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HCPSS / POLICIES

Policy 8200 Implementation Procedures - Digital Education

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. Course Access

  1. Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) students may be eligible to enroll in HCPSS digital education under the following:

    1. The school does not offer the course.

    2. There is a scheduling conflict that prevents the student from taking the course when it is available and there is no accessible alternative in future academic years.

    3. The student has been approved for early graduation or early college access demonstrated through their four-year plan.

    4. Home and Hospital Teaching Program.

    5. Administrative placement approved by a Community Superintendent.

  2. HCPSS will establish an enrollment process for non-HCPSS students to apply to enroll in HCPSS in-house digital education based on the number of available seats in published courses.

  3. HCPSS students may apply to enroll in a digital education virtual program. Enrollment is based on the availability of courses and qualified teachers.

  4. HCPSS may limit digital education supplemental and full-time enrollments for students based on the availability of funding, approved courses, and qualified teachers.

  5. The Innovative Pathways Program Office will work with HCPSS Curriculum Offices and schools to determine course needs for the following school year.

II. Enrollment Requirements

  1. Schools may assist parents in enrolling their students in digital education courses. HCPSS school-based employees may not enroll students in courses without first notifying the student and their parents.

  2. A student may enroll in up to two (2) supplemental non-HCPSS (external) digital education courses per single school year.

  3. HCPSS does not offer or accept credit recovery course credit for supplemental non-HCPSS (external) digital education courses.

  4. A student may exceed the registration course limit for digital education courses with approval from the school administrator and the Innovative Pathways Program Office.

  5. Students may enroll in a supplemental non-HCPSS (external) digital education course after the posted withdrawal deadline, which may include transfer students with an existing 0.5 credit towards a 1.0 credit course, if they are able to complete the course requirements by the posted end date.

  6. Students may enroll in a digital education virtual program after the start of the academic year through an application process.

  7. Parents of a child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), who apply for enrollment in a digital education virtual program, will meet with the IEP Team to determine if their child’s IEP can be met through the virtual learning courses.

  8. Pending program availability, students enrolled in a digital education virtual program may elect to continue their enrollment for the following school year or return to their designated home school.

  9. Students who do not successfully earn credit in digital education courses, may be denied enrollment in future courses. Parents may appeal in writing to the school administrator and the Innovative Pathways Program Office before enrolling.

III. Supervision, Attendance and Participation

  1. Schools may schedule students in digital education courses at a physical school during or outside the school day. When a digital education course is scheduled during the school day, students must be supervised by HCPSS school-based employees.

    HCPSS school-based employees supervising digital education students are responsible for:

    1. Recording the digital education student’s daily attendance.

    2. Ensuring the health, safety, and general welfare of students.

    3. Ensuring students are accessing their course.

    4. Proctoring unit, mid-term, and final assessments.

  2. Students enrolled in a digital education virtual program who come on-site to their designated home school to access an activity, program, or services will be supervised by HCPSS school-based employees at that school.

  3. Attendance for digital education courses will apply based on how and when the course is taken:

    1. During the school day, digital education student’s attendance follows the process outlined in Policy 9010 Attendance.

    2. Outside the school day, digital education student’s attendance is tracked for all required synchronous course sessions (orientation, proctored exams, course instruction, labs, etc.)

    3. Outside the school day, asynchronous assignments may be used to demonstrate attendance on days in which synchronous course sessions are not scheduled.

  4. Participation requirements will be communicated to the innovative pathways student prior to the beginning of the course.

    1. Participation is defined as the degree to which the innovative pathways student is making adequate progress toward completing the course requirements by the posted end date.

    2. Innovative pathways students in grades 6-12 who fail to participate in their courses may be withdrawn from the digital education course in accordance with Policy 8020 Grading and Reporting: Middle and High School.

    3. Parents of students who are not making progress in a digital education virtual program may request a placement change to in-person instruction at their designated home school.

    4. All students participating in assessed digital education courses will be required to take State mandated, district-selected and district-designed assessments and surveys.

      1. Remote participation will be offered if allowed by the assessment or survey program.

      2. Students will be required to attend in-person testing sessions at a HCPSS school building to complete assessments or surveys that do not offer remote participation.

      3. When students are unable to attend in-person sessions, arrangements will be made to administer assessments or surveys by HCPSS employees in an appropriate setting.

IV. Fees

  1. There are no fees for a digital education virtual program as it is the student’s primary instruction. Supplemental courses taken outside of a digital education virtual program may be subject to fees and are the responsibility of the parent.

  2. HCPSS will provide fee information for HCPSS and non-HCPSS digital education supplemental courses, which may include application fees, course material fees, or tuition.

    1. HCPSS students who meet the eligibility requirements are not responsible for course fees.

    2. HCPSS students who do not meet the eligibility requirements, or exceed the registration course limit, may enroll in additional approved courses with an online learning provider under a separate agreement that requires the parent to pay any tuition or course fees.

  3. Fees for supplemental courses are non-refundable unless otherwise specified in the fee schedule. The fee schedule will include options for tuition reduction based on student circumstances.

