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Frequently Asked Questions
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Courses
What is the role of the parent in online
learning?
How does a student or parent
communicate with the teacher?
How is homework submitted?
How are tests taken?
How many hours a week should a student work on
the course?
How are grades and credits reported at the end
of the course?
May my student repeat a course that was
previously completed with a grade of 70 or higher?
May my student repeat a course to replace a
grade?
May my
student enroll in a CVA class after graduation?
Are accommodations
made for Special Education students?
Do CVA courses meet
NCAA eligibility requirements?
Enrollment
What is the cost of taking a
Cobb Virtual Academy
course?
How many courses can students
take during the school year?
Can my student
graduate from Cobb Virtual Academy?
Who can benefit from
Cobb Virtual Academy?
Is there a limit to the number of students in a
Cobb Virtual Academy course?
If a student drops a
Cobb Virtual Academy course, is there a refund for the
registration fee?
Can Non-Cobb School District Students enroll
in Cobb Virtual Academy?
Technical
What are the Technical
Requirements?
How much technical background is
required?
What is the role of the
parent in online learning?
The parent(s) should consult with the student’s guidance
counselor to determine if an online course is a good alternative to
traditional learning.
Parents should assist the student by encouraging active
participation in the course, completing assignments in a timely
manner, and monitoring progress.
Parents with valid email addresses will be assigned a
CVA observer account. Observer accounts will allow
parents to review course requirements, including assignment due
dates and view their student's gradebook in order to monitor
progress in the online course. Observer user names and
passwords will be sent to the parent email account entered at
registration within 5 days of the last orientation session.
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How does a student or
parent communicate with the teacher?
All Cobb Virtual Academy teachers are
available to talk to students or parents via email or telephone. The
Cobb Virtual Academy Coordinator maintains contact with
someone at the student’s school and/or a parent to provide updates
on progress and discuss appropriate support and encouragement if a
student appears to be falling behind.
Students may also talk to their instructor by using the Wimba
Classroom communication tool in Blackboard.
Blackboard blind copies
all email. Your email provider MUST ACCEPT
blind copies or
attachments or you will be unable to receive communications from
CVA. You must also confirm that your
Internet Service Provider or computer does not block emails from
Cobb Virtual Academy (cobbvirtualacademy@cobbk12.org
) or your teacher.
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How is course
work submitted?
Students MUST submit all course work electronically through
Blackboard, Cobb's Learning Management System.
Cobb Virtual Academy
will not accept any work not submitted through the course.
Students will need to know how to save files to a disk or hard drive
in order to complete this process. Students should maintain a copy
of all homework on their personal computer. No course work
will be accepted after the Final Exam or End of Course Test is
administered.
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How are tests taken?
Quizzes/tests are taken online and automatically recorded in the
gradebook so the student is aware of progress within the course.
Testing dates and locations are available on the
CVA website. All End of Course tests are proctored in a
face-to-face setting. Students must bring proof of
identification (driver's license, student identification card or
yearbook) to be admitted to the testing session. There are NO
makeup dates for EOCT/Final Exams.
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How many hours a week should a
student work on the course?
Cobb Virtual Academy students are
expected to attend and participate in their online education courses
as fully as they would attend and participate in a traditional
classroom course.
During the fall and spring terms, students are required
to login and perform work in their online education courses at least
4– 5 times a week, dispersed throughout the week, for approximately
5 – 10 hours a week for a .5 unit course(.5 Unit course) and 10-15
hours a week for a 1.0 unit semester course during Fall and Spring
terms.
During the shortened summer term, students should
participate productively in the course daily. Summer term
courses require 15-20 hours a week for a .5 unit course and 30-40
hours a week for a 1.0 unit course.
Attendance is measured by contributions made through
communication: discussion thread, emails, and through the submission
of assignments, projects, and tests. Each time a student enters a
Cobb Virtual Academy course, participation
will be automatically recorded and the length of time in each area
is noted.
