Southwest Preparatory Virtual School

Rule #1 - Students must log in and do coursework for at least twenty hours each week.

The easiest way to get in trouble in (and even be removed from) Virtual School is to be slack on this rule. Every student should make a written note of his or her time after logging in to Plato and again just before logging out, keeping an accurate record of the amount of time logged in each week. That time should also be typed into a file ("my times", for example) on the computer the student regularly uses for coursework. The absolute minimum is that students get at least twenty hours each week, beginning Monday morning and finishing Sunday night. There are, however, some further restrictions to this flexibility:

a) Students must complete at least twelve hours by Thursday noon in a regular five-day week.
b) Students must complete at least sixteen hours by Friday noon in a regular five-day week.

Note: Clicking "log out" when done is a critical piece of making sure you get credit for all the time you put in. Don't forget to do so!

In weeks in which there is a holiday, the time requirements will be sent to students in an e-mail message. Students whose schedule makes the Thursday and Friday requirements difficult may submit, in writing, a request for an altered schedule with an explanation of the circumstances that necessitate it. Southwest Preparatory reserves the right to refuse any request for an altered schedule. Submitting a request with any false material, or continuing with an altered schedule after the need for it has passed, may result in the student's removal from Virtual School. If approved, an altered schedule must be renewed with a new request each six weeks.

In a regular week, a student is considered absent for one day for each four-hour mark under twenty hours. Getting fewer than twenty hours but more than sixteen, for example, results in one day of absence. As another example, a student who logged in fifteen hours and forty-five minutes would be marked for two absences. Students who earn more than three absences in a semester will be moved to a twenty-four hour per week minimum for at least six weeks, effective the week following that in which the fourth absence was earned. Not meeting your minimum after moving to a twenty-four hour requirement may result in your removal from Virtual School.

Problems with a computer or an internet connection DO NOT represent an acceptable reason for not meeting the minimum number of hours in a week. If you have a technical problem that isn't resolved after four or five hours, we recommend that you contact the principal or a teacher to arrange a time to come to one of the Southwest Preparatory campuses in order to do your work. As campuses are not open on the weekend, it is highly recommended that all students do at least five hours of work each weekday and complete their minimum number of hours as early as possible each week.

There is no real distinction between an excused and an unexcused absence due to the amount of time you have to do your studies each week. If you become so ill that you cannot effectively study and it lasts for more than a couple of days, let us know.

Students and parents should remember that absences from Virtual School, like any other public school, may result in court proceedings, a fine, removal of state driving privileges and/or harsher penalties (judge's discretion).

Remember that the minimum is exactly that: a minimum. Students seeking to earn as many credits as possible often will spend thirty to forty or more hours each week in order to get to their diplomas as quickly as possible. Make sure you are aware of your current credit count and your progress towards your course completion goals each week.

It is a goal that all students will have a clear plan for getting courses completed. To that end, you are required to send a note on Monday or Tuesday morning describing what you plan to accomplish for that week.

Start by telling us which course or courses you plan to focus on for the week and what parts of them you intend to finish. Identify the modules you will have studied, made notes on, and reviewed by the time you finish your work that week. You can also explain your plan for reviewing material you have studied before. There may be a project you will be devoting time to as well. If you have found a particular section difficult, you might also use this note to ask if a certain time might be good to come by for some tutoring.

If you will finish a class, you should also describe what you are doing to prepare for the exam. This could include writing and answering practice questions or essays, or even a time you would like to come by to discuss the material to practice for the exam. You can also tell us when and where you want to take the exam.

Essentially, this message is what lets us know that you are making your education a priority. Make sure to think about what you are hoping to accomplish, write your goals clearly and formally, and as a good habit, send them Monday morning before you begin working. You might print a sample for help in putting together yours.

Getting used to the online learning environment does not take long, but it does take discipline. In a traditional classroom environment, it is often possible to get by through extra credit or a participation grade or similar without actually having mastered the material. In Virtual School, you cannot earn credit for a course unless you pass the end-of-semester exam with at least a 70% grade. Consequently, you must learn to be honest with yourself when you do not understand something you are studying.

When a particular piece of a course seems confusing, even after reading the material several times, contact us. We can communicate by e-mail, phone, or in person to help you get to where you are comfortable moving ahead. Do not assume things will somehow miraculously work themselves out; you are the one who has to do what is necessary to earn credit for a course.

Several habits make this much easier:

a) Learn to finish a module by asking yourself how well you learned what you just studied. Be able to tell someone else (a parent or guardian, perhaps) what the high points were and why they are important.
b) Make notes about each piece of a course so you can easily return to an item you need more work on.
c) Re-read modules several times, several days apart, in order to help strengthen your long-term memory of the material.
d) Try writing and answering questions on the material that you think might appear in an exam.
e) Contact a teacher and set a time to review the material to make sure you are preparing properly for your test.

Failing to earn enough credits during a semester will result in being placed on academic probation for the following semester. Failing to earn enough credit two semesters in a row will result in our suggestion that you move into an academic environment that may be more conducive to getting your diploma.

The most important area covered by this rule is e-mail. In joining the Virtual School, you are promising to check your e-mail every school day. This is necessary given that we probably will not often see each other face-to-face. If you are going to be gone for a few days, then simply let us know. That way, if you do not answer a given message in the proper amount of time, you will not be in trouble.

The "proper amount of time" to answer any question you are asked is twenty-four hours. While there will be messages from one of the Virtual School staff that do not ask you for any information, many messages will have a question for you. The best move for you is to reply right away. If you do not know the answer to the question we ask you, then send a reply telling us, "I don't know yet." Don't forget to send another note once you do have the answer!

Occasionally, we will send a message just to make sure all lines of communication are open. Normally, it will include the message, "Reply with, 'I got it,' in the subject line." If you are not sure what the subject line is, just ask and we will point it out. When we do send messages like this, reply immediately. Any time we spend trying to track down those who do not reply is time taken away from other projects for you. Also, if you fail to respond appropriately to two or three messages, we will need to meet and discuss whether the Virtual School is right for you.

Sometimes your computer or internet connection goes down and you are unable to check your e-mail. If this happens, it is your responsibility to call the school and talk with us or leave a message with your name, phone number, and when you expect your computer problems to be resolved. Not getting in your hours because your computer is down does not represent an excused absence, as you have the opportunity to get hours in at one of our campuses if you do not have another computer available for your work. When in doubt, contact us.

Regarding e-mail, please follow some basic rules. First, if you are responding to a message, please leave part or all of it beneath what you write. That way, we don't have to search back through sent messages to see what you are responding to. Second, write a good subject line. For example, "problem with the heredity module in biology" is far more helpful than "help!" Third, don't write in all capitals (the online equivalent of shouting) or in some color that makes reading your message a more difficult experience than it should be.

Some of you will also have a junk/bulk mail filter that could keep our messages out of your inbox. Make sure that you sift through your bulk mail folder for any messages you get from one of the Virtual School staff. You are responsible for the information in all messages we send, so if you haven't heard from us in a week or so, you might send us a short note asking if there have been any messages you were supposed to have received.

Finally, don't forget to send the message containing your goals at the beginning of each week!