Technical Assistance Document?
MAY 2005?
Florida Virtual School
in Juvenile Justice
Educational Programs
Purpose
The purpose of this technical assistance document is to provide information to school districts
specific to juvenile justice educational program access to Florida Virtual School (FLVS).
Background
The Florida Legislature initially funded the FLVS as a pilot project in 1997 at $1.3 million to
begin course development with a limited student enrollment. The 2000 Florida Legislature
enacted section 228.082, Florida Statute, establishing FLVS as an independent education entity
with a separate governing board appointed by the Governor. FLVS is an established leader in
developing and providing virtual education solutions. FLVS pioneered Florida’s first Internet-
based, public high school complete with online high school curriculum. FLVS can be accessed
at FLVS.net. Today, FLVS serves the state of Florida and beyond, offering virtual education
options for grades 7 through 12 as well as adults seeking GED alternatives.
In 2004, section 1003.52(4), Florida Statute, Educational Services in Department of Juvenile
Justice Education Programs, was revised to include the following: “Students in juvenile justice
education programs shall have access to Florida Virtual School courses. The Department of
Education and school districts shall adopt policies necessary to ensure such access” (1003.52[4]).
Educational Opportunities
FLVS is affiliated with all Florida’s school districts with course offerings at no charge to Florida
students. FLVS offers over 80 courses including honors and advanced placement courses. The
FLVS website lists each course with subject, course number, prerequisites, scope and sequence,
objectives, estimated completion time, and instructor’s name.
Environmental Issues
Florida Virtual School requires access to the Internet and individual e-mail accounts for
registration and participation in available coursework. Websites to which students are linked
have been reviewed and approved by FLVS personnel. As with any use of the Internet, proper
supervision of the student’s Internet use is recommended. Youth acknowledgment of the
responsibility commensurate with this educational opportunity should also be addressed with
each student.
Eligibility and Participation Criteria
FLVS provides online courses and instruction to students in middle and high school. Courses
available to FLVS students provide credits toward successful completion of high school and
middle school curriculum. Students may enroll at any time during a school year although some
courses may have a waiting period before the course begins. When students register for a
course, they identify a preferred month in which they would like to begin. FLVS will work
toward enrolling the student at the desired start time. Registration is done entirely online via
the FLVS website. If the class is full, FLVS staff will notify the student when space is available.
There is a document that the student must have their counselor sign so that the school is
informed of the registration and to help verify that all of the information that the student provides
is accurate.
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Students are provided an FLVS email account on entering the
Additional Information
course. Students are provided unique passwords to use when
Florida Virtual School has a
entering the online course. Students who share their password
comprehensive Web site located
risk having someone else access their course and any abuse of
at http://www.FLVS.net
this could result in the student being removed from the course.
This account is used only for email back and forth between the
Mailing Address:
student and FLVS staff. The typical student enrolled in FLVS takes Florida Virtual School
1.5 credits a year as a complement to their regular school schedule. 445 W. Amelia Street,
Suite 301
Instructional Leadership
Orlando, FL 32801
FLVS employs over 150 teachers statewide. Each instructor is Telephone:
certified specifically in the subject taught. Twenty-one educators
407-317-3326 x4282
are nationally certified. FLVS provides a state-certified teacher for
Fax number:
each student. The teacher will communicate with the student
407-317-3257
throughout their time in the course, review and assess the student’s
work, and monitor the student’s progress throughout the course.
Refer Questions To:
Teachers are available via email, phone, and through other
Terri Eggers
communication means during the time that the student is enrolled
Department of Juvenile Justice
in the course.
2737 Centerview Drive
Room 310
Transferability
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3100
FLVS courses are aligned with the Florida Department of
terri.eggers@djj.state.fl.us
Education’s course code directory. Students may take 1/2 credit 850/922-5375
of a course with FLVS and the second 1/2 credit in a different
setting; however, FLVS is only funded if the student successfully
earns credit for the course in which they enroll. Once enrolled in
a course, the student needs to remain in the course until
completion of at least 1/2 credit, regardless of whether they return
to a traditional school; thus careful planning is required prior to
student enrollment.
