General Information About Florida Virtual School (FLVS)
Full time virtual schools provided by school districts and FLVS are included in Florida’s accountability system and receive school grades based on the same criteria as other public schools in the state.
FLVS Full Time students are required to take state assessments. Current law specifies that these students are to take these tests in their districts of residence at the school to which they would be assigned unless FLVS and the district agree on an alternate site. Districts are to accommodate these students at all test administrations, including summer. FLVS Full Time students will not need to have immunization records on file in their school district of residence in order to take state assessments; these are collected and stored at FLVS Full Time.
Students enrolled in FLVS Full Time must meet compulsory attendance requirements. Attendance must be recorded on a regular and ongoing basis, and these students have the same guidelines related to truancy as students in brick-and-mortar schools.
District students may take FLVS Flex courses through their local school district. Requirements and schedule vary by district. FLVS is an approved provider of a full-time Virtual Instruction Program.
Florida school districts may choose to enter an agreement with FLVS to operate a district franchise/district virtual school. 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.
FLVS Flex Offers more than 190 tuition-free courses to Kindergarten-Grade 12 public, private, charter, and homeschool Florida students with year-round enrollment and 24/7 course availability. Students take FLVS courses to get ahead or graduate early, to allow flexibility for extracurricular activities, or to take courses not offered by their district. FLVS Flex offers course in various subject areas and difficulty levels, including Advanced Placement, honors, world languages, electives, and NCAA-approved core.
Learn more about FLVS Flex at https://www.flvs.net/flex
FLVS Full Time offers a comprehensive, full-time curriculum to Kindergarten-Grade 12 students in the state and follows the traditional 180-day academic calendar. FLVS Full Time combines the structure of a traditional school with the flexibility of online learning. FLVS Full Time becomes the primary school of record for students who enroll and issues high school diplomas to graduating seniors who meet district graduation requirements. FLVS Full Time students take a standard course load of six courses per semester, meeting public school attendance and testing requirements—including EOCs and FSAs. Florida school districts are required to administer state assessments to FLVS Full Time students residing in their districts, or schools which FLVS Full Time students would attend if they were district students, unless FLVS and districts agree on an alternative site. FLVS is an approved provider of a full-time Virtual Instruction Program.
Learn more about FLVS Full Time at https://www.flvs.net/full-time
Students enrolled in FLVS Flex and FLVS Full Time are funded based on course successful completions.
To ensure accurate reporting and funding for all courses taken by a student, FLVS must verify the necessary information to track the student across districts and schools. At minimum, all parties must verify the student’s legal name, birth date, grade level and ensure the use of a common student identifier. Course completion will be reported by FLVS.
For homeschool families seeking a high-quality online education with unparalleled flexibility and support, FLVS is an ideal option. Students can take one, multiple, or all of their courses with FLVS, and with year-round enrollment, students have the freedom to start and finish a course at any time. Students participate in collaborative assignments with peers and have opportunities to connect and interact with classmates, teachers, and counselors through more than 60 student clubs, events, and student activities—including virtual field trips. In addition, professional school counselors provide academic advising and college and career planning.
Learn more at https://www.flvs.net/homeschool
The school counselor has a role to play in determining whether an online course is appropriate for the student based on the student’s academic history and goals. However, a district:
- May not expressly limit a student from enrolling in online courses offered by the school district, another school district or FLVS;
- May not require students to take online courses in addition to a full-time schedule at the school;
- May not limit the number of online courses in which district students may enroll (this is based on the student’s goals and academic history);
- May not deny access to an online course because the course is offered at the student’s traditional school;
- May not require students to enroll in a district online course instead of those offered by another school district or FLVS;
- May not require a student to withdraw from an online course to take the course at the district school;
- May not restrict students from taking online courses for core subjects (allowing students to take online courses only for electives); or
- May not require a student to enroll in a course at a district school in the same subjects as the online course (even in the case of graduation requirements in the final year or semester).
Students attending a private school have the ability to enroll in FLVS Flex courses when their school affiliates with FLVS. Affiliation is free of charge and once the school completes this step, the two schools will work together to provide a variety of innovative, student-centered options for the private school and its students.
Learn more about private school affiliation at https://www.flvs.net/florida-school-solutions/private-schools.