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HB 7067, passed in 2009, created s.1002.45 of the Florida Statutes. The statute states, “Beginning with the 2009­-2010 school year, each school district shall provide eligible students within its boundaries the option of participating in a virtual instruction program.”

Orange County Public Schools has established Orange County Virtual School (Orange County Virtual School and Orange County Virtual Instruction Program) to provide our students with a high quality virtual program in which students access and attend courses daily at home or another designated remote location. Orange County Virtual School consists of a full time program for students in grades K­ through 12. The following information is provided to allow families to make an informed decision about enrollment in the Orange County Virtual School (OCVS).

Eligibility: Section 1002.45, Florida Statutes restricts student eligibility for the district full time virtual instruction program to students in grades K-12 residing within the district’s attendance area.

Application: All students entering OCVS must complete an online application and receive a letter of acceptance prior to enrolling in the program. ESE students must have an IEP review that determines virtual instruction as an appropriate delivery model prior to enrollment.

Attendance: OCVS is a public school full-time program. Therefore, students will receive all instruction through this program. OCVS students are expected to request all courses through OCVS unless required courses are not available from OCVS instructional staff. Attendance in the program is expected to be for the entire 180 day school year and attendance will be taken each day. Orange County Public School’s attendance policy will apply to all OCVS students. Failure to meet attendance guidelines can result in withdrawal.

Promotion - OCVS is a public school in Orange County and, therefore, students will be held to promotion requirements of Orange County and the State of Florida. Students who do not complete requirements for promotion will be retained. Remediation of retained students must occur at a school other than OCVS.

State & District Testing: Students enrolled in OCVS are considered public school students and are, therefore, required to participate in all state and district mandated testing, including but not limited to  ELA and math tests, End of Course Exams (EOC), ACT,SAT, PSAT, and other required testing.

Pace: Students are expected to complete all required coursework for a given grade level during the school year. Therefore, it is imperative that all students follow the schedule for submitting work for each course. The schedule and rate at which a student completes work is referred to as “pace”. Students of whom are not on or ahead of pace with a passing grade can be withdrawn from OCVS. Students who fall behind pace at any other interval during the school year are required to attend face to face sessions in which they receive direct instruction and supervised learning. Students that are not on pace MUST attend mandatory workdays unless excused by their teacher. Failure to attend can result in withdrawal.

Proctored Assessments: If at any time, a student exhibits behavior that may be indicative of cheating in any form, the student may be required to take one or more assessments in a supervised setting. In addition, OCVS randomly selects 10% or more of the student population to participate in proctored assessments. These assessments are identical to the tests students would take at home, but are administered by the OCVS office and are documented for quality assurance purposes.

Withdrawal: Enrollment in OCVS is expected to be a commitment for one school year. Students withdrawing from OCVS will be required to reenter a school through the school assignment process. Students who attended an Orange County Public School prior to enrollment in the OCVS will forfeit their seat from their previously chosen school upon enrollment in OCVS. Students and parents will need to reapply for any school assignments when withdrawing or exiting from OCVS. Please contact OCVS at 407-317-3327 in order to withdraw your student from the OCVS full time program.

Technology & Materials: Full time OCVS students may request an OCPS issued device. To be successful in the program, students must have daily, dedicated access to a computer and internet access.

Registration Window: Registration for OCVS will be limited to once per semester. The registration window for the upcoming school year typically coincides with the first round of student assignment and concludes on the first day of school. Mid-year applications for enrollment typically will begin on the Monday after Thanksgiving break and conclude on the first day of the second semester. All new students and parents MUST participate in a mandatory orientation prior to being enrolled in the OCVS full time program.

Registration Materials: OCVS is a public school and therefore all enrollment requirements established by the Florida Department of Education and Orange County Public Schools must be met. Families will be required to complete all registration materials and supply the necessary documentation to enroll a child in OCVS.

Enrollment in Orange County Virtual School (OCVS) is a commitment by both the student and family. Failure to meet program requirements may jeopardize eligibility for the following school year.