Overview
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Wylie ISD is contracting with Pearson Connexus, who will provide a blended learning opportunity consisting of both synchronous and asynchronous instructional opportunities for students. Students will participate in one Live Lesson daily with a Pearson teacher and will have additional assignments to complete on the Pearson Education Management System with the assistance of an adult at home. Students will participate during normal school hours and follow the Wylie ISD calendar.
Our Virtual Vikings will be expected to work during the full school day, which consists of at least 240 minutes of instructional time. Lunch and breaks are built into their daily schedule but are not included in the 240 minutes of instructional time. A typical school day will include asynchronous lessons, face-to-face live instruction, independent work online, and independent paper and pencil assignments.
Timeline
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- September 6, 2021: VLA application closed
- September 15, 2021: Parents notified
- September 16, 2021: Parent meeting with Pearson and Wylie ISD
- September 20, 2021: Final parent commitment
- September 27, 2021: First day of VLA
- November 17-19, 2021: 2nd-semester application open
- January 5, 2022: 2nd-semester of VLA begins
Student Criteria
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- 4th, 5th and 6th-grade students that met the standards on all STAAR tests from the previous year
- Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd-grade students wo score above 45th percentile on both reading and math MAP BOY Fall 2021
- Fewer than 10 unexcused absences and fewer than 17 total absences (excused or unexcused) in the 20-21 school year
- Semester grades and final grades from 20-21 school year in core subjects (math, RLA, writing, science and social studies) must all be above 70.
- Students who were ineligible for the first semester remain ineligible for the second semester, as criteria have not changed
Frequently Asked Questions
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Will tutoring be offered if my child needs more face-to-face assistance past the allotted live, synchronous instruction?
Tutoring is offered through Pearson
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Why is this only offered for K-6?
Our survey showed that the greatest interest fell in these grade levels.
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What are the school hours for Virtual Learning Academy?
Students will follow typical school hours, Monday through Friday.
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Will the Virtual Learning Academy follow Wylie ISD's academic calendar?
Yes. Students will have the same holiday breaks (fall break, Thanksgiving break, etc.).
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Why are you requiring students to meet specific academic and attendance standards?
Senate Bill 15 requires that students are successful in these areas for participation. This helps us ensure we are serving students with an academic program that helps them succeed.
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Are students in special education eligible for the Virtual Learning Academy?
Yes, students in special education are eligible for our Virtual Learning Academy.
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For students with learning disabilities, what services will be offered?
We plan to use the same companies we contracted with last year to remotely provide speech services, occupational therapy, social skills instruction, and more. Pearson also allows us to provide a hybrid model to modify the curriculum to meet a student's IEP goals.
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Will the Virtual Learning Academy be available next school year?
At this time, Wylie ISD is only committing to the 2021-22 school year. We will re-evaluate at the end of the year.
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Why can my student not participate in their home campus’ field trips and field day events?
Once enrolled in VLA, your child will no longer be enrolled at their home campus.
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Does the district have authority to move a student back to their home campus if academic and disciplinary standards are not met?
Yes, SB 15 gives us this authority, and it is our goal to help every child succeed.
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Who will I contact if I have a problem/question?
We will have a principal and secretary specifically for our Virtual Learning Academy. Their contact information will be shared at parent orientation and posted soon.
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Will tutoring be offered if my child needs more face-to-face assistance past the allotted live, synchronous instruction?
Yes, tutoring will be available. We’ll provide additional information at our Parent Orientation.
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Is Wylie ISD accepting out-of-district students into the Virtual Learning Academy?
Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate out-of-district requests for our new Virtual Learning Academy.
