Student & Course Policies

VLACS Student Policies

Pace and Grace Period

A 1.0 credit course is normally completed in 36 weeks; a 0.5 credit course in 18 weeks. At your welcome meeting, you, your teacher, and your parent or guardian will discuss your goals for each course that you take and determine your goal completion date and a pace that can help you reach that goal. Throughout your time in your course, you completion goal and pace may change as needed to align with new goals or circumstances. You may proceed through a course or learning experience at a faster or slower rate, but in any case you must remain in contact with your instructor and submit work on a regular basis.

The first 28 days that you are in a VLACS course is called the “grace period.” You may contact your instructor to drop the course with “no grade” during that period.

If, at the end of the “grace period,” you have not remained in contact with your instructor or submitted work in accordance with your pacing goals, you may be removed from the course. When this happens, your transcript will display only the competencies that you completed in the course. You may re-enroll if withdrawn.

Reach Competency By Showing What You’ve Learned

We follow a competency-based learning model where all students are required to master course competencies to earn credit. You can find more information about our competency-based learning model here.

Check Your Monthly Progress

You will receive a progress report monthly.

Each month, you, your guardian, and your VLACS instructor will meet via zoom to discuss your progress, celebrate your successes and plan for the month to come. These monthly meetings have proven to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and ultimately, support your efforts to reach your goals.

If you are taking an elementary course, your instructors will do the same but on a weekly basis.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is very important; therefore, you must agree to create and submit authentic work that is not copied from another student or from another source without citing that source.

If you have any questions about academic integrity, please contact your instructor.

Also, we suggest that you view our animations on the topic of academic integrity.

Experience a Safe and Supportive Education

It is our policy that students have an educational experience that is safe, secure, peaceful, and free from harassment, such as bullying or cyberbullying. As such, we will not tolerate unlawful harassment of any type. Conduct that constitutes bullying or cyberbullying even if it occurs outside of your academic interaction with VLACS is prohibited.  To read the complete policy click here.

Email Communication

When sending an email, please include:

• A specific topic within the subject line
• Your full name (First, Last)

You will receive a response within 24-48 hours

Lesson Completion Order

You are strongly encouraged to do all your assessments in the order they are presented to you; completing them out of order will make your course more difficult and may give you a false impression of your overall progress in completing your course. Assessments that are not completed will negatively affect your final course grade.

Maintain a Consistent Pace

To help you stay on pace, you need to develop a pace chart for your course. Your instructor will discuss this with you during your Welcome Call.

Parents play an important role in the VLACS online community. We rely on parents to check the pace chart regularly to see that their student is on pace.

Submit Assignments Regularly

When you submit assignments, they will be assessed and returned to you within your course. If you wish to resubmit an assignment (not an exam/test – see below) to improve your grade, you may do so and it will be re-evaluated for a final grade.

• Mid-term and final exams allow only one submission.
• Please be aware that the mid-term and final exams are password protected and must be administered by an approved proctor.

Beginning a Course

Once registered, your instructor will set up a Welcome Meeting. Before you begin a Welcome Meeting, please be sure to be logged in to your course page and review any content requested by your instructor.

After the Welcome Meeting, an instructor will activate your course and you can log in and begin to work. Courses can be accessed through the student login button on our website. Once logged in, click “Launch Course” on your dashboard. Or, you may bookmark your course page.

Completing Your Coursework

Pace Chart

• Print out the pace chart located in the Course Information Area.
• Keep a copy of this readily accessible, such as in a folder on your computer.

Course Information Area

• Read every link in the Course Information Area as it contains information to help you be successful in your course.

Course Lessons

• Read every part of every module.
• Begin with Module 1 and proceed in order.
• Do NOT begin at Assessments.

Course Assessments/Assignments

• Look for the assignment by either name or number.
• Click on the assignment you need to do.
• Click the “submit all and finish” or “send for marking” button at the bottom to submit.
• Maintain a regular schedule for working on your course.
• Don’t hesitate to work ahead of pace, but it is highly recommended that assignments be done in order.
• Back up and save ALL work submitted for the course. VLACS recommends creating a separate folder for each course on your computer (if possible), or on a USB thumb drive.

On many assignments you may receive an initial grade of “0” or a much lower score than you anticipate – that is a temporary score – you must wait for your instructor to fully grade your assignment.

Please allow two business days for your work to be graded.

How to Get Help

Your instructor will be able to help you with almost any issue. However, there may be times when you will need additional assistance.

• Technical Help Desk – A technician is available to help you with any technical issue related to VLACS courses or software via chat, voice, and video through our software communication tool located in your course.
• Academic Help Desk – Academic Coaches are available to help with your content-specific questions via chat, voice, and video through our software communication tool located in your course when your “regular” instructor is not available.
• Academic Support Coaches
• School Counselor/Advisor (Full-Time Students)