NCVPS Community [E-lert for April 1]

Be Empowered: Read Postcards from 2015 for a glimpse at high schools in the near future.

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E-learning Success Stories: Submit your stories here: http://tiny.cc/d2oby Please tell us about student success stories and district success stories, such as increased virtual enrollment, fulltime DLA positions, teacher facilitators, and other virtual initiatives that have been started in your district. You may also forward to students and principals to complete!

Join NCVPS on Facebook: Are you into networking and social media? Come join over 500 other educators here: http://www.facebook.com/ncvps

NCVPS Moving to New Communication and Training Model [E-lert for April 1]

In an effort to create better, more strategic communication and training structures, NCVPS/LEO will be rolling out a new model for districts. This model will focus on three important tenets:

1. Each district will have a SINGLE point of contact for e-learning issues that should be identified by the district superintendent and/or their designee. This contact person should be identified as an academic leader who understands the importance of building support structures for online learners.

2. NCVPS will conduct training(s) to empower this single point of contact to lead virtual learning in his/her district. This training will include resources for training schools and other stakeholders in the district whose role facilitates the success of virtual learners.

3. A focused communication process will be implemented in order to assure accountability and continued success.

To introduce this new model, we are going to conduct two webinars for central office personnel on April 13th and 14th at 9 a.m. each morning. This will be a strategic meeting for the district leadership. We will have a training webinar for school-level DLAs at a later time.

Here is the link to the webinar:

http://ncvpsclassroom.wimba.com/launcher.cgi?room=_ncvps_s__2879_1_728351&X-Wimba-IntegrationType=classroom&X-Wimba-RoomId=_ncvps_s__2879_1_728351&X-Wimba-PlatformType=blackboard&X-Wimba-CourseId=StaffCourse&X-Wimba-IntegrationVersion=4.0.0-7&X-Wimba-CoursePkId=_2879_1&X-Wimba-PlatformVersion=8.0.422.0

That is a direct link to the live classroom in the DLA Spa.

If you cannot access the live classroom, you may call in at the following number:

Phone # (201) 549-7595
Pin # 15007664

We will send additional information on April 12th. We hope to see you on the 13th or 14th. If you cannot attend on either of those dates, please have a representative attend.

New Health Education Registration Process and Permission Form [E-lert for April 1]

In accordance with the G.S. 115C-81(e1) (7), NCVPS has a new process for the Health Education course is in place. First, we will have two separate courses, Physical Education (P.E.) worth .5 credit and Health Education worth .5 credit. We will no longer offer the combination full credit Health and PE course. Students can be enrolled in both courses simultaneously if a student needs credit for both courses. Alternatively, students can be enrolled in either course separately if a student only needs 1 of the courses.

Effective immediately, DLAs will no longer need to provide a copy of the Health permission form(s) to the NCVPS office. Instead, each school will be responsible for getting the forms from parents and keeping the permission forms on file at school.

The registration system will have a new feature that will be required for enrolling students in the Health Education course. You will select a radio button indicating whether you have a copy of the permission form already on file. If you check yes, you will be able to proceed with registration for the student in the Health Education course. If you check no, the system will not allow you to register the student in the Health Education course.

A new permission form is attached below for your convenience. Please make sure you obtain the permission form from parents prior to registering students for the Health Education course. On the form parents will be able to indicate they give permission for their child to take the Health Education course. Prior to the enrollment rush, we suggest you obtain the permission forms in advance to ensure a smooth registration process.

Please share with parents the online course that they can preview before giving permission for their child to take the Health Education course. Information for accessing the course is included below as well as on the permission form.

To access the Sample Health Education course, go to http://ncvps.blackboard.com.

Login with the User ID:healthful_living and Password:physical.

Important Note: A permission form is not required for the P.E. course, only for the Health Education course.

NCVPS Credit Recovery options for Summer 2010 [E-lert for April 1]

NCVPS Credit Recovery courses for SUMMER 2010 are now available for registration! Below is important information about the NCVPS Credit Recovery program. Please contact Michelle Lourcey (contact information below) with any questions.

Credit Recovery Courses Available for SUMMER 2010 – TWO new courses available!

Algebra I
Algebra II
Biology
Civics and Economics
English I
English II
English III
English IV
Geometry
Physical Science
US History
World History

LEO and iSchool Registration [E-lert for April 1]

LEO for Summer School

Fewer Community Colleges participate in LEO for summer school, but for those that do it provides great opportunities for students. The short session, which runs from mid-May through mid-June is an opportunity for students to take a course before the end of this academic year.

The regular summer session runs mid-June through early August.

Check with your Community College to see if they participate in LEO during the summer. Remember your students may take courses from any participating LEO Community College campus in the state.

Fall Registration 2010

LEO FALL 2010 REGISTRATION

Time to get ready for LEO Fall registration. Most of you know that iSchool registrations are limited. Registration opens in mid-April for both iSchool and Community Colleges.

iSchool requires that Student Information Forms (SIF) be submitted before registration opens so the appropriate registration codes can be sent out prior to registration.

We strongly encourage that students take an online course through NCVPS prior to taking a LEO course. Jumping into a student's first online and college course can be quite overwhelming. Success 101 is a great start for a student who has not taken an online course.

If you have any questions about LEO registration check the LEO folder in the DLA Spa or contact:

Deborah Pedersen deborah.pedersen@ncpublicschools.gov

NCVPS Needs Your Help Acquiring AP Scores [E-lert for April 1]

Advanced Placement tests will be given at your face2face schools Monday, May 3 through Friday, May 14. In the past, NCVPS has not consistently received the test results for students that took our AP courses, but take the AP exams at your f2f schools. Your students will be completing their AP answer sheets soon after returning from spring break. They will automatically put your school code on their AP answer sheet to receive their scores. Therefore, I am asking if you could please remind your students from now until May to add the NCVPS College Board Code onto their AP answer sheet in addition to their school code so that NCVPS will receive this year’s scores more accurately.

Students will have to input the NCVPS code (045) into the ‘Online Provider Code’ found on page 1, item G of their answer sheet for NCVPS to receive a copy of their test scores for our records. With access to students AP scores, NCVPS can determine if changes need to be made to our courses during the revision process to ensure that your students are getting the best possible instruction. Also, please pass this information onto the testing coordinator at your school so that they will know of our request.

Thanks in advance for all that you are doing for your students and NCVPS. We appreciate all of your hard work and commitment!

Marcia Simmons, Division Director marcia.simmons@ncpublicschools.gov

Rolling Enrollment with Modular Courses [E-lert for April 1]

In the fall, NCVPS will have rolling enrollment for our modular courses. Our modular courses are designed to help students who fail a module in their face2face course.

After a student fails a face2face module, the student could then be enrolled in the NCVPS module. The student would then have an opportunity to master that module with the help of an NCVPS teacher and then be back on pace with the other students in their face2face course.

Students would remain in their face2face course while they took the modular course with NCVPS. We would submit a grade to the face2face teacher, and they could use that how ever they want. The idea is to not wait until a student fails to get help with credit recovery.

Be ready for that in Fall 2010.