Curriculum and Instruction

K12 VIRTUAL SCHOOLS LLC (STRIDE K12) CURRICULUM

Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy has chosen the K12 Virtual Schools LLC (Stride K12) curriculum because it is designed to help children exceed state, national and international standards. For an overview of the educational approach, please visit the Curriculum section of K12 Virtual Schools LLC (Stride K12) web site. Use of the K12 Virtual Schools LLC (Stride K12) curriculum is mandatory for all enrolled students.

The Online School (OLS) is designed to collect and record data that substantiates the academic progress of our students. Therefore, it is mandatory that the Online School be used to enter assessment data that reflects the standing of the student. The Online School data serves as the primary tool for determining advancement into subsequent course levels. It is essential that parents understand that as a condition of enrollment, they agree to participate in the program as designed including documenting regular and appropriate academic progress in the Online School.

VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION - CLASS CONNECT

To supplement learning in the Online School, students participate in virtual interactions (Class Connect sessions) with peers and teachers. Scheduled Class Connect sessions can be viewed and accessed from the landing page of your OLS account. All sessions are recorded, and families may access recordings through their OLS account. Participation in these sessions assists students in mastering OLS lessons and Oklahoma Academic Standards set by the state of Oklahoma. Teachers will give direct instruction integrating state standards and courses.

Individual Class Connect schedules can be found in the OLS. A microphone is strongly recommended for all students to use in Class Connect sessions. If your computer does not have a built-in microphone, you can acquire one inexpensively at office supply centers or retail stores that sell computer accessories. If you are unable to afford one, please contact your CFA. There are several types of sessions designed to meet the various needs of our students. Your homeroom teacher or CFA will work with your family to schedule class connect sessions that meet the needs of your student. If there are scheduling conflicts, your CFA can help with communication between all teachers to create a schedule that allows all students to attend live instruction. Students that are performing below grade level expectations will be assigned specific required sessions.

Participation in class connect may be included in the final course grade.

Class Connect for English and Math Courses:
Requested/Invited Daily Live Lessons: This type of session is offered in English and Math courses. All students in the class work on the same lesson at the same time. The teacher is available to help answer questions. The teacher teaches the daily lesson found in the online school and students stay in the online classroom working on the lesson and asking questions until the assignment is complete or the class time is over.

Specialized CC Sessions: These sessions focus on specific skills gaps. Students that are struggling with course content or have identified skill gaps will be offered these

Class Connects—some may be required based on need.

Class Connect for History, Science and Elective Courses
General Class Connect Sessions: These sessions are provided throughout the week. These sessions support the content assigned in the Online School during the week.

Live Help: Teachers offer live help through Class Connect sessions called” Live Help”. These opportunities will be posted on school landing page. It may also be found on Class Connect schedule on course home page. This is a time when students and teachers meet for additional instruction, reviews, or question and answer sessions. Live Help may be required if a student is failing a course.

Class Connect for History, Science and Elective Courses
General Class Connect Sessions: These sessions are provided two times a week in history and science courses and once a week in electives. These sessions support the content assigned in the Online School during the week.

Live Help: Teachers offer live help through Class Connect sessions called” Live Help”. Teacher’s Study Hall schedules will be posted on school landing page. It may also be found on Class Connect schedule on course home page. This is a time when students and teachers meet for additional instruction, reviews, or question and answer sessions. Live Help may be required if a student is failing a course.

FLEX PROGRAM

OVCA Flex Program offers families more flexibility with online class connect sessions and interactions with OVCA academic team. This option is for families with highly involved learning coaches that need more flexibility. This program requires an application process and a compact of agreement. Students will not have daily class connect requirements but will have Class Connect sessions based on need. If a student’s adequate growth is not being made, teachers may require sessions for students. If students are struggling and need additional help, they may also request sessions. *If students are not meeting expectations, dismissal from the Flex Program will occur and a new learning path will be created for student. For more information about this program, contact the school principal.

