BCVS Operational Policies and Procedures

  • Baldwin County Virtual School's Applications are Currently Closed for Fall of 2024

    Baldwin County Virtual School: OPERATIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: Virtual schooling offers students numerous benefits in terms of time flexibility and program customization. Along with these advantages, students also assume increased responsibility in time management, organization, self-direction, and self-regulation.  The following policies and procedures are subject to change.

    Curriculum and Instruction

    BCVS coursework is primarily delivered locally through Schoology and ACCESS Distance Learning. Eligible students also have the option of enrolling in dual enrollment courses, approved zoned school courses, and on-campus courses at NBCT/SBCT/CACC Foley and Fairhope Aviation Academy.

    Zoned School Courses

    Eligible students have the option to attend on-campus courses in athletics, ROTC, specialized career technical programs and performing arts at zoned schools.  These courses will be added to students’ Powerschool schedules so that the zoned school teachers are able to input daily attendance, grades, tests and exams.  

    Attendance Requirements

    Baldwin County Virtual School students must log in to their online courses and complete their daily assigned work.  Attendance for on-campus classes at zoned schools is required and attendance is taken by the teacher. BCVS students are required to abide by the Baldwin County attendance policies and procedures; excuses for absences are collected at the location of the course and turned in to BCVS at the end of the semester.

    Application Process

    Students seeking admittance must complete the application  process on this website www.baldwinvirtual.com during the open enrollment timeframe. Seniors are only eligible to enroll during the fall enrollment window.  The only admittance exceptions outside of the enrollment windows involve extreme chronic illnesses.

    Exceptions to Open Enrollment Window

    Students seeking admittance through the extreme chronic illness process must submit the following documents and meet the following requirements.  All requests will be reviewed before approval by the applications committee.

    • Health Plan from current school
    • Doctor’s letter of the request to attend due to extreme chronic illness
    • Parent’s letter explaining the request
    • Application
    • Students must meet all enrollment requirements.

    Eligibility Criteria for Initial and Continued Participation

    Students seeking admission to BCVS shall, at a minimum, satisfy the following requirements:

    • Live in Baldwin County, Alabama
    • Acquire consistent Internet access
    • Be a rising  7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade student
    • Participate in the Board’s one-to-one computer program
    • Have consistent transportation to BCVSS for testing and other required attendance events
    • Be on track to graduate with an Alabama High School Diploma
    • Have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 earned during the previous academic year.
    • Have no more than 9 unexcused, full-day absences during the previous academic year.
    • Any discipline infractions resulting in suspension or expulsion will be reviewed and students can be disqualified for entry or dismissed from enrollment.

    Eligibility for BCVS Re-Enrollment is evaluated at the conclusion of each academic year. To remain eligible for continuing enrollment, the student shall:

    • Remain on track to graduate with an Alabama High School Diploma.
    • Maintain appropriate course progression as measured by the completion of weekly assignments, quizzes, and tests. Students who fail more than one academic class per academic year (including fall, spring, and summer terms) may be removed from BCVS.
    • Maintain the eligibility criteria for GPA and unexcused absences upon enrollment at BCVS.
    • Avoid the accumulation of any discipline infractions resulting in suspension or expulsion.
    • Remain in good standing by adhering to all expectations, including the Academic Integrity Contract, PASS, BCVS procedures and policies, the Baldwin County Public Schools System, the Alabama State Department of Education, and ACCESS.

    Withdrawal and Transfer

    • Baldwin County Virtual School is a semester-long commitment.  Students may not transfer back to their zoned school within Baldwin County except at the end of the fall or spring semester. No guarantee is granted that students will be re-enrolled in face-to-face courses.
    • Students can withdraw to attend an out-of-district school at any time.
    • Students must be withdrawn from Baldwin County Virtual School before enrolling in another school.
    • Students who no longer meet the eligibility requirements to attend BCVS must be formally withdrawn. Eligibility is evaluated at the end of the academic year.  See above for criteria.
    • When withdrawals are needed, parents need to make an appointment to complete the withdrawal paperwork. Contact the school to schedule the appointment.

    ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

    Baldwin County Virtual School students are expected to adhere to academic integrity regarding each of the following topics. If a student fails to abide by these expectations, the student can be removed from the course with a failing grade and will be subject to other consequences as determined by BCVS administrators, ACCESS administrators, and/or Dual Enrollment administrators as applicable.