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May my student repeat a course that
was previously completed with a grade of 70 or higher?
No, state and district administrative rules do not allow students
to repeat a course that was previously passed or to replace grades
or credits for courses already successfully completed. A
student may only repeat a course in which a grade of F was received.
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May my
student repeat a course to replace a grade?
No, state and
district administrative rules do not allow students to repeat a
course that was previously passed or to replace grades or credits
for courses already successfully completed. A student may only
repeat a course in which a grade of F was received.
Both grades (the failing and
passing grade) must be recorded on the cumulative record and
calculated in the grade point average.
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May my
student enroll in a CVA class after graduation?
No, students who have graduated are
not eligible to enroll in the Cobb Virtual Academy
Are
accommodations made for Special Education students?
Cobb Virtual Academy (CVA)
provides accommodations for students with a current IEP or
504 Plan. To have accommodations implemented in an online
class, CVA must receive a current copy of the student's
Accommodations page (must include both Supportive Aids and
Services and Assessment Participation) each semester the
student enrolls in a CVA class. The Accommodations page will
be reviewed and modifications that are applicable to the
online environment will be implemented.
Special Education documentation may be sent electronically
to CobbVirtualAcademy@cobbk12.org , faxed by the student's
school to (678) 594-8941, or sent via
County mail.
Do CVA courses
meet NCAA eligibility requirements?
Cobb Virtual Academy courses are
certified by the NCAA, the primary governing body of
intercollegiate athletics. College-bound student
athletes are able to complete academic core courses through
the Cobb Virtual Academy that meet eligibility requirements
to play in NCAA Division I and Division II athletic
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How are grades and credits
reported at the end of the course?
Cobb Virtual Academy grades for Cobb
County School District (CCSD) students are entered into the student
information system.
Cobb Virtual Academy
grades will be reported on the local school transcript.
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What is the cost of taking an
online course?
Tuition for Cobb County School District students is $275 for a .5
unit course and $550 for a 1.0 unit course.
Cobb
Virtual Academy ONLY accepts payment by money order, credit
card, or electronic fund transfer (electronic check). We do not
accept cash or personal checks. Tuition
does not have to be paid at registration but
payment must be received within 5
calendar days of registration or by the end of online
registration, whichever is earlier. If appropriate payment is not
received by the deadline, students may be dropped from their course
in order to accommodate other students.
Credit
Card and Electronic Funds Transfer: At the end of
the registration process, you will be given an opportunity
to pay the Cobb Virtual Academy
Tuition by credit card or electronic funds transfer
(electronic check). Note: The credit card/electronic funds
transfer payment option includes a $12
non-refundable enrollment
convenience fee (paid to the credit card processor, FACTS)
in addition to the tuition fee. The credit card or bank
statement
payments should read as "Facts
Tuition payment" or "ACS Tuition payment".
Money
Order Payments: Money orders should be made payable
to Cobb County School District and must be sent to
Cobb Virtual Academy,
1560 Joyner Ave. Marietta, GA 30060.
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How many courses
can students take?
Tuition students may take up to 1.0 unit of courses per term
(fall, spring, and summer) in addition to their regular school day
schedule. This may be comprised of two .5 credit courses or
one 1.0 (block) credit course.
Cobb County School District students enrolled in Cobb Virtual
Academy may take up to 4 segments (2.0 units) as part of their
state-reported school schedule (FTE) during the regular school
year. Students attending a school with a traditional schedule would
be able to take up to 4 periods a day online. Students attending a
school with a block schedule would be able to take up to 2 block
classes a day online. Students may enroll in A, B, or Y segments as
needed.
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Can my student
graduate from Cobb Virtual Academy?
Cobb Virtual Academy is not a
traditional school that grants credits and graduates
students. Cobb Virtual Academy
courses are treated like courses offered at each local
school; therefore, students must be enrolled in a Cobb
County School District school in order to participate.
