DoDEA VS: Virtual Option
Conclusion of DoDEA K-12 Virtual School Option
The DoDEA Virtual School (DVS) provided full-time virtual school enrollment for students in grades K-12 as a temporary, emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This allowed families with health vulnerabilities an option to receive their education from their homes, while safely opening schools for those who preferred in-person instruction. Considering recent guidance from the DoDEA COVID-19 Operational Guidelines and Protocols (Version XI), shared February 13, 2023, the virtual option will conclude after the 2022-23 school year.
Over the past year, DoDEA students have been able to return safely to the classroom. The DoDEA Virtual High School (DVHS) will continue to offer supplemental courses to DoDEA high school students and will also be working on exciting opportunities geared toward DoDEA middle school students looking to expand their educational opportunities. On behalf of the entire DVHS staff, I would like to thank all the teachers and staff members that helped make this endeavor a success and wish the best in education for all of our full-time virtual learners.
Dr. Terri Marshall
Principal, DoDEA Virtual School
DoDEA Educational Options for School Year 2022-23
DoDEA safely opened all of its schools for SY 2021-22, working with local installation officials to maintain a safe level of learning for all students at brick and mortar schools. We continue to believe that the best educational option for most students is attending school in-person. To protect our students and families with health vulnerabilities, the DoDEA Virtual School maintained a K-12 full-virtual option for the entire school year.
Given the continuing uncertainties of the ongoing pandemic, DoDEA recognizes that students and families with health vulnerabilities related to COVID-19 may still have concerns about returning to school. To support all students, DoDEA will continue in SY 22-23 to operate full-time in-person schools and also provide a full-time virtual learning option for grades K–12 students. Full-time virtual option enrollments will be limited to 1000 students systemwide. Parents that choose to enroll their students in the Virtual School option must agree to remain for the full school year.
When will SY 2022-23 begin for the DoDEA Virtual School?
Students who are enrolled in the virtual option, regardless of their local school's calendar, will follow the established DVS Calendar. The first day of class for SY 22-23 is August 22, 2022.
Full-Time Virtual Option Request Instructions
The request window for students entering virtual option kindergarten for the 22-23 SY will open July 18, 2022. The request window will remain open until August 22 or until all available spaces are filled. Parents are committing their student(s) to be enrolled in DVS for the full school year. DoDEA eligibility requires that families with students in DVS be enrolled and remain within the geographical attendance area of a local brick and mortar DoDEA school.
DoDEA parents are required to register their kindergarten student(s) at the local DoDEA school. The local DoDEA school will make the request to the virtual school on their behalf using the Aspen workflow.
The request window for all other DoDEA students to enroll in the virtual option for SY 2022-23 has closed. Requests for waivers must be made through the local school administration.
Virtual School Teachers in Action
If you have additional questions, please email the mailbox
for your region virtual school administration.
If you have questions related to special education please email the mailbox for your region special education team.
Full-time In-Person School
Full-time Virtual Learning
How do the two options compare?
*In-person instruction subject to change based on Department of Defense (DoD) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance.
| Full-Time In-Person Instruction | Full-Time Virtual Instruction | |
|---|---|---|
|
Schedule |
All grade levels, 5 days a week. Students will follow the posted calendar for each school. |
Students will follow a weekly schedule and will be expected to submit all schoolwork on time. They will access course content asynchronously, under the supervision of a parent / guardian as appropriate. Students and parents can expect constructive feedback and synchronous support from teachers throughout the week. |
|
Courses |
All courses required by DoDEA will be available. Some electives and programs may not be available given staffing limitations and potential risks. |
1. Students in grades K-8 will be enrolled in math, language arts, social studies, science and one elective. Electives will include:
2. Teachers will hold office hours each week with flexible times that accommodate student and parent needs. 3. Students in grades 9-12 will be enrolled in existing DVHS courses. They will work with counselors to select courses that best fit their needs. 4. Students with IEP /504 plans, including students who are English Learners, should work closely with their home schools to adapt or modify their IEP plans for the virtual option. |
|
Food Services |
Normal food services will be provided with modifications for social distancing and other pre-cautionary measures to ensure safety. |
Check with your local school to determine the availability of the school meal program. |
|
Transportation |
Normal busing will occur and all students will be required to wear a mask. |
Not applicable |
|
Health Protocols |
Staff will guide students on health and safety protocols, following CDC and DoD guidelines. All staff and students must wear face coverings (as developmentally appropriate) in accordance with CDC and DoD guidelines. Schools will provide masks to students unable to provide their own. Six feet of social distancing will be maintained whenever possible. |
Not applicable |
|
Athletics and Extracurricular Activities |
Available on a limited basis depending on local HPCON levels. | Available on a limited basis depending on local HPCON levels. |
Grades K-5
Parents should consider:
- Attention span of children.
