What is Florida Virtual School? Is it accredited?
FLVS is a public school choice providing elementary, middle and high school curriculum to Florida residents for FREE. All of our courses are fully online. FLVS (the district) is accredited as a system by Advance Education, Inc. (AdvancED), and the various FLVS schools are accredited by SACS CASI (Southern Association of College and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.) Our courses meet all of the Florida Standards. All public institutions within Florida must provide Florida families the option to choose FLVS for courses.
Do students get actual live teachers?
Every FLVS course is taught by highly qualified, State Certified Instructors—experts in their subject areas. Teachers and students interact regularly through email, voice mail, telephone conversations, and instant messenger. Students are encouraged to contact the teacher when there is a need of any kind. Teachers speak via telephone with students and their parents at least once per month.
How do I know what courses to take?
Public/Private School Students: Please visit your school counselor for academic advice as to your academic needs. Homeschooled Students: To begin please visit our Course Progression Recommendation found on our Homeschool info page.
Do you offer Honors Courses?
Almost all of our courses may be taken for Regular or Honors credit. You will register for regular, then inform your teacher once placed in the regular version of your desire to work for honors credit. Public / Private Students: Please make sure your school counselor is aware of your choice prior to notifying your FLVS instructor.
How long do the courses last?
Courses are 16-18 weeks per half credit. We do not offer reduced content or summer school, although courses are available year-round with open enrollment. All courses provide the entire spectrum of components required by Florida.
Can I accelerate and complete faster?
Yes you can! Students will be given a Traditional Pace chart which shows students doing an average of 2-3 lessons a week for a rate of about 3-5 hours of study time a week. Students can elect to do extra assignments a week, therefore completing the course in less time.
How are assignments completed?
Upon entering the course, students have access to ALL assignments, but access to tests or quizzes may not be available until certain assignments have been completed. Students move sequentially through the course but may be allowed to occasionally move ahead or test out of certain areas, pending instructor approval.
What is the Grade Book?
Each student is required to submit a specific amount of work each week to maintain the appropriate pace decided on by teacher and student. The number of required weekly submissions depends on the course taken. Failure to maintain pace results in warnings, reduced grades and, if unheeded, withdrawal from the course.
What is the work load like?
Each student is required to submit a specific amount of work each week to maintain the appropriate pace decided on by teacher and student. The number of required weekly submissions depends on the course taken. Failure to maintain pace results in warnings, reduced grades and, if unheeded, withdrawal from the course.
Do you issue diplomas or GED's?
Part Time and Home Education students who take courses with Florida Virtual School are not eligible to receive a diploma or GED directly from FLVS. However, students attending Florida Virtual School Full Time (FLVS Full Time) who follow a traditional, 180-day school calendar do graduate with a diploma. When enrolled as a student in Florida Virtual School Full Time, FLVS is considered your school of record. You take courses with FLVS, receive grades through FLVS, and graduate with an FLVS diploma .Read FAQs specific to FLVS Full Time here. Public or private school students who take courses with FLVS to supplement or enhance their schedule have grades sent to their current school. Transcripts, report cards, and/or diplomas are issued by the public or private school according to your school's policies and procedures. Homeschool students who take some or all of their courses on a flexible schedule through FLVS Part Time must be registered as a home education student in their district of record. Records are maintained by the school district and your parent/guardian is responsible for your curriculum. Homeschool students who fulfill all of their requirements are still considered a graduate even if they do not receive a traditional diploma. Always check with your local school district or the school in which you are registered to be certain of the specific graduation requirements that govern you. In some districts, there will be schools with requirements that vary from those of other schools.
How do I know what work is due when?
All FLVS courses have a Pace Chart embedded in them. This allows students to know exactly what is expected to be submitted on a weekly basis, whether they choose a traditional, extended or accelerated pace. Teachers assist students in modifying the chart to reflect their chosen pace.
Which course can I take that will start right away?
All students will be placed as quickly as possible, in most cases within 1-2 weeks after completing registration and required approvals.
When do courses begin?
