FAQ

 

1. Are there specific times I need to be online?

The MVS instructional delivery model does not require students to be physically present in the same location as a teacher nor does it require that courses be taken a particular time of day. Courses delivered through an asynchronous, online environment are an alternative instructional delivery method that involves self-motivation and personal responsibility of the child and parent.

 

2. As a parent what is my role?

Once it is determined that the student will enroll into the MVS program, parents will be required to register their students with the registrar located at the Administrative Service Center and attend a mandatory orientation session that will further cover the responsibilities listed below.

Parent and Student Responsibilities

  • Identify a quiet work space that will allow for concentration
  • Arrange for transportation to mandatory state testing sessions around the state
  • Develop a weekly schedule that allows for at least 25-30 hours of dedicated school time
  • Provide a reliable internet connection prior to the start of the school year and plan for an alternative or back-up plan if you have temporary service interruption
  • Notify the LEG within 14 days of starting a new course, if you plan to drop or not complete a course. Notification after 14 days may result in a charge.
  • Complete all coursework within five months of a course start date.
  • Report any missing materials or textbook needs to the school LEG immediately
  • Report technical problems to the SDMA Help Desk so we can provide timely assistance
  • Contact course instructors first on any questions related to course content, assignments, exams, or grades
  • Check your school e-mail on a regular if not daily basis
  • Contact the school LEG if unable to participate in class for more than three consecutive days
  • Contact the school LEG immediately if there are any changes in contact information

 

3. Can I participate in athletics at Menomonie Schools?

Yes, but you must be registered as a full time student. Full time enrollment is the successful completion of at least one grade level per calendar year, unless determined that the best needs of the students will be met in other timelines.

Students are encouraged to participate in traditional school activities (co-curricular or extracurricular) in accordance with state statutes, Board of Education Policy, and any governing body guidelines (such as WIAA).

District codes of conduct, dress, and athletic codes pertain to MVS students in the same manner as traditional school students. Other rights and privileges will be defined the school handbook and Board of Education policies.

 

4. Can I participate in co-curricular activities at Menomonie Schools?

Yes, but you must be registered as a full time student. Full time enrollment is the successful completion of at least one grade level per calendar year, unless determined that the best needs of the students will be met in other timelines.

Students are encouraged to participate in traditional school activities (co-curricular or extracurricular) in accordance with state statutes, Board of Education Policy, and any governing body guidelines (such as WIAA).

District codes of conduct, dress, and athletic codes pertain to MVS students in the same manner as traditional school students. Other rights and privileges will be defined the school handbook and Board of Education policies.

 

5. Do credits transfer from one school to another?

Yes, all credits will transfer from one school to another. Grades for online courses will be transferred to the student’s transcript when the online teacher presents a grade to the school district. If an online student has not completed a course by the end of the grading period, a grade of incomplete will be posted on the student’s report card and the student will receive a zero in determining the GPA and class ranking for that term at the high school level. If the student completes the required course work and the teacher presents a grade, the student’s GPA and class ranking will be adjusted to reflect the grade change.

 

6. Do I have to be at home all the time while my child is working online?

No, parents are not required to be at home all the time while their child is working online, however, the student is expected to:

  • Consistently documented logins into the Online Course System and completion of daily lessons and assignments.
  • Attending the required online face-to-face Skype contact sessions with the teacher.
  • Set semester goals along with the LEG or teacher and demonstrate tangible progress toward completion of them.
  • Participate in the required practice sessions prior to state testing.
  • Set up and maintain organizational systems (online calendar, etc.) for schoolwork.
  • Developing a portfolio and submit samples of mid-term and semester work.
  • Take all the state standardized tests required for his/her grade level.
  • Participate in the required physical activity per week.
  • Communicate with the LEG, tutor and/or teacher when he/she has curriculum related questions.
  • Must follow the District Acceptable Use Policy.

 

7. Do I have to take statewide assessments?

All students participating in the MVS Program must complete all required state and local assessments needed to graduate. Student proficiency with material covered by standards and benchmarks will be measured using district testing or online course assessments. Students will use district-chosen and approved assessment tools for pre/post data. Curriculum will be aligned with the district-approved standards and benchmarks.

State testing will be conducted by the School District of the Menomonie Area at specified times and at specific locations. In the event that students cannot be physically present, a district-approved testing facility may be designated.

The responsibility to ensure participation in the district-mandated testing is the responsibility of the family, guardian or of-age student and the family, guardian or the of-age student will supply transportation to and from the approved location.

 

8. Do I take all my courses online?

Students enrolled at SDMA will have options relating to online (virtual) education. Some of these include (but are not limited to) support for existing face-to-face instruction, SDMA created online courses, and/or third party courses. Online courses may be taken as part of the regular schedule or as partial or full-time virtual education enrollment. Virtual education enrollment(s) shall follow district board policies regarding open enrollment, youth options, partial enrollment, and any others that may apply. Virtual education opportunities must align with the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards and/or national education standards. In addition, a virtual education course of study must comply with the district’s policies on acceptable use and content. Relative to high school graduation, a virtual course of study must comply with the district’s graduation requirements and receive pre-approval following virtual education participation guidelines.

 

9. How can I check on my child's progress?

Parents can access all grades through the "Parent Access Portal" posted on this site.

Upon the completion course work, the teacher from the receiving school emails all grades with the student’s final percentage and a copy of the student’s grade book to the designated person at the receiving school. The L.E.G. will post all grades into the District's online grading program.

 

10. How do I register for the program?

There are two ways to register. The first is to fill out the online registration form by clicking here. If you live in Menomonie or will be visiting the area you stop in at the Administrative Service Center (ASC) which is located at 215 Pine Ave NE, Menomonie, WI 5475.