- Specials classes are limited.
- Less social interactions and informal play.
- 1:1 reading instruction may be less optimal in this setting.
- IEP, 504, and ESL plans may need to be reviewed and updated for the virtual setting.
- Extra time to sit with students for synchronous and asynchronous learning.
- Time to support student understanding and assist with assignments.
- Parent must be available for weekly conferences with teachers, and as needed.
Grades 6-12
Parents should consider:
- Course availability may be limited for electives.
- IEP, 504, and ESL plans may need to be reviewed and updated for the virtual setting.
- Extra-curricular activities will be available on a limited basis depending on local HPCON levels.
- High school students may need to take up to two summer school courses to stay on track to graduate.
- Time to check with students daily on their progress and monitor asynchronous learning sessions.
- Parent must be available for conferences with teachers as needed.
Virtual Learning Parent Tips for Success
During this time of uncertainty, your outlook towards virtual learning is the most important thing. Keep an open mind and a positive attitude and your student will do the same.
What is the Home-Learning Balance?
As students adapt to online learning, parents are creating an environment for their children to learn from home. Students typically go to school so they can put everything aside and focus on learning. As those lines blur, it is important to create guidelines for students to learn from home. A home-learning balance is simply drawing the line between what is learning time and home time.
Create a Designated Learning Space
Wherever you decide to let your child set up shop, create a designated workspace at home. Associate that area with learning only for the time being. Consider adding items to the area that the student might need like a pencil case, calculator, and extra paper.
Collaborate with your child and help choose a designated learning space that allows your child to feel a sense of ownership and empowerment when they sit down to learn. When children go to school, parents are able to feel secure that they are being supervised. Now that the parent role has turned into a combination of parent and teacher, the responsibility lies on parents to make sure they are engaged and learning. Once you choose your designated learning space, make sure your student feels comfortable learning there.
What You Will Need: Internet Access and Web Accessible Device
Remote learning has one major requirement: internet access. If you do not have internet access, please make sure you communicate with your home school administrators to check out hotspots. Each student will need access to a computer or laptop. If you need a devise you can reach out to the school to check one out for use.
Parent Roles and Responsibilities
Minimize Distractions: It is inevitable that your student will get distracted while at home. What we do as parents is prepare for distractions before they happen. Practice the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. If your student is having trouble focusing due to other distractions in the house, try noise cancelling headphones or moving their learning space to a quieter area. Take it day by day, if something isn’t working, try something new.
Set a Schedule: Students are used to being on school schedules so try to keep their schedule the same at home. There are pillars in the school day that you can mimic at home. Things like start-time, lunch, recess, and end times are good starting points for setting a schedule. Talk with your teacher about learning times and how they typically set the student’s day. Having consistency in the schedule will instill your student with a sense of comfort. Let them know that this is how it is going to be for a little while but learning at home can be just as fun as learning in school.
Communicate: Communication is key when it comes to remote learning. Make sure to keep open lines of communication with both your child and their teachers. Provide feedback when appropriate.
Check-In: Actively check-in with your child on their progress both educationally and mentally. This can be a difficult scenario for students who are used to being in social settings. Make sure that your student feels empowered and comfortable at all times. See how their day is going and help them keep on track with their assignments. Families of full-time online students should be prepared to support their children's active participation in all online learning activities. Most teachers will give you a due date schedule to manage at home assignments. If your student is falling behind or struggling, make sure to keep open lines of communication with your teacher and administrator – you are all on the same team.
Common Questions About the Virtual Option
As students adapt to online learning, parents are creating an environment for their children to learn from home. Students typically go to school so they can put everything aside and focus on learning. As those lines blur, it is important to create guidelines for students to learn from home. A home-learning balance is simply drawing the line between what is learning time and home time.