Exceptional Student Education Services
Refer Questions To:
FLVS can provide appropriate accommodations to students with
Lisa Robinson
disabilities, assuming that the placement of the student into an Department of Education
online course is an appropriate placement. FLVS will work with 325 West Gaines Street,
the student’s individual educational plan (IEP) team to provide Room 614
input as to the types of accommodations that can be made in
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
their online environment.
lisa.robinson@fldoe.org
850/245-0475
Educational Funding
If a student is working on-line during their school day, FLVS will
receive the fraction of the FTE for the corresponding credit value
that the student completes. For example, if a student takes three
online courses with FLVS and three at their local school, FLVS will
receive 3 credits worth (1/2) of the student FTE.
Internet Policy
The Department of Juvenile Justice has established policy
guidelines for Internet use by offenders in Department of Juvenile
Justice day treatment programs, secure detention centers and
residential and correctional facilities. Effective date was August
10, 2003 by authority of Sections 20.316 and 985.404(1) Florida
Statutes; with additional authority from Sections 2246 and 2256
of Title 18, United States Code and Chapter 847, Florida Statutes.
The policy may be viewed on the next page.
Florida Department of JuvenIle Justice
INTERNET ACCESS POLICY
I. DEFINITIONS
II. RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTIES
Access to Internet—
A. Facility Program Staff
A computer shall be considered to have access to the
1. Ensure that offender’s access to the Internet
Internet if such computer is equipped with a modem
is limited to accessing educational material.
or is connected to a non-DJJ network which has access
to the Internet.
2. Ensure that offenders are properly supervised
when they are accessing the Internet for
Harmful to Minors—
educational material.
means any picture, image, graphic image file, or other
visual depiction that – (A) taken as a whole and with 3. Immediately report any problems with the
respect to minors, appeals to a prurient interest in
technology protection measures that may
nudity, sex, or excretion; (B) depicts, describes, or
allow offenders to have unfettered access to
represents, in a patently offensive way with respect
the Internet.
to what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated
sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated
III. STANDARDS/PROCEDURES
normal or perverted sexual acts, or a lewd exhibition
A. Internet Access
of the genitals; and (C) taken as a whole, lacks serious
literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to
Facility Director
minors.
1. Will develop a facility operating procedure to
ensure that:
Minors—
For the purposes of this policy, refers to any offenders,
regardless of age, who reside in a Department of
Juvenile Justice facility or participate in a DJJ
contracted day treatment program.
a) program offenders will only be able to
access the Internet for the purposes of
obtaining educational material directly linked
to the program’s educational curriculum.
Prohibited Sites—?
are sites that may elude filtering by the technology?
protection measures but are nonetheless prohibited.?
These sites include, but are not limited to, sites relating?
to chat rooms, entertainment, firearms, bomb making,?
hacking, sex, tobacco, alcohol, drugs and unlawful?
online activities.?
b) while offenders are online, staff continually
monitor the computer screens to ensure
offenders are accessing only approved
material.
c) technology protection measures are in
place that will limit offenders to viewing only
the approved educational material.
Facility—
d) monthly checks are performed on the
refers to a DJJ state-operated or contracted residential
commitment program, a DJJ state-operated or
contracted detention center or a DJJ contracted day
treatment program.
system to make sure the technology
protection measures are working correctly
and that documentation of these checks is
maintained.
“Sexual Act”; “Sexual Contact”—
e) all Internet access will immediately cease
have the meanings given such terms in section 2246
while repairs to the technology protection
of title 18, United States Code.
measures are being made.
Technology Protection Measure—
Facility Staff
means a specific technology that blocks or filters
1. Will ensure through supervision that offenders
Internet access to visual depictions that are—
do not access prohibited sites that may elude
(a) obscene, as that term is defined in Chapter 847,
the technology protection measures.
Florida Statutes; (b) child pornography, as that term
is defined in section 2256 of title 18, United States 2. Will immediately report any problems with the
Code; or (c) harmful to minors.
technology protection measures to the Facility
Director.
08/10/03