Remote Learning Partner Frequently Asked Questions ...



Remote Learning Partner Frequently Asked Questions Updated August 28, 2020On August 4, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) sent districts information about opportunities to work with remote learning partners (Options 4 and 5 from Remote Learning Guidance for Fall 2020) who can provide courses with instructional services—the two Commonwealth of Massachusetts Virtual Schools (CMVS)—and learning management systems (LMS) with K-12 course content. Below, please find additional information and Frequently Asked Questions for Schools and Districts Regarding our Remote Learning Partners.Remote Learning Partner WebsitesOption 4: CMVS Courses – with instructional services GCVS: : 5: LMS with K –12 full course content but no instructional serviceEdgenuity: : Department Contact Information for Additional QuestionsOption 4: CMVS Courses – with instructional services Alison Bagg, Alison.W.Bagg@, 781-870-7277 Ruth Hersh, Ruth.E.Hersh@ Option 5: LMS with K –12 full course content but no instructional serviceCliff Chuang, Cliff.Chuang@, 781-605-5573 Procurement: Al Rego, Albano.Rego@ General Remote Learning: Jackie Gantzer, Jacqulyn.M.Gantzer@Prior Remote Learning Guidance HYPERLINK "" Remote Learning Partner Information – August 4, 2020 HYPERLINK "" Remote Learning Guidance for Fall 2020 – July 24, 2020Questions Related to Option 4: Purchase courses provided through Commonwealth of Massachusetts Virtual Schools (CMVS) with instructional services.Districts may purchase individual courses or a bundle of grade-level courses from either of the two Commonwealth of Massachusetts Virtual Schools: Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School (GCVS) or TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School (TECCA). This option allows the student to remain enrolled in their district. The CMVS provides the Massachusetts-licensed teacher, the learning management system/curriculum platform, the courses, synchronous and/or asynchronous content, and technical support. However, districts must assign educators and/or other staff members to monitor student progress and provide additional supports.Key InformationGCVSTECCASchool Website do I contact at the providers for more information?Michelle Morrissey Enrollment and Recruitment Specialist413-475-387mmorrissey@Salah E. Khelfaoui?Executive Director/Superintendentskhelfaoui@Patrick LattucaSuperintendent1-774-315-5123, ext. 316plattuca@tecca.Who at DESE do I contact with questions about this option?Alison Bagg, Alison.W.Bagg@, 781-870-7277Ruth Hersh, Ruth.E.Hersh@General QuestionsWhat is a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Virtual School (CMVS)?A Commonwealth of Massachusetts Virtual School is a public school operated by a board of trustees that has been granted a certificate from the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to operate. In a CMVS, teachers primarily teach from a remote location using the internet or other computer-based methods and students are not required to be located at the physical premises of the school. Both GCVS and TECCA have certificates to operate a CMVS. See: for more information about CMVS and how DESE oversees their operation and performance. What are the CMVS course offerings? What are the differences between GCVS and TECCA course offerings and costs?See page 1 of the Remote Learning Partner Information document.What is the cost of this kind of partnership? Please see the outline of course offerings and costs on pages 1-2 of this document or you may find the same table within the Remote Learning Partner Information document, posted here . What happens if a district purchases courses from a CMVS and a family changes their mind mid-semester?The "licenses" are refillable during the semester - so each "license" sold to a district could be transferred to another student as needed. If a district purchases courses from a CMVS for students, do students enroll in the virtual school?No, this option allows the student to remain enrolled in their district. The district retains educational and fiscal responsibility for the student. How does a family enroll a student in a CMVS full time?If a family wishes to enroll their student in a CMVS full time, they must contact the schools and engage in an enrollment process. As of August 2020, both GCVS and TECCA are currently at their maximum capacity and have waitlists of more than 1000 students each. Can a district purchase courses from either CMVS?Yes, a district may purchase courses from either or both virtual schools. The district should examine the differences in the offerings (see above) and purchase courses that best align with the district’s standards, expectations, and reopening plan. Can a district purchase a full course load for a student (e.g. core courses and electives) for a student, sufficient for a cohort of students for a particular elective class (e.g. Spanish) from either CMVS?Yes, each CMVS is willing to provide