Updated: Fayette schools still working out details for new Virtual Learning Academy

A reopening plan sent to Fayette County Schools families recently said the district would begin the year with at-home learning and students could choose either non-traditional instruction or a new Virtual Learning Academy.

The district is still working out details of its new program called the Virtual Learning Academy, officials said.

“We are going through the process of starting a new program. There are decisions to be made this week that will determine the rollout of the virtual academy,” district officials said Monday.

“Opening a new program is a multi-step process that includes receiving approval at both the state and local level.”

In a statement Sunday night, the district initially said that all students would start the academic year on Aug. 26 with non-traditonal instruction. Later Monday, the district issues a revised statement, saying all students will “begin the school year with virtual learning, either through Non-Traditional Instruction 2DL: Differentiated Distance Learning or in the Virtual Learning Academy.”

At a 5:30 p.m. Monday school board planning meeting, district Chief Academic Officer Kate McAnelly said it was premature to say whether the Virtual Learning Academy would begin when at-home learning starts on Aug. 26. The school board will hold a meeting about it later this week.

District officials said that they continue to see significant community spread of COVID-19 in Lexington.

“If conditions improve and infection numbers go down, we will return to campus under either a hybrid model with reduced numbers of students or traditional school. That is when the Virtual Learning Academy will become important,“ the statement said.

The new Virtual Learning Academy is for that small number of families who –-for reasons related to their child’s health or the health of others in their household –- do not want to return to in-person instruction at all, the statement said.

District officials said is critical that families understand that the Virtual Learning Academy is a semester-long commitment to online instruction, and that the program will not have the wide variety of course offerings and specialized programs as other Fayette schools.

Dual credit classes, language immersion, technical center experiences, International Baccalaureate courses, and specialized art and music instruction will not be available.

In its Reenvisioning, Reimagining and Renewing Plan, the district indicated that information for the virtual academy option would be available after Aug. 3, the statement said.

In its revised statement on Monday, the district said: “Enrollment has opened first to those families who indicated on the reopening survey that they were interested in a virtual only option for their children and gave us their contact information. Those offers have already gone out. Once those families have decided whether to accept placement in the virtual academy, we may have space to offer other students.”

“Since all students have the opportunity to start the year with NTI 2DL, we expect a seamless transition to the virtual academy for those families with individual circumstances that preclude being able to return to in-person instruction,” the district said.

District spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said at the board meeting nearly 1,000 families who had expressed interest in the new virtual learning academy received an email Monday asking if they wanted to attend the virtual academy.

Spires said she has heard from families seeking more information. McAnelly said more information is to come.

The plan sent to families earlier said students enrolled in the virtual learning academy will receive daily instruction and interact with teachers on a set schedule.

Daily attendance in online classes will be required, as will participation in daily assignments. The level of expectation and accountability will resemble that of the traditional classroom, but it will take place online.

This option should not be confused with Non-Traditional Instruction, the plan said. Paper packets will not be used in the FCPS Virtual Academy.

The Virtual Learning Academy generally is expected to use the same calendar as the district and has set hours for students to attend online meetings and participate in virtual classes. The daily time commitment is comparable to in-school instructional time.

Only students enrolled in the FCPS Virtual Learning Academy attend the program. Students will have designated Fayette Virtual Learning Academy teachers who provide instruction, assignments, and grades.

Students enrolled in the FCPS Virtual Learning Academy can participate in athletics and extra-curricular activities at their attendance zone school.

In comparison, at any point during the school year, some or all Fayette students may participate in Non- Traditional Instruction as circumstances warrant.

All Fayette teachers will provide instruction to their students. A student’s in-person classroom teacher is also his or her teacher during NTI.

The curriculum is the same as in-school instruction. Teachers will deliver lessons in a variety of ways including videos, video calls, and live streaming. Students may be working on projects or independent learning. Students participate in athletics and extra- curricular activities at the school in which they are enrolled.

School board chairwoman Stephanie Spires said her biggest message to parents is that NTI is going to look completely different this fall than it did in the spring when schools shutdown.

Students will be learning new content and teachers will be engaged daily with their students and providing feedback on their work. The work will best be done synchronously but can be done asynchronously, Spires said.

Synchronously means live and asynchronously means the child can work independently and watch the recording and access class content outside of regular school hours. So if a child oversleeps or a parent has a Zoom meeting at the same time as their child’s Zoom meeting, the child can still access the material, Spires said.

Spires said parents need to communicate their needs to their teachers and work as a team.

Additionally, all Fayette students will be issued a Chromebook that can be used for virtual learning, but will also need to come to school, fully charged with them, Spires said.

FCPS tech support will be available to help families will technical issues and families that need a hotspot can request it through their school.

This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 3:21 PM.