 

11. How do I take science classes that require labs?

SDMA students may take approved virtual or online courses on or off campus with appropriate PRIOR approval. SDMA will provide the equipment and/or software needed for a student to take a virtual course on school premises; SDMA may provide equipment/software for home instruction or off school premises, but we will not pay for home Internet access or home technical assistance. Typically online science classes utilize household items to complete experiments, a materials list is always available upon request.

 

12. How many classes can I take?

Full time students, or first-time learners may take no more than two classes at a time. When classes are completed the student may register for more courses but not to exceed two concurrent courses.

 

13. How often will the L.E.G or teacher contact my child?

Menomonie has the following expectations of our teachers or L.E.G.s:

  • Identifies, selects, and modifies instructional resources to meet the needs of the students with varying background, learning styles, and special needs.
  • Assists in assessing changing curricular needs and offers plans for improvement.
  • Maintains effective and efficient record keeping procedures.
  • Provides a positive environment in which students are encouraged to be actively engaged in the learning process.
  • Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with students, parents/guardians, coaches, and other professionals every week.
  • Collaborates with parent/coach/curriculum provider to enhance the instructional environment.
  • Models professional and ethical standards when dealing with students, parents/guardians, peers and community.
  • Ensures that the student growth and achievement is continuous and appropriate for age group, subject area, and/or program classification.
  • Establishes and maintains cooperative working relationships with students, parents/guardians, and school.
  • Works with the student to develop a recommended timeline for their course/grade level completion.
  • Provides support for deeper understanding if needed.
  • Responds to student email within 48 hours. If teacher will be gone and not able to respond to the students, the teacher will inform the student ahead of time.
  • Maintains academic honesty and contacts parents’/guardians and the LEG if there are specific concerns.
  • Contacts provider technical support or vendor educator email support if there are technical problems with the course management system.

 

14. How will class rank be determined?

Students taking online courses must meet all district requirements for obtaining a Wisconsin High School diploma. There will be no designation on the transcript for a online course other than the course number, title, grade and credit. Students must be aware that their grades from online coursework will affect their valedictorian or salutatorian status, as well as their class rank according to school policies.

 

15. How will my child be evaluated?

The online instructor grades assignments just like the student is in a face-to-face course. The student will receive comments from the online teacher throughout the course and after assessments. Student’s academic progress will be monitored by the student, parent, coach (if applicable) and the LEG to help ensure successful completion.

Grades for online courses will be transferred to the student’s transcript when the online teacher presents a grade to the school district. If an online student has not completed a course by the end of the grading period, a grade of incomplete will be posted on the student’s report card and the student will receive a zero in determining the GPA and class ranking for that term at the high school level. If the student completes the required course work and the teacher presents a grade, the student’s GPA and class ranking will be adjusted to reflect the grade.

All grades will be treated as non-grade weighted when placed on the transcript. Grades that are reported, as a percentage, will be given a letter grade in accordance with the following scale in any 6-12 course:

Grade Mark High Low
A 100.00% 93.00%
A- 92.99% 90.00%
B+ 89.99% 87.00%
B 86.99% 83.00%
B- 82.99% 80.00%
C+ 79.99% 77.00%
C 76.99% 73.00%
C- 72.99% 70.00%
D+ 69.99% 67.00%
D 66.99% 63.00%
D- 62.99% 60.00%
F 59.99% 0.00%

 

16. What are graduation requirements for Menomonie's Virtual School?

Students taking online courses must meet all district requirements for obtaining a Wisconsin High School diploma. There will be no designation on the transcript for a online course other than the course number, title, grade and credit. Students must be aware that their grades from online coursework will affect their valedictorian or salutatorian status, as well as their class rank according to school policies.

 

17. What are some of those learning opportunities?

The School District of the Menomonie Area is proud to renew our partnership with Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative for a fifth year. This partnership provides student’s with an opportunity to participate in an online education through their local school district. The program was developed to better serve the unmet needs of some of our students and move toward preparing ALL students for the 21st century skills they will be required to demonstrate in their futures.

“Virtual education is an innovative reality in the 21st century and an effective educational strategy for some students,” said former Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster.

The School District of Menomonie will be partnering with Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative to provide viable course options for our students. WDLC serves school districts, helping us provide virtual learning options for our students, including:

  • Relevant courses in flexible locations in an asynchronous environment

  • High quality, interactive courses aligned to state and national standards

  • Middle school and high school level curriculum

  • Over 70 different course options

  • A solution for schedule conflicts, home-based learners, homebound, adjudication, truancy, expulsions, teen parents, special needs, etc.

  • Modified rates of learning to accommodate the student – traditional, accelerated or extended

  • The experience of online learning in preparation for future training in post-secondary educational and work environments.

 

18. Where do I get the textbooks needed?

In most cases all materials needed for the course are online and do not require the purchase of a text book. Because students are registered with MVS, they will have access to the same research materials as conventional students as well as access to all online reference resources subscribed to by the district.

 

19. Will I be able to take classes during the summer?

Students registered full time will be able to take courses during the summer since MVS is open year round as long as the course is approved by the District.

 

20. Will I receive a School District of Menomonie diploma?

Students taking online courses must meet all district requirements for obtaining a Wisconsin High School diploma. There will be no designation on the transcript for a online course other than the course number, title, grade and credit. Students must be aware that their grades from online coursework will affect their valedictorian or salutatorian status, as well as their class rank according to school policies.

For a student to be awarded a SDMA High School diploma, the student must complete at least 4 credits of English including writing composition, 3 credits of social studies including state and local government, 3 credits of mathematics, 3 credits of science, 1.5 credits of physical education, 0.5 credit of health education, and 0.5 credit in personal financial literacy.The board of education may require additional credit requirements as they see fit to align with any other educational programs it offered.