FACE to FACE TUTORING

OVCA will offer face-to-face tutoring with highly qualified tutors who are experts in their content area, and tutors in all subject areas will be available. This pathway to learning will help students increase their course grades, achieve higher test scores, reach their academic goals, and create connections with learning. It will also help with engagement and relationship building. Face-to-face tutoring will take place only at a public space, such as a library or tech center or at the Tutoring Center in Midwest City. If in-person tutoring is not feasible, virtual, face-to-face tutoring using Zoom, Newrow or another method will be used. Students will be matched with a tutor located closest to them. If a tutor is not located within reasonable distance to a student, F2F virtual tutoring may be offered. For any tutoring questions or needs contact your Community Family Advisor.

REMEDIATION AND TIERED INTERVENTION

MindPlay Reading for Grades K-12

MindPlay is an evidence-based adaptive reading intervention tool for students. It covers all aspects of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and reading fluency. It will adapt to any level to meet each student’s individual needs. Students use the program 30 minutes a day, 5 days each week, until they’ve completed at least 40 hours. Students will be progress-monitored within MindPlay every 14 days to ensure the program is adapting to a student’s individual needs. Teachers will work with each family to incorporate MindPlay into a student’s schedule as needed.

Oklahoma Tiered System of Support (OTISS)
OVCA utilizes the Oklahoma Tiered System of Support (OTISS), which is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The OTISS process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all students in the general education classroom. Struggling learners are provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning.

These services may be provided by a variety of personnel, including general education teachers, special educators, and interventionists and will become part of the student’s daily/weekly lessons. Progress is closely monitored to assess both the learning rate and level of performance of individual students. Targeted student learning objectives are used to measure a student’s academic growth within the OTISS process. Targeted objectives are based on the student’s individual academic data. Teachers will track students’ progress and growth.

Educational decisions about the intensity and duration of interventions are based on individual student response to instruction. Interventions could be additional LIVE instruction time with teacher, access to additional resources, and/or additional assignments to assist with mastering of needed skills. OTISS is designed for use when making decisions in both general education and special education, creating a well- integrated system of instruction and intervention guided by child outcome data. Please contact your CFA to start the conversation if you have any questions about your student’s schooling.

ADDING AND/OR DROPPING A CLASS

ONLY APPLIES TO HS COURSES FOR CREDIT

Adds and drops will be made only when conditions meet the currently published criteria for a schedule change. To initiate the request, the parent or Learning Coach must call or email the counselor. If a schedule change is approved during the first ten (10) class days of a semester, the earned grade from the dropped class will not be reported or recorded. However, all assignments for the new class must be made up at the teacher’s discretion.

If a schedule change is approved after the first ten (10) class days, the student will not receive credit for the dropped class. (NC) will be on the transcript.

Only the following will be regarded as justifiable reasons for schedule change requests:

To correct computer error.
To correct graduation deficiencies.
To correct class imbalance.
To make necessary changes due to prior semester grades.
To enable students to meet requirements for post-secondary school admission.
To provide for placement in Special Education classes or to implement a student's IEP

Schedules WILL NOT be adjusted for the following conditions:

Preference for a different teacher.
Preference to be with friends and/or siblings in class.
Change of mind about taking the course.
Failure or fear of failure.

Students in the 7th & 8th grade will be allowed to take certain courses for high school credit. The Learning Coach will have the option to opt-in the student by August 20, 2021. Students taking courses for credit will be subject to the same late dates and semester test rules of all students taking the class. Middle school students taking high school for credit classes will be removed at 9 weeks and semester from the course and placed in the grade level equivalent course if they are failing the course.
The student will be expected to begin course work in the grade level equivalent course where the class is currently working.

It is important to note that students in grades 6-8 taking for credit high school math courses are not fulfilling the graduation requirements set forth by the state of Oklahoma. High school math while taken in middle school will count as an elective towards graduation only. Three math courses (Algebra I and higher must be completed in grades 9- 12).