DoDEA recognizes that students and families with health vulnerabilities related to COVID-19 may still have concerns about returning to school. The full-time virtual option is designed to provide those families with an alternate educational option during this time. The model is constant throughout the school year regardless of changes to public health conditions. Families choosing this option recognize and accept that their children will not have regular in-person interactions with teachers and peers. Rather, they will engage in interactive lessons online. According to its design, this model is intended to be a full-year commitment.
- Students in grades K-6 will be enrolled in five courses: mathematics, English/language arts, science, social studies and one elective. DoDEA procured courses from Florida Virtual School (FLVS) are aligned to the DoDEA Standards and include syllabi and assignment schedules for each course. The course content is online through Schoology and a packet of learning materials will be provided to students in grades K-5.
- Students in grades 7-12 in the virtual option will work with their local brick and mortar school counselor to register for courses.
To the extent possible, elementary and middle school students will be served by dedicated DoDEA teachers in a cohort model with other students from their school, or their geographic region. Courses will be taught using online courseware and digital curriculum resources along with synchronous direct instruction and support from an online DoDEA teacher.
Wherever you decide to let your child set up shop, create a designated workspace at home. Associate that area with learning only for the time being. Consider adding items to the area that the student might need like a pencil case, calculator, and extra paper.
Collaborate with your child and help choose a designated learning space that allows your child to feel a sense of ownership and empowerment when they sit down to learn. When children go to school, parents are able to feel secure that they are being supervised. Now that the parent role has turned into a combination of parent and teacher, the responsibility lies on parents to make sure they are engaged and learning. Once you choose your designated learning space, make sure your student feels comfortable learning there.
Families of full-time online students should be prepared to support their children’s active participation in all online learning activities. They will need to ensure their children have adequate space, materials, and technology access for their daily online instruction, requesting school assistance to provide a laptop and internet service, as needed. Student and parent should work together to create a daily schedule based upon courses, synchronous teacher sessions, scheduled meetings, and regular breaks. Families will need to work with school staff to arrange for their children to participate in standardized assessments and other mandated educational activities. Families should recognize that full-time online instruction may not be able to support some specialized programs and course offerings that would otherwise be available to enhance student options and experiences.
The new school year begins on August 22, 2022 for students in DVS, regardless of when the local start date is for students that are attending in-person instruction.
Minimize Distractions: It is inevitable that your student will get distracted while at home. What we do as parents is prepare for distractions before they happen. Practice the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. If your student is having trouble focusing due to other distractions in the house, try noise cancelling headphones or moving their learning space to a quieter area. Take it day by day, if something isn’t working, try something new!
Set a Schedule: Students are used to being on school schedules so try to keep their schedule the same at home! There are pillars in the school day that you can mimic at home. Things like start-time, lunch, recess, and end times are good starting points for setting a schedule. Talk with your teacher about learning times and how they typically set the student’s day. Having consistency in the schedule will instill your student with a sense of comfort. Let them know that this is how it is going to be for a little while but learning at home can be just as fun as learning in school!
Communicate: Communication is key when it comes to remote learning. Make sure to keep open lines of communication with both your child and their teacher. Try keeping open lines of communication with your students’ teachers and give them feedback.
Check-In: Actively check-in with your child on their progress both educationally and mentally. This can be a difficult scenario for students who are used to being in social settings. Make sure that your student feels empowered and comfortable at all times. See how their day is going and help them keep on track with their assignments! Most teachers will give you a due date schedule to manage at home assignments. If your student is falling behind or struggling, make sure to keep open lines of communication with your teacher and administrator – you are all on the same team!
As students adapt to online learning, parents are creating an environment for their children to learn from home. Students typically go to school so they can put everything aside and focus on learning. As those lines can blur with virtual learning, it is important to create guidelines for students to learn from home. A home-learning balance is simply drawing the line between what is learning time and home time.
No, DoDEA will not be offering a virtual learning option for Pre-K students. Virtual preschool does not provide the social and relational interactions that are essential to children’s later development. While technology can be used to enhance or scaffold learning, full time virtual preschool is not a best practice.
During the DoDEA virtual option request window (March 1-25), parents may request to enroll their current DoDEA pre-kindergarten student in the Aspen Parent Portal, similar to the request process for all other current students. For rising kindergartners who are not currently enrolled in a DoDEA pre-kindergarten program, there will be a second request window for the virtual option in August 2022 for you to request enrollment, if space remains available.