a range of courses and they can be provided for cohorts of students. Please contact each CMVS for more information.Can a district purchase a full course load for a student (e.g. core courses and electives for a student who needs credits to graduate)? Yes, each CMVS is willing to provide a range of courses to meet student needs. Please note that a student taking all their courses at the CMVS in this manner is still considered enrolled in their district. Please contact each CMVS for more information.Under what authority may a CMVS sell courses to districts?The Massachusetts virtual school statute and regulations allow for a commonwealth virtual school (GCVS and TECCA) to sell courses to a district or school. See below:G.L. c. 71, Section 94 (k) If a commonwealth virtual school offers online courses to students attending other schools, the commonwealth virtual school shall work with the student’s district or school to determine whether the online courses meet said district’s or school’s standards and requirements and what the commonwealth virtual school will charge the student’s district or school for such online courses.See 603 CMR 52.05(12) Individual Online Course Enrollment. A student may take some classes online when such classes are approved by the district in which the student attends school. The student will be counted in the foundation enrollment of the district of residence and such courses shall be reported as online courses in accordance with Department guidelines. A virtual school may charge a district or a school for individual courses, provided the virtual school reaches an agreement with the district or school.When do the virtual courses begin at GCVS and TECCA respectively?GCVS’ live programs start on September 15. Monday September 14 is a required orientation day for all new students. GCVS’ Flex/Asynchronous classes start anytime the student is ready.TECCA’s courses begin Tuesday, September 1, but districts may submit enrollment forms by Wednesday, September 16. TECCA will be ready to support students starting at districts as of Tuesday, September 1 or Wednesday, September 16.What materials should I provide parents in my district when describing this option?GCVS: Please reach out directly to the contacts at GCVS for this materialTECCA: You can direct parents to this brochure.How should I engage with either partner if I want to purchase courses?Interested districts should contact partners directly with questions or to begin the process of purchasing courses:GCVS: Michelle Morrissey, Enrollment and Recruitment Specialist, 413-475-3879,mmorrissey@TECCA: Patrick Lattuca, Superintendent, 774-315-5123, ext. 316, plattuca@tecca.Is there a capacity limit? Together, GCVS and TECCA expect that they will be able to offer more than 50,000 courses for district purchase each semester. Platform/TechnologyWhat are the platform requirements?GCVS: Canvas and Blackboard are used for GCVS’ live classes and Genius (Edgenuity) platform for Asynchronous. GCVS provides students direct access to these platforms. Districts do not need to acquire these platforms on their own. GCVS platform will work on Apple, Windows 10, or Chrome operating systems that are current and up to date. Chrome web browser preferred; Firefox will work; Safari sometimes has issues with Blackboard. GCVS’ platform will work with tablets from Apple and Android tablets/phones using Apps for Canvas (Student) and Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, but ease of use is greatly diminished. Tablets/phones should be a last resort choice. A broadband internet connection is required. Due to congestion in cellular networks, GCVS does not recommend cellular internet for live lesson streaming.??TECCA: student devices are required to take courses from either TECCA or GCVS?GCVS: Any computer with Windows, or a Mac will work. Chromebooks are suggested.TECCA: Almost any device, although iPads or Smartphone are not optima. A laptop/desktop computer is preferred. Chromebooks are compatible with TECCA’s core courses, although some electives are not completely compatible with Chromebooks. What other materials do students need to participate?GCVS: Students often use either Google Suite or MS Office 365. All materials required, such as, science kits, workbooks, software, and online access to databases are provided by GCVS.TECCA: Students will need a device and internet connection. Nearly all text-related materials, including textbooks, are digital within the platform. Additional materials are course and grade dependent. Some materials may be shipped to the student based on course and grade selection. Very few physical materials are necessary.Curriculum and Services ProvidedWhat curriculum does GCVS offer?Please see the following links for description of GCVS’ curriculumElementary (Live) – Florida Virtual is used for live classesMiddle School (Live) – Florida Virtual is used for live classesHigh School (Live) – Florida Virtual is used for live classesMiddle School (Flex) (asynchronous) – Edgenuity is used for asynchronous classesHigh School (Flex) (asynchronous) – Edgenuity is used for asynchronous classesWhat curriculum does TECCA offer?Please see the following links for description of TECCA’s curriculumElementary CurriculumMiddle School?CurriculumHigh School CurriculumPearson Connexus provides the LMS and curriculum. Are there AP/IB courses?GCVS: The school has limited number of live Advanced Placement classes but offers several asynchronous Advanced Placement classes.TECCA: The school offers foundations, college preparation, honors, and Advanced Placement courses for high school students. The school also offers gifted and talented courses in math, ELA, and science for grades 3-8.What services are provided with the purchase of courses? Do TECCA and GCVS fully implement a student's IEP service grid?Districts are purchasing academic courses, not special education services from the virtual schools. As public schools that employ Massachusetts certified teachers, the CMVS will provide instruction with student accommodations or modified curriculum as needed, but the CMVS will not provide direct services as specified on IEP. Those services remain the responsibility of the student’s school district. The CMVS and the district should collaborate about students who require accommodations or modifications to instruction, assignments, or curriculum. The school district retains programmatic and fiscal responsibility for its students. What supports are provided for English Learners?Both schools are public schools and must support English learners (ELs) as required by law, which includes providing sheltered English instruction. The CMVS and the district should collaborate about students who are ELs or former ELs. Courses and ScheduleAre the CMVS teachers delivering the courses licensed to teach in Massachusetts?Yes, all teachers hired by Commonwealth of Massachusetts virtual schools must be licensed in Massachusetts in the areas in which they teach or teach under a waiver pursuant to M.G.L. c. 71, § 38G.What is the schedule of classes? Do students have to follow a certain schedule, or may they take classes when they like?GCVS: It depends upon the model your district chooses. If the virtual school course is asynchronous, then students may engage in learning and assignments on their own schedule. If the virtual school course contains any synchronous elements, then the student may have to follow a certain schedule. TECCA: Courses contain asynchronous and synchronous components and instruction. All synchronous sessions are recorded. A district may determine a schedule for attendance and engagement purposes based on local requirements. How many hours of direct live instruction do students receive from the teacher and how long is a class at each level?It depends upon the model your district chooses. If the virtual school course is asynchronous, then students will receive little to no live instruction. If the virtual school course contains any synchronous elements, those will involve live instruction. GCVS: The fully live/synchronous elementary only (K-5) courses will take approximately 5 hours a day. The fully live/synchronous courses for grades 6-12 will take approximately 5.5 hours a day. GCVS’ fully asynchronous courses do not involve any live instruction.TECCA: Each course offers a blend of asynchronous and synchronous learning. The number of live lesson hours per week vary based on the course and grade level selected. It is typically no less than two whole-class live lessons per week per course. Additionally, students can work with teachers during office hours based on need and teacher progress monitoring. Core courses require an average of 5 hours of engagement each week. Districts may supplement what the virtual course offers as well.How many hours of screen time will students have per day?It depends upon the model your district chooses.GCVS estimates that its fully live/ synchronous elementary only (K-5) courses will involve approximately 3 hours of screen time a day. The fully live/ synchronous courses for grades 6-12 will involve approximately 5.5 hours of screen time a day. The asynchronous courses will be approximately 5 to 6 hours per day.?TECCA courses offer a blend of asynchronous and synchronous learning. TECCA estimates that K-5 students screen time is approximately 30-35 percent of learning time. For students in grades 6-8 screen time is approximately 45-50 percent of learning time. For students in grades 9-12 screen time is approximately 70-80 percent of learning time. All other time is spent in offline activities. Can we purchase additional elective courses (including specials such as art, physical education, health, and music) from either virtual school partner in order to provide a full program of study for students, and if so, how much additional would this cost?Yes, your district may purchase additional courses from either virtual school if the courses are “approved by the district in which