    Academic Integrity Expectations

    • All work must be completed by the student alone. No sharing of assignments or “working together” or having a tutor complete assignments for the student.
    • Any collaboration among students must be pre-approved by the teacher.
    • Plagiarism will not be allowed in any form. This includes using artificial intelligence software, copying, using, purchasing, or stealing the ideas, words, or work of others and presenting them as one’s own.
    • Students will not allow others to copy their work. When a student’s work is found to be copied, he/she is subject to the same disciplinary procedures as the student who turned in the copied work.
    • Content from the Internet will not be misused or misrepresented including, but not limited to, searching test/quiz answers while taking a test/quiz, turning in completed worksheets found online, copying and pasting information, etc.
    • Students will not share copyrighted assignments or lessons with other students or online entities.
    • Students must complete midterm and final exams in our proctored environment as well as mandated assessments (ie. STAR, Pre-ACT, ACT, WorkKeys, etc.). 
    • Students participating in ACCESS courses must take unit tests (in addition to midterm and final exams) in our proctored environment.
    • Cell phones cannot be out or used when a student is testing area. BCVS has calculators that students can borrow.
    • Students will not give the login information to another student or adult who is not a parent/guardian or BCVS teacher.

    Procedures and Consequences

    Scores earned on tests or exams not taken at an approved testing site with a proctor are subject to invalidation and review by the Baldwin County Virtual  School Academic Integrity Committee. Additionally, in accordance with ACCESS Distance Learning policy, the student may be removed from the ACCESS course with a failing grade and may be subject to dismissal from the Baldwin County Virtual School.

    When a student has been found in violation of Academic Integrity, the following will be enacted:

    First Occurrence

    • Zeroes assigned for the suspect work
    • Parents/ Guardian notified of the event
    • Discipline infraction recorded

    Second Occurrence

           All of the above plus

    • Meeting with counselor

    Third Occurrence

          All of the above plus

    • Parent meeting with administration
    • Parents meeting with a counselor to plan for a student’s removal from BCVSS at the end of the semester

    The BCVS learning management system utilizes a variety of technologies to check student work for authenticity. If an instructor confirms that a student has plagiarized work in any manner, the student will be subject to consequences determined by BCVS administration via Baldwin County Schools policy, ACCESS Distance Learning administrative staff, and/or administration of the dual enrollment entity as applicable. The student may be subject to removal from the course with a failing grade.  Baldwin County Virtual School, ACCESS, and/or dual enrollment entity reserve the right to deny enrollment to students who have been removed from previous courses due to misconduct or failure to abide by expected academic integrity or the Baldwin County Public School Acceptable Internet Use Policy.

     

    PASS: Pelican Academic Support System Policy

    PASS is a student support strategy used by BCVS staff to monitor students’ progress through their coursework and help students who struggle to keep up with the pace of classwork. 

    Procedures

    1. BCVS staff completes grade monitoring approximately every three weeks. The dates of grade monitoring are shared on the school-wide calendar available on bcbe.org/bcvs.
    2. BCVS staff sends emails to parents and students who fall below the passing average of 60% overall and are required to report in person to one of the three campuses for PASS (Pelican Academic support system). Homeroom teachers will contact parents and students to set up meetings.  Attendance is a requirement for the process listed below.
    3. Students are assigned PASS until the next grade monitoring unless students return to good standing by raising their grades above a passing level.

    PASS Meetings

    Students are required to attend a face-to-face meeting with their homeroom teacher, set by appointment, once weekly while on PASS. These academic coaching sessions are designed to provide strategies to help students get back on track. Consecutive assignments of PASS require additional days of attendance as outlined below.

    PASS Attendance Requirements

    Unexcused absences accrue when students miss required PASS attendance days.

    1. To be counted as present, students must report to a BCVS campus for a minimum of three hours per PASS attendance day. The date and time of PASS will be recorded by students clocking in and out electronically at the campus location. Students who do not clock in and clock out will not be counted as present.  When a student misses a PASS attendance day, staff reviews login history and records absence accordingly.
    2. Parents are contacted about unexcused absences. Absences may be excused per BCBE attendance policy.
    3. When a student accrues 5 unexcused absences, the student’s name is reported to the attendance office and truancy officer.

    Consecutive Assignments to PASS 

    First PASS Assignment

    • Must report to a BCVS location one day per week and meet with their homeroom teacher

    Second Consecutive PASS Assignment

    • Must report to a BCVS location two days per week
    • Parent meeting with homeroom teacher, teacher(s) of failing course(s), student, counselor, and administrator

    Third Consecutive PASS Assignment

    • Must report to a BCVS location three days per week
    • Referral to RTI program

    Fourth Consecutive PASS Assignment

    • Must report to a BCVS location four days per week
    • Parent meeting with homeroom teacher, teacher(s) of failing course(s), student, counselor, and administrator 
    • Students will be reviewed for removal from BCVS.