DoDEA will not have an additional virtual option request window for grades 1-12 after the March 25 deadline. The educational selection for students enrolling after the deadline is in-person. However, parents of students with health vulnerabilities may request student enrollment in the virtual option after they register through their brick and mortar DoDEA school. The DoDEA District Superintendent, in consultation with the Assistant Principal of DVS in the region, will approve or deny any additional enrollments into DVS for the full-time virtual option.
For students who receive special education services, the DVS provides specially designed instruction utilizing special education teachers and related service providers. The DVS special education teachers will provide specialized instruction, consultation, and accommodations, as needed, to students with individualized education programs (IEPs) in order to access the general education curriculum while addressing targeted goals. While the DVS does not offer separate special education classes as a replacement to any general education course, the DVS special education teacher will provide synchronous special education services. These services may include direct or small group instruction that does not replace the general education curriculum. Each student is responsible for completing asynchronous sessions, submitting assignments, and attending synchronous sessions with the student’s general education teacher, SPED teacher, or related service provider.
Students in grades K-5 continue to receive the appropriate level of services provided by the school-based AAPS-RT in collaboration with the Virtual School grade level teacher. Students in grades 6-12 may continue to receive the appropriate differentiated services and accelerated course options if those options are available in the virtual school.
Parents of students whose first language is not English and who are identified as in need of ESOL services will receive these services from a certified ESOL teacher assigned to the DVS. DVS ESOL teachers provide support according to the level of English language proficiency of each student. The supports provided by DVS ESOL teachers will vary in frequency according to each student's English language learning needs. DVS ESOL teachers will also provide support by reinforcing for their students’ age and grade-level appropriate language and academic concepts. DVS ESOL teachers may monitor and work remotely with students individually or in small groups. DVS ESOL teachers will also work with their brick and mortar counterparts to identify students who are in need of ESOL services, and to assess how the students are making progress towards proficiency. ESOL teachers will recommend linguistic accommodations to DVS grade level classroom teachers (elementary) and/or content area teachers (high school). Parents will receive communications regarding DVS ESOL services in multiple ways, to include; directly from the DVS ESOL Teacher, the DVS Principal or Designee, and through announcements at the DVS Website. Parents who have questions regarding ESOL services should first contact their DVS ESOL teacher. Some helpful student and parent resources for English and academic language development include:
No, JROTC will not be offered by the DoDEA Virtual School. JROTC will be offered for in-person instruction.
The DVS Virtual Option is operating as an extension to the brick and mortar school due to the pandemic. Families that PCS to a location without a DoDEA school are not eligible to remain enrolled in DoDEA schools, including the DVS. DoDEA is committed to facilitating transition support. If you need assistance please contact the school liaison. You can search a listing of school liaison contacts worldwide. Families can also contact hq.partnership@dodea.edu for support.
Yes, if the student is eligible for the DoDEA school at your new location. You must notify the registrar at your current DoDEA brick and mortar school and register your child at the new DoDEA school. The registrars will coordinate the transfer of your student’s records. You will also want to coordinate with your child’s teachers and the virtual school administration.
The virtual school instructional model differs from the remote learning. The virtual model does not attempt to replicate the face-to-face classroom; the virtual model provides a fully developed curriculum with teacher support.
K-5: Teachers have daily synchronous sessions at various times during the day. These sessions are recorded for students who are unable to attend. Please note there is no bell schedule in this environment. Teachers also offer daily office hours to meet with students and parents.
6-8: Teachers have sessions throughout the week based on student need. Please note there is no bell schedule in this environment. Teachers also offer daily office hours to meet with students and parents.
9-12: Teachers have office hours in each time zone for students to ask questions. Depending on the student, teachers may offer small group instruction. In this environment they work mostly one on one based on student need. The model is asynchronous instruction with synchronous support. Please note there is no bell schedule in this environment.
K-8 Electives for SY 2021-22
- Grades K-3 – Art
- Grades 4-5 – Physical Education (PE)
- Grade 6 – Visual Art I and II
- Grade 7 – Comprehensive PE 7/8 and Fitness Lifestyle Design
- Grade 8 – Health Opportunities through Physical Education (HOPE)
Technology for the Virtual Learning Option
If families and students do not have an adequate laptop or computer at home, students may request to check out a laptop from their local school.
Students will have to have access to a computer to use the DoDEA Learning Management System, Schoology. Students will not be able to use a phone or tablet to fully access the materials of the course.
As with laptops, families and students may request and check out a hotspot from their local school.