BCPS Virtual Academy

News & Announcements

January 20: Join us for 6-12 Virtual Academy Orientation

Join us January 20 at 6 p.m. for Virtual Academy orientation for students in grades 6-12.

January 22: Open Virtual Office Hours for 6-12 Virtual Academy Students

A staff member will be available from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday, January 22 for open virtual office hours to answer any questions you may have and offer support as needed.

Click to join Open Office Hours

Join the Virtual Academy Facebook Community

For news and announcements, questions and answers, or just to interact with other families participating in the BCPS Virtual Academy, join one of the two BCPS Virtual Academy Facebook Groups:

K-5 Virtual Academy Facebook Group

6-12 Virtual Academy Facebook Group

Parent Compact

This form must be signed and submitted for each student who is enrolled in the Virtual Academy. in order for your student(s) to remain in the Virtual Academy. You may return this signed form to any of the BCPS elementary school offices.

Virtual Academy Parent Compact (PDF)

About the BCPS Virtual Academy

All enrolled K–12 students have the option to sign up for an all-virtual school option called the BCPS Virtual Academy. (If your student is new to BCPS, click here to enroll first.)

The Virtual Academy is for families who would prefer that their children participate in school online only for at least the first semester of the 2020-21 school year. The program will provide online lessons and will include weekly check-ins and support from BCPS teachers, but will be largely self-paced, unlike the remote learning that will take place for all 6-12 students to begin the school year. The BCPS Virtual Academy is a separate offering from the remote schooling plan for grades 6–12.

The program will be best suited for students who are able to thrive in either a self-guided or a parent- or guardian-supported learning environment, with less frequent teacher interaction. This may be an appropriate option for families with health concerns.

SIGN UP FOR VIRTUAL ACADEMY HERE

Virtual Academy for Grades K–5

K–5 students will work through grade-level appropriate online courses for 3-5 hours each school day. Pending BCPS Board approval, we will be using the Pearson Connexus online learning platform to provide lessons for all K-5 Virtual Academy students. Online coursework will be self-paced and students will be expected to log in each day following the BCPS school calendar. Students will also have weekly check-ins with a BCPS teacher who will monitor student progress and grades and can provide feedback and support throughout the semester. Lessons offered will include:

English Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Health and Physical Education
Art
Spanish
Project-based enrichment activities for accelerated learning opportunities
** We are currently working to finalize plans for music learning opportunities **

Students will be expected to log in each school day - attendance and academic progress will be monitored by the student's BCPS Virtual Academy teacher. If students are in need of additional support, virtual 1:1 sessions may be scheduled as needed.

The K-5 Virtual Academy program will also include weekly small group meetings and activity times, organized by grade level and led by BCPS teachers. These times will be used to provide student-to-student interaction and will feature relationship-building activities, TrueSuccess character education lessons, virtual field trips and more.

More details to come!

Learn more from our K-5 Facebook Live Presentation

Virtual Academy for Grades 6–12

Students in grades 6–12 will work through grade-level appropriate online courses. All Core courses and many electives available in person at your student's building have been adapted for and are available through Virtual Academy.

For grades 6–8, available courses include:

English Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Health and P.E.
Art Elective
Music Elective
Spanish

For grades 9–12, available courses include:

English Language Arts
Algebra 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B
Geometry
Biology A and B
Chemistry A and B
Earth Science A and B
Economics
Government
U.S. History A and B
World History A and B
Health and P.E.
Spanish
Other Electives

Students will be assigned a full schedule but will engage in two courses at a time to support focus and organization. Online coursework will be self-paced and students will have weekly check-ins with a BCPS teacher, who will monitor your students' progress and grades, and can provide feedback and support throughout the semester. For students in grades 9-12, graduation eligibility may be achieved through the Virtual Academy when a student has successfully completed 18 Michigan Merit Curriculum credits and 1 Career Connections credit.