Regular participation in classes is critical to student success and is recorded by each student’s teacher. Attendance in an online environment is accurately measured by behaviors which allow for a set of measurable indicators of academic engagement. Teachers will review their students daily and throughout each week. Students are considered “present” when they are actively engaged online within all of their courses.
Compulsory Engagement
Students should log in to each and all of their courses for substantive participation every school day. Teachers and virtual school staff will contact students by email and by phone when they do not appear to be engaging frequently or making satisfactory progress in their courses. If a student does not participate in the course within three weeks, then the family may be reported to the School District, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and/or the office of the State Attorney as truant, Florida Statute 984.03.
Section 1002.45, F.S., specifies that students meet compulsory attendance requirements. Section 1003.27, F.S., requires that the parent be responsible for regular attendance in school. This means attendance must be taken for students in this program and these students have the same guidelines related to truancy as students in brick and mortar schools.
Taking attendance is mandatory and must be recorded on a regular and ongoing basis. Virtual schools must maintain auditable attendance records and provide attendance information to school districts for state-required reporting to the FDOE Automated Student Information System.