FAQS
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Who qualifies to enroll in GVA and is this a year-long commitment?
Students must be Blue Valley district residents to apply. Proof of residency documents will be required, as with typical registrations.
Families who would like to take advantage of this option for the school year will need to commit to enrolling in GVA for the entire school year. This is a full-time option only. No partial enrollments are allowed. Students will remain officially enrolled in Blue Valley schools and will continue to receive general information from their home school. -
What can be expected of the GVA experience for an elementary student?
The GVA’s program is a 100 percent online, almost entirely, asynchronous learning experience for students. This means that students will have some flexibility as to how and when they complete work. Content delivery is primarily asynchronous in nature and entirely online. Elementary students have daily synchronous morning meetings with GVA staff that will be held Monday-Thursday. Teachers and a GVA Academic Advisor will be available for office hours for students to offer support. Students can expect to be in online classes with other students from across the state of Kansas. Blue Valley students will not all be in the same class(es.)
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What can be expected of the GVA experience for a middle school student?
The GVA’s program is a 100 percent online, almost entirely, asynchronous learning experience for middle school students. This means that students will have some flexibility as to how and when they complete work. Content delivery is primarily asynchronous in nature and entirely online. At the middle school level, daily synchronous morning meetings with GVA staff will be held Monday-Thursday. These meetings are optional. Teachers and a GVA Academic Coach will be available for office hours for students to offer support. Students can expect to be in online classes with other students from across the state of Kansas. Blue Valley students will not all be in the same class(es.)
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What standards and curriculum are utilized?
Both the K-5 and 6-8 programs are tailored to Kansas state standards. GVA uses curriculum from the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) for students in K-5. For middle school, GVA uses the Edgenuity curriculum for asynchronous content and delivery. Blue Valley will administer all local and state assessments. Some of these assessments cannot be facilitated online and may require students visiting a Blue Valley facility to test.
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What courses will be available for students?
Elementary students will take English language arts, math, social studies, science and one special per semester. Elementary students will take art first semester and physical education the second semester.
Middle school students will take English language arts, math, social studies and science as their core classes. Middle school students will select two elective courses from the list below per semester. Middle school students will focus primarily on core content for the first 12 weeks of the semester and then electives for the final 6 weeks of each semester. Upon completion of the enrollment families will be contacted by GVA Academic Advisor to determine which electives students will enroll in for the virtual option.- 2D Studio Art
- Coding
- Digital Art and Design
- Exploring Information Technology
- Exploring Music
- Fitness
- Spanish
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What are teacher qualifications?
GVA teachers are fully licensed through the Kansas State Department of Education.
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What Student Services are available?
Counseling and other general education student support services will be provided by Blue Valley staff.
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Will students follow the Blue Valley school calendar?
GVA’s academic calendar is similar to Blue Valley’s calendar but does vary slightly. The GVA calendar will be available on their website.
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What technology device is necessary to connect to classes and content?
Students will need the use of a laptop or desktop computer. Tablets are not recommended. Students will be able to request a device from Blue Valley as needed.
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Can middle school students engage in athletics/activities at their home school?
Middle school students will not be eligible for Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) sanctioned activities like sports or plays, as those require in-person attendance per KSHSAA.
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How will grades be determined?
GVA will hold parent-teacher conferences and determine grades. These grades will be transferred to a Blue Valley report card and will become part of a student’s permanent Blue Valley record.
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Is Chinese Immersion an option through GVA?
Students in the Chinese Immersion program will not be provided with Chinese language lessons.
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What fees are associated with enrollment in the virtual option?
Families who select this option will pay the learning resource fee required of all Blue Valley enrolled students.
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Will Special Education, ESOL, or 504 services and support be provided?
Students with an IEP or English Language Learning Plan will receive their services through Blue Valley. Remote accommodations and modifications to the general education curriculum will be made by teachers and paraprofessionals contracted with Blue Valley. Special education classes required for FAPE will be provided in the brick and mortar home building. Additional information will be provided once enrolled.
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How will the district provide special education accommodations and modifications to virtual general education classes?
Specific support for students enrolled in the asynchronous virtual option will be determined by the homeschool IEP Team. The IEP Team will include both the home school case manager and any special education certified staff member who is providing remote accommodations and modifications to virtual classes. While the case manager will not change, the accommodations and modifications to the general education materials will be made by a special education teacher and/or paraprofessional contracted by Blue Valley but not assigned to the home school.
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How will the district provide special education classes to provide specially designed instruction?
Students will enroll and attend existing special education classes in the home building. Transportation will be provided if required to access the school-based special education services.
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How will the district provide gifted services?
Students will enroll and receive gifted services in existing Gifted Education classes in the home buildings. Transportation will be provided if required to access the school-based special education services.
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How will the district provide special education related services?
All related services including occupational therapy, speech language, physical therapy, vision and hearing services will be provided in the home building. The parent will work with each provider to determine the schedule for services. Transportation will be provided if required to access the school-based special education services.
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How do you apply for GVA?
Students will be enrolled on a first-come, first-serve basis and Blue Valley has limited enrollment spots. If you have a student in grades K-8 and are interested in GVA, please contact your building administrator.
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Where do I get more information?
Please visit the Greenbush Education Service Center’s Virtual Academy website or contact Adam Wessel, Director of Career Ready Programs, at [email protected] or 913-239-4023.