Daily Plan

Teachers will utilize the OLS to provide due dates for OLS lessons and assessments. Students will be able to view lessons for the day on their daily plan in the OLS. When lessons are overdue, those will appear in the OLS on their daily plan on the “Overdue” tab. Overdue lessons are to be completed once the current day’s lessons are completed and mastered. The due dates will help students to stay on track in their course work to complete the curriculum and master grade-level benchmarks by the end of the school year.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL

LATE WORK POLICY, SEMESTER CHECK POINTS, AND LOCK DATES

Some assignments are teacher-graded, and others are computer-graded. All graded assignments – whether teacher- or computer-scored – are listed on each
course’s plan. These assignments must be completed and submitted each week by Sunday at midnight to avoid having a 0 entered in the gradebook. Any work that is assigned during the week that is not received by Sunday at midnight will be considered missing and assigned a zero on the following Monday. Warning: If a deadline has passed and the teacher has not entered a zero for that assignment, the student’s grade may be temporarily inflated. The zero will remain in the gradebook until the assignment is completed and graded, but the posted grade may be reduced according to the late date policy.

High School Only: Students will have until the next Checkpoint to turn in work for full credit, with the exception of threaded discussions. Due to the nature and design of the threaded discussions in the courses, threaded discussions must be completed as scheduled by the teacher. Late submissions for discussions will not be accepted and cannot be made up.

High School Only: Checkpoints 1 and 3 are also the first Lock Dates for each semester. All teacher graded assignments and CC quizzes scheduled-to-date will be locked at the time of Checkpoint 1 and 3, and these assignments can only be made up at the teacher’s discretion.
Checkpoints 2 and 4 are the last Lock Dates of the semester. All work scheduled for the semester, except for the semester exam, is due by Checkpoints 2 and 4. Work not submitted will receive a 0.

Below are the Checkpoint dates:

1st Semester:

• Checkpoint 1 and Lock Date: October 22, 2023 - All work scheduled August 10-October 17, 2023 must be submitted. Additionally, all teacher graded assignments and CC quizzes scheduled August 10 – October 17, 2023 will be locked.

• Checkpoint 2 and Lock Date: December 10, 2023 - All work for the semester, except for the semester exams, is due and will be locked.

2nd Semester:

• Checkpoint 3 and Lock Date: March 24, 2024 - All work scheduled January 3-March 14, 2024 must be submitted. Additionally, all teacher graded assignments and CC quizzes scheduled January 3–March 14, 2024 will be locked.

• Checkpoint 4 and Lock Date: May 19, 2024 - All work for the semester, except for the semester exams, is due and will be locked.

Under extreme circumstances, teachers may grant due date extensions on assignments. You should never assume teachers will automatically grant these requests. Due date extensions must be requested before the due date of the assignment and on a school day (no later than 3pm, if made on a Friday). Requests received on or past the due date, or on a non- school day will not be granted.

Assignments not received by the final lock date each semester will receive a grade of zero, with no exceptions.

In case of computer or internet issues, please keep a hardcopy of your teachers’
names and phone numbers.

NOTE: Attendance and truancy policies are listed at the beginning of this document but are closely related to this topic. Please refer to the attendance and truancy policies regarding the failure to complete work on a timely basis, in addition to, understanding the above listed policies on late submissions.

COURSE CHUNKING

Some students find it helpful to “chunk courses” or work on several lessons in the same subject on one day. The benefits of chunking include decreased preparation time and reduced transition time between subjects which results in more time spent learning. Chunking may also increase student motivation. History, science, art, and music are optimal courses to consider chunking. OVCA does not encourage or allow students to go long durations without continual math and language arts course work. Students may chunk courses within the week if they complete all weekly assignments by Sunday at midnight.

This information is from the Board-approved OVCA Handbook for SY 2023-2024, revised August 2023.