the student attends school.” (See 603 CMR 52.05(12)). Please contact either virtual school to learn about pricing for electives. Is it possible for districts to buy only certain courses for students (for example, science and social studies for K-4 and some math courses for middle/high schools) as needed?Yes. Single courses that are subject specific and grade specific are available for purchase for one or more students from the same district. What is the student-to-teacher ratio?GCVS: FLEX students study asynchronously on their?own. A teacher of record is assigned to each course to monitor student progress. Each teacher is in charge of several students, between 100 to 150 students depending on grade and subject.?Flex teachers of record are all Massachusetts certified, but they do not deliver the curriculum. They act more like learning coaches and monitors. GCVS’ LIVE elementary and middle school classes range from 20 to 30 students. Live high school classes are capped at 25 students.TECCA: The elementary school student to teacher ratio ranges from 40-50:1. The middle and high school student-to-teacher ratio ranges from 30-37:1.What is the grading system of each CMVS?GCVS uses standards-based grading in the elementary grades (K-5) Middle and high school grades (6-12) grade on a 0-100 scale.?TECCA uses numerical grades that translate?to letter grades on progress reports, report cards, and transcripts. District RoleWhat staff should the district provide? What is their role?GCVS: The school recommends that the district assign a point of contact staff member to help manage the program. Additionally, every student should be assigned a learning coach (often that would be a parent/guardian). In some cases, districts may assign a teacher to serve as a learning coach for a group of students. Assigning a learning coach greatly increases a student’s success.TECCA: The only staff that is needed is an “Enrollment Coordinator,” typically a guidance counselor to select the courses a student is to take.What information will the district receive about a student’s progress?GCVS: The district’s designated point of contact and learning coaches have continuous access to monitoring student progress. Reports can be generated frequently. Districts and GCVS can determine jointly the frequency of these reports. At the conclusion of the course, the district receives the students’ course transcripts.TECCA: District personnel, who are assigned by the district, will have total access to all the students’ performance data and gradebook. At the conclusion of the course, the district receives the students’ course transcripts. Parent/Guardian RoleWhat is the role of the student’s parent or guardian?GCVS: The student’s parent/guardian is a learning coach. They have access to all student work and progress. Their engagement is not different from a “brick & mortar” district parent, monitoring, encouraging, and supporting and advocating for students.TECCA: A student’s parent/guardian acts as a “Learning Coach,” for more information visit: Related to Option 5 – Purchasing student licenses for a Learning Management System (LMS) with full course content included but without instructional servicesKey InformationEdgenuityFLVS GlobalWebsite do I contact for more information?Greg MooreAccount Executive774-238-0945 greg.moore@Jennifer SlaterAccount Manager484-614-7624jslater@District Leader Orientation Recordings and Presentation SlidesDate: Aug 21, 2020 01:54 PMEdgenuity District Leader Orientation Recording Link; Password: W=j%7a8SEdgenuity District Leader Orientation Presentation Slides LinkDate: Aug 21, 2020 09:52 AM FLVS Global District Leader Orientation Recording Link; Password: k6sD$1U1 FLVS Global District Leader Orientation Presentation SlidesWho at DESE do I contact with questions about this option?Cliff Chuang, Senior Associate Commissioner cliff.chuang@, 781-605-5573Important Update: On Tuesday, August 25, we shared that due to overwhelming demand, Edgenuity notified the Department they could no longer serve new district partners for its K-5 core curriculum courses. After some creative problem-solving, Edgenuity has resolved the issue and is once again able to accept districts for their K-5 core services. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Professional DevelopmentWill DESE provide professional development for these platforms?Yes. Please see the separate announcement that will be posted here for additional information, including specific dates and times and types of trainings offered at no cost. Please note that DESE is continuing to work with Edgenuity to accommodate professional development for their K-5 services. Districts may also directly purchase additional professional development, which is a separate cost from student licenses. See the top of page 4 of the Remote Learning Partner Information document for pricing information. Also, links to recordings and presentation slides for the district leader orientations held by both partners on