methods for teaching specific topics and addressing possible misconceptions on those topics To insure that they draw on methods shown by scientific research to be effective in improving learning, K 12 has dedicated an Evaluation and Research team to reviewing and synthesizing cognitive science research and working with course development teams to implement it. The Evaluation and Research team, which is guided by Ph. D.level cognitive science researchers and statisticians, also conducts original research on new teaching methods and tools in addition to studies of the effectiveness of their curricula. In addition to the cognitive science research that goes into K 12 curricula, they also conduct evaluations of the assessment materials that are used to measure student performance as they move through the courses. The alignment between the Florida Virtual Academy at Palm Beach County 17