Courses begin at different times of the year. We do not follow a traditional school calendar, therefore start time is flexible. When you register, you can select your preferred start month. We will try to place you sometime during this month, however, placement at that time is not guaranteed. As students are assigned to instructors, a welcome call must then be completed. Once the welcome call is complete, you may begin working in the course.
Do you offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses? How do I earn AP credit?
Yes, FLVS offers Advanced Placement courses for several subject areas. An AP course is a college-level learning experience, which requires that students be academically prepared and willing to invest the necessary time and effort. Visit our AP page to learn more.
How many courses am I allowed to take at once?
Due to the amount of time each course takes to complete, we recommend: Homeschooled: Not more than 4-5 courses at a time, if FLVS will be their sole provider. Public / Private School: Not more than 1-2 courses at a time. Each course averages 18 weeks per half credit, at a rate of approximately 4-6 study hours per week.
Do students automatically get an official transcript sent to them?
Official final grade reports are sent out electronically to the school of record immediately upon completing a course or semester of a course. What makes a transcript official is when it's sent sealed and/or directly to the school or entity. They have to be the ones to open it. As soon as our instructors complete the student and issue a final grade, a document is automatically sent to your official documents file to process. Students can print Unofficial Transcripts via their FLVS account.
Will my child be required to take standardized tests?
Yes, public school students at FLVS FT are required to fulfill all state assessment requirements, so they will need to participate in all standardized testing, including End-of-Course Assessments.
What is SNIF?
SNIF (Student Number Identifier Florida) is the unique 10-digit number assigned to students by the public school in which they are enrolled.
Why is FLVS requesting SNIF?
Florida Virtual School must obtain and match a student's unique Student Identification Number (SNIF) used by your current public school to the Florida Department of Education [Fla. Stat. 1011.622]. This 10-digit number must be validated in order for you to complete and receive credit for taking a course wi
What if I'm a private or homeschool student?
Florida Virtual School must report all course completions with a unique Student Identification Number (SNIF) to the Florida Department of Education. If you have previously been enrolled in a Florida public school, or are currently taking one or more courses from a public school besides FLVS, we must match the number used. If this is your only public school enrollment, FLVS will create and assign a number.
What if I don't know my Student Identification Number (SNIF)?
Your SNIF can be obtained from your district office or by contacting your current school's front office. We have provided a form for you to use to make it easier for you to obtain the correct information. CLICK HERE to download the form. You may also use your Social Security Number (SSN) if you prefer.
Why are you asking for my Social Security Number (SSN)?
The state of Florida has designated the SSN as a primary means for student identification [Fla. Stat. 1008.386] Providing your Social Security Number (SSN) ensures that your data is matched and reported properly to other schools you attend if/when multiple Student Identification Numbers are created for you. Please be assured that FLVS takes all steps necessary to protect this information, including encrypting it when stored or displayed in our systems.
The system is not accepting my SNIF. What should I do?
Please ensure you are using the correct format. The number is exactly 10-digits long and may be your SSN with an x on the end. If the number is not valid, you may continue to receive the prompt each time you log in to VSA. If you are unsure of your number, CLICK HERE to download a form to take to your school registrar or administrator for assistance.
I am worried about the security of my personal information.
FLVS takes your privacy and personal data very seriously. To protect your information, all SNIFs and SSNs are encrypted and only the last 4 digits can be seen by administrators.
Why are you asking for my District Student ID? Is that the same as SNIF?
The District Student ID is not the same number as SNIF and is completely optional. This is a number assigned by the public schools and is present on a school ID badge and on Official Transcripts. This number assists the school in assigning the course credit to the appropriate student.
I am receiving a message in New Student Sign Up that says: "It appears that an account already exists with your user information. Please call 1-800-374-1430 to continue." What should I do?
Please do not create another account. This duplicate will cause up to a seven-day delay with your course request. Please contact the Support Center at 1-800-374-1430, select option 2.
My parent/guardian did not receive a registration activation email.
A) Have your parent look for an email from [email protected] (remember to check in SPAM or junk folders). B) If you think you may have entered an incorrect email address for your parent/guardian, please log back in and navigate to the Parent/Guardian profile page to update this information.
IMPORTANT: If you're a new student your parent or guardian must activate your account.
You may