August 21 can be found below.EdgenuityFLVS GlobalDate: Aug 21, 2020 01:54 PMEdgenuity District Leader Orientation Recording Link; Password: W=j%7a8SEdgenuity District Leader Orientation Presentation Slides LinkDate: Aug 21, 2020 09:52 AM FLVS Global District Leader Orientation Recording Link; Password: k6sD$1U1 FLVS Global District Leader Orientation Presentation SlidesTeacher Assignment Are district teachers required to be assigned to each student’s courses?Yes. Edgenuity and FLVS Global provide an LMS platform with course content. For the pricing established by the state contract, this does not include direct instructional services from licensed educators. You will need to assign district staff to support student progress.Does each course a student takes need to have a licensed teacher assigned to teach the class, or can a teacher who is not licensed supervise a group of students in multiple subject areas? Yes, a licensed teacher of record must be assigned to each course students are taking. In terms of subject area, the regulations on Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval, ?603 CMR 7.00, provide the parameters for appropriate licensure. (Please note that guidance about additional licensure flexibility may be forthcoming). This does not necessarily mean that the assigned teacher is providing direct instruction and supervision for every student enrolled in that course every day. The district or school may assign additional remote learning “facilitators” to support students as they progress through the course. One solution we are encouraging districts to incorporate is assigning a student teacher from a prep provider for this role to mitigate staffing constraints and build capacity for new educators. The teacher of record, or another licensed staff member should be available if/when students have questions or need content-specific support that facilitators are unable to provide, and to provide feedback/grading where content expertise is required (e.g. through an office hours structure). Please also see prior guidance on leveraging student teachers. If you are in a district not already engaged in a partnership with a preparation provider in Massachusetts and would like to be connected to one, please contact edprep@doe.mass.edu.Is there a recommended teacher/student ratio for supporting students using the LMS asynchronous platforms to maximize student learning and progress? Does this differ for elementary vs. secondary students? Any additional information about how to organize and structure educational staff to support student learning would be appreciated.Edgenuity recommends a student-teacher ratio that is similar to that for brick-and-mortar school teachers, or a range of 100-125. As this is may be a new teaching model for many teachers, a lower teacher/student ratio is recommended when possible.FLVS Global recommends class sizes of up to 40 students for an elementary teacher teaching 4 core courses, and up to 165 students on average for a secondary teacher, with smaller classes sizes for more intensive courses, and larger class sizes for electives.Platform/TechnologyIs a server and installation required or is it just a license to their hosted system? Both solutions offer a hosted software license for the delivery of the content. Both also allow their content to be delivered through other learning management systems that the district may be using. Will these platforms work with Chromebooks and iPads?Yes; however, note that a physical keyboard may be preferable for supporting student engagement, and lightweight devices such as Chromebooks and iPads may have some limitations for some technologies required for a strong student experience. For full details, see or these platforms integrate with Clever or ClassLink?Edgenuity does integrate with Clever and ClassLink. FLVS does not integrate with either.Can district teachers modify content?Yes, the content in both platforms can be modified by district teachers.Is it possible for districts to buy JUST science and social studies for K-4 and JUST some courses for middle/high schools as needed?No, both Edgenuity and FLVS Global offer licenses that come with a core set of courses—courses cannot be purchased “a la carte.”MiscellaneousCan parents require their school district to select Edgenuity or FLVS Global to provide remote learning for their students?No. This guidance was provided to districts to determine if/how they would work with the Option 4/5 partners. Parents can apply to the virtual schools directly (though they have long waiting lists at this point) or choose to homeschool, but there is currently no option to independently access Edgenuity and FLVS Global through a students’ home district if it is not offered by that district.Are the rates available for private schools, including approved special education schools?Yes, both partners will also sell licensees and services to private schools. ................
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