V. Curriculum Review, Design and Development

HCPSS will use the following to inform digital education courses:

  1. The curriculum standards for HCPSS digital education courses will be the same used for all HCPSS schools.

  2. In order to offer non-HCPSS (external) digital education courses, the HCPSS will comply with COMAR. In the event a non-HCPSS (external) digital education course has not been approved by MSDE, the HCPSS may conduct a review and submit its results to MSDE for approval.

  3. The course expectations for student-to-teacher communication and academic support meet nationally recognized professional standards and are described as such in a course syllabus.

VI. HCPSS Teacher Criteria

  1. HCPSS employees teaching digital education courses will meet the certification requirements determined by the MSDE and HCPSS. Teachers will complete required professional learning focusing on digital teaching and learning.

  2. HCPSS employees teaching asynchronous digital education courses will meet the following criteria:

    1. Completed online teaching preparation course.

    2. Completed a digital education mentoring experience.

  3. HCPSS will include the following contract language with the online learning provider when using non-HCPSS employed teachers to teach non-HCPSS (external) digital education courses:

    1. Hold a state-level certification in the content area (for AP courses, have met the criteria for AP courses).

    2. Completed online teaching preparation course.

    3. Received satisfactory evaluation from the online learning provider.

  4. Additional HCPSS school-based employees may work with innovative pathways students in a supporting role (site-based mentor, supervising teacher, paraeducator, special educator, etc.). They may not grade student work but may provide other academic and non-academic supports.

  5. The delivery of instruction begins when the innovative pathways student interacts with the digital education teacher and related digital content and receives ongoing assistance and assessment of learning. The instruction may include approved curriculum developed by HCPSS or online learning providers.

VII. School Responsibilities

  1. Designated home schools will provide programs and services such as meals, extracurricular opportunities, special education, and related services to students enrolled in a digital education virtual program. Some services may be provided at a physical location through a face-to-face provider as determined by the IEP. The digital education virtual program will designate HCPSS school-based employees to coordinate services with the appropriate staff from the student’s designated home school.

  2. HCPSS school-based employees will assist the Innovative Pathways Program Office in disseminating digital education program information to students, parents, HCPSS school-based employees, and administration. HCPSS employees may also facilitate:

    1. Site-based mentoring.

    2. Scheduling digital education student supervision.

    3. Monitoring academic progress.

  3. Responsibilities can be shared between an administrator and HCPSS school-based employees. Schools will match employees with the responsibilities that best meet the needs of the students and the school.

  4. The school and the Innovative Pathways Program Office will coordinate to provide information on a student’s progress and final credits earned to the student and the student’s parent.

VIII. Technology Access

  1. Students using a personal device or HCPSS-owned device are responsible for the use of the device in accordance with Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media and the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct.

  2. Students using an HCPSS-owned device are required to complete an HCPSS Device Agreement Form.

IX. Grading and Progress Reporting

  1. Grading and progress reporting for digital education courses will apply based on how and when the course is taken:

    1. Students enrolled in synchronous digital education courses during the school day are subject to the grading and reporting guidelines outlined in Policy 8020 Grading and Reporting: Middle and High School.

    2. Students enrolled in asynchronous and blended digital education courses are subject to the grading and reporting guidelines outlined in Policy 8020 Grading and Reporting: Middle and High School with modifications, such as:

      1. Marking Period

        1. The start and end dates for course instruction may be different from the traditional school calendar.

        2. Marking period grades will be earned by semester.

      2. Mid-term and Final assessments

        Mid-term and final assessments may be scheduled at a time outside the traditional school calendar exam window.

  2. When a course is taken as a combination of traditional face-to-face courses and digital education, the digital education grades are averaged proportionately with classroom grades and placed on the report card.

  3. Innovative pathways students are expected to monitor their own progress daily. Parents and school counselors may receive progress reports through the student, the Innovative Pathways Program Office, or the online learning provider.

X. Program Reporting

  1. HCPSS will provide program data on the status of digital education to the Board and MSDE which may include the following:

    1. Number of digital education student enrollment.

    2. Number and type of courses taken.

    3. Completion/retention data.

    4. Stakeholder survey data.

    5. HCPSS employee digital education teacher summary.

    6. Non-HCPSS employed digital education teacher summary.

  2. HCPSS will review and evaluate the course delivery models available to HCPSS students.

XI. Definitions

Within the context of these implementation procedures, the following definitions apply:

  1. Credit Recovery – Credit awarded for the completion of a course where the student was previously enrolled but did not earn credit.

  2. Designated Home School – The school appointed by virtue of a student’s attendance area as outlined in Policy 9000 Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment.

  3. Individualized Education Program (IEP) – A written description of the special education and related services for a student with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised by the student’s IEP team.

  4. Innovative Pathways Student – A HCPSS student with a supplemental or full-time enrollment through the Innovative Pathways Program Office.

XII. History

ADOPTED: January 12, 2017

REVIEWED: January 27, 2023

MODIFIED:

  • July 15, 2021

  • June 6, 2024

REVISED:

EFFECTIVE: June 6, 2024

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.