Students who withdraw from the Cobb County School District
will be withdrawn from Cobb Virtual
Academy without a refund.
Who can benefit from
Cobb Virtual Academy?
Cobb Virtual Academy courses are
designed to meet the needs of a variety of Cobb County School
District students including:
- Students who wish to participate in band, chorus,
orchestra, and art classes
- Students who wish to take a second foreign language
or participate in a foreign exchange program
- Students who wish to participate in additional
magnet opportunities
- Students who wish to participate in joint enrollment
opportunities or earn a Dual Diploma
- Students who wish to participate in
internships/apprenticeships
- Students who have scheduling conflicts
- Hospital/Homebound students
- Credit recovery students
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Is there a limit to
the number of students in a
Cobb Virtual Academy course?
Class size is limited to 20 - 25 students, depending on the
course.
Cobb Virtual Academy courses are based
on a classroom model and differ in many ways from independent study
courses. Each section has a single teacher for the duration of the
course. In addition to teacher-to-student interaction,
Cobb Virtual Academy emphasizes student-to-student
interaction.
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If a tuition
student drops a Cobb
Virtual Academy course, is there a
refund for the registration fee?
Personal Fitness
Cobb Virtual Academy will allow
withdrawals, less a $75 registration fee, through noon on
the Friday prior to the first
mandatory Pre-Fitness session.
(See website for Pre-Fitness session dates.) After
that point, refunds will not be given for student
withdrawals.
Other
Cobb Virtual Academy Courses
Cobb Virtual Academy will allow
withdrawals, less a $75 registration fee, through noon on
the business day prior to the first day of class for all
courses except Personal Fitness . After that point, refunds
will not be given for student withdrawals.
Withdrawals
After the Start of CVA Session
No refunds are
provided to students who are failing or are in danger of
failing. Tuition students may withdraw without the course
grade being posted to their student transcript until a
pre-determined date prior to the final exams. Withdrawal
dates are posted to the CVA
website and are included in deficiency notices. Withdrawals
are not official until the Withdrawal Form (Word,
PDF) and
all textbooks, Polar Equipment, and/or supplemental
resources are returned or the replacement cost is paid. All
textbooks and supplemental materials must be returned to the
school they were distributed from by the designated
date/time. FTE students (students who take the course as
part of their state- reported in school schedule) may not
withdraw from Cobb Virtual Academy.
Technical
Issues
Cobb Virtual Academy cannot be
held responsible for problems with student's home computer,
Internet Service Provider, or software. NO REFUNDS are
provided for technology problems that are the responsibility
of registrant.
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Can Non-Cobb School District
Students enroll in Cobb Virtual
Academy?
No. Cobb Virtual Academy only serves
students enrolled in the Cobb County School District. Students
who withdraw from the Cobb County School District will be
withdrawn from Cobb Virtual Academy
without a refund.
The 2005 Georgia Legislature established the Georgia Virtual
School. This school, run by the Georgia Department of Education,
will serve all students in Georgia. More information about the
Georgia Virtual School is available at
www.gavirtualschool.org.
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What are the
technical requirements?
Technical
Requirements for Online Students
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How much
technical background is required?
Students need basic computer skills like “copy and paste”,
“create and save” a file, familiarity with a word processing program
like Word or Works, and keyboarding skills. Students are also
expected to know the procedures for sending/receiving e-mail,
including e-mail with attached files.
In brief, students should be sufficiently knowledgeable to be
able to use their own word processing program, e-mail and WWW
software; be able to install new software; be able to understand and
follow basic directions that use common computer terminology; and be
able to do some basic trouble shooting when a problem arises
(perhaps with local help, or with help from other sources via the
telephone).
A new online student does not have to be a computer expert, but
they should not be a novice. Those who are in the least bit unsure
of their abilities as outlined above would be well advised to find a
local source of assistance to help them review the computer
functions listed above.
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