     

    Parent Guide to Monitoring Student Progress

     Once you've created a PowerSchool Parent Portal Account,  you will be able to log in and view your student's information.  The Grades and Attendance tab will allow you to check assignments and scores by clicking on the blue percentage across from a class.  To email the teacher a question or concern, please click the blue teacher's name link.  The Grades History tab will show you the grades your child received in previous grading periods.  The Teacher Comments tab is used to access current teacher comments for your student.  If you have any questions regarding the use of PowerSchool, please contact the school office at 251-607-5622.   ACCESS course grades may be checked by scrolling to the bottom of the Grades tab and viewing grades listed as "Cross LEA".

    Dual Enrollment:  Dual Enrollment course final grades will be entered into PowerSchool at the conclusion of the college semester.  Dual enrollment grades can only be checked through the student’s online college account. BCVSS does not have access to those grades until the end of the college semester.

     

    STUDENT GUIDE: Expectations and Procedures

    Expectations

    • Maintain consistent Internet access. Extended internet outages are not an excuse for not logging in to classes.  
    • Attend class daily in accordance with the Baldwin County school calendar by logging in to Schoology.
    • Complete assignments daily to stay on pace with online coursework. 
    • Maintain appropriate course progression by completing weekly assignments.  Proceed at the teacher's outlined pace or faster.
    • Complete coursework by the designated work submission deadline before exam week begins each semester.
    • Take all midterms, final exams, ACCESS tests,  and Alabama-mandated tests at a BCVS testing site.
    • Read and respond promptly to emails, texts, or other communication from BCVS staff.
    • Update contact information.
    • Have appropriate transportation to the testing site or any mandatory attendance event.
    • No cell phones can be used at the testing sites. Students need to step outside the classroom to make calls or text.
    • Maintain a quiet working and testing environment at the testing sites.
    • Follow Baldwin County Public School’s dress code.
    • Advocate for yourself by asking for help when you encounter difficulties with technology or academics.
    • Have school supplies needed to keep notes for each of your online classes.

    Clock-in/Clock-out Procedures

    For student safety and PASS attendance records, students are required to clock in when arriving and clock out when leaving.  Clock in using the following steps.

    1. Upon arriving at any testing site, locate the sign-in kiosk by the entrance.
    2. Select your name and "Take a Survey".
    3. Enter your lunch code and select the reason for your visit.
    4. Select OK twice and look for the welcome message.

    To clock out, select your name and click "check-out".

    You must check in upon arrival to be counted present.  You must check out when leaving to record the time spent at the school location. Without checking out, your attendance time may be invalidated. 

     

    AGREEMENTS AND COMMITMENTS

    Student

    I have read the Baldwin County Virtual School enrollment documentation. I agree to submit 100% of my own work and abide by the Academic Integrity policy. I also agree to take all course midterms, final exams, ACCESS tests,  and Alabama-mandated assessments as proctored examinations at the Virtual School or other appropriate site designated by Baldwin County Virtual School administration and to provide my own transportation to and from the test site. I agree to maintain consistent Internet access. I agree to comply with all of the policies and procedures of Baldwin County Public Schools, Baldwin County Virtual School, and Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide (ACCESS) Distance Learning. Failure to comply with Baldwin County Public Schools and Baldwin County Virtual School policies, procedures and expectations, to adhere to the Academic Integrity Contract, to take tests and exams in the proctored environment,  and/or to provide reliable transportation or Internet access, could be grounds for ineligibility to remain enrolled at Baldwin County Virtual School.

     

    Student Signature: _____________________________________________________   

    Date:  _________________

    Parent/Guardian

    I have read the Baldwin County Virtual School enrollment documentation. As a parent/guardian of the above-named student, I understand the student requirements of compliance with Baldwin County Public Schools and Baldwin County Virtual School policies, procedures, and expectations, including the Acceptable Internet Use Policy and ACCESS policies and procedures.  I also understand the grounds for ineligibility for continued enrollment at the Baldwin County Virtual School. I authorize the enrollment of my student in the Baldwin County Virtual School according to the policies and procedures of Baldwin County Public Schools, Baldwin County Virtual School, and ACCESS Distance Learning.

    Parent Signature:  ____________________________________________________      

    Date: __________________