General Information for School Districts

• Funding is based on successful course completion.
• Full-time virtual schools provided by school districts are included in Florida’s accountability system and receive school grade designations based on the same criteria as other public schools in the state.
• State Board of Education approved providers that operate virtual schools under contract with school districts receive a State grade based on the students served statewide and a district grade for each school district that the provider is in contract with.

• All public school students are required to take state assessments, including virtual public school students per section 1008.22, Florida Statutes (F.S.).
• It is the responsibility of the school district to provide a location for virtual students to take these assessments. The district may choose to have them report to the school in their attendance zone, to another school in the district or to another location established by the district.
• Students who take a virtual course requiring an End-of-Course (EOC) assessment from another school district will test at their district school of enrollment.
• Students enrolled full-time in another district’s virtual instruction program (VIP) through an inter-district agreement will take state assessment in their school district of residence.

• Students enrolled in district virtual programs/schools must meet compulsory attendance requirements. Attendance must be taken for students in virtual programs/schools and these students have the same guidelines related to truancy as students in brick and mortar school.
• Minors who fail to satisfy attendance requirements are ineligible for driving privileges (s. 322.091, F.S.)

Please refer to the Auditor General Compliance Supplement found on: https://flauditor.gov/pages/tech_education.html

• Florida school districts may choose to enter an agreement with FLVS to operate a district franchise. These franchises are district virtual schools with district administrators and district teachers who provide virtual instruction for district students. This school uses FLVS curriculum, other educational resources and the FLVS Learning Management System (LMS) and Student Information System (SIS). FLVS also provides training and mentoring for district teachers and administrators.
• A school district may use its franchise as one of its VIP options and continue to serve other students as well.
• Students enrolled in district franchises should be reported under school number 7004.
• District franchises are required to collect and report immunization information for home education students enrolled in their franchise only if they participate in activities at a brick and mortar school in the district (e.g., those who participate in classes, extra-curricular activities or state testing).

• Districts are authorized to offer courses per s. 1003.498 (2), F. S. These courses are reported under school number 7006 (do not report under school 7001). If a district plans to offer such courses, it should contact the Department’s Education Information and Accountability Services office to activate this school number. http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7574/urlt/0101172-msid.pdf
• Districts may offer virtual courses for courses included in Florida’s Course Code Directory. This directory includes all courses that are eligible to be funded in Florida public schools and includes courses in all subject areas and grade levels.
• Districts may choose to purchase online courses through virtual providers approved by the DOE or may choose other providers through a district vetting process. The DOE approval process for both online course provider and for virtual program providers examines every course the provider would like to offer to ensure it is aligned to state standards and also meet national standards for quality online courses. Districts are responsible for ensuring the same for providers they select through a district vetting process.
• DOE approved course providers can be found here: https://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/virtual-edu/provider-resources/approved-providers/.  All approved providers offer online courses through contracts with school districts.
• A student enrolled in his/her school district may take an online course(s) from another school district whether or not the course is offered in his/her home district. School districts cannot require that these courses be taken beyond the school day.
• A student must notify his/her school of the intention to enroll in an online course in another school district so that the necessary information can be collected, verified and confirmed by both districts at the point of enrollment. This will help to ensure the correct funding, reporting and accountability for this student. The school cannot deny access to the other district’s course as long as the student meets the eligibility requirements, and the course is appropriate based on the student’s academic history and academic goals.
• District students taking blended courses in traditional school districts must be full-time public school students enrolled at the school and receive the online instruction at the school.

• The law requires all school districts to offer VIPs (full time and part time) for all grade levels. 
• Districts may choose one of the following to offer a virtual instruction program(s) for their students:
  • Provide a district-operated virtual instruction program (school 7023)
  • Contract with FLVS
  • Establish a franchise of FLVS (school 7004)
  • Enter into an agreement with another district
  • Enter into an agreement with a virtual charter school
• A district VIP shall consist of the following:
  • Full-time and part-time virtual instruction for students in grades K-12; and
  • Full-time or part-time virtual instruction for students enrolled in dropout prevention, academic intervention program and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) programs; core courses to meet class size requirements and grades K-12 courses offered by Florida College System institutions for this program.
• Approved DOE providers can be found here: http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/virtual-edu/provider-resources/approved-providers/
• Districts are to provide at least one enrollment period of 90 days or more which ends 30 day before the first day of the school year. Districts must notify parents of public school students directly in writing about the required enrollment window. This notification may be included in other materials distributed to parents such as student report cards, letters informing parents about school choice options or by email.
• Districts are required to provide the necessary instructional materials for students to participate in the VIP.
• Districts must provide each full-time student enrolled in VIP who qualifies for free or reduced priced lunch under the National School Lunch Act, or who is on the direct certification list and who does not have a computer or Internet access in his/her home with all equipment necessary to participate in the program. This includes, but is not limited to; a computer, computer monitor, printer and access to or reimbursement for Internet services per s. 1002.45(3)(d), F.S.. For districts using DOE approved providers, this would be addressed in the district contract with the provider.

• Requirements related to student progression, including retention, promotion and grade assignment, are the same for school district VIP students as they are for other students enrolled in the district.
• Virtual instruction programs may offer courses beyond 180 days only for the purpose of course completion and credit recovery. Course completion applies only to a student who is reported during the second or third membership surveys and who does not complete a virtual education course by the end of the school year. These courses must be completed and reported by the deadline for amending the final enrollment survey for the year (Survey 4) to receive funding. Credit recovery courses are allowed for students who did not pass a traditional or virtual education course during the regular school year and must retake the course to graduate on time. If a student enrolls in the district virtual course but the course is not reported in either Survey 2 or 3, then the course must be completed by the end of the regular 180 day school year.

• Section 1003.57 (5), F. S., provides, “…A student whose individual educational plan indicates that full-time virtual instruction is appropriate may be enrolled in a full-time virtual instruction program...”
• Florida Department of Education ESE Staff Contacts

• Access the Technical Assistance Paper for Virtual Funding and Reporting
• Access the FTE General Instructions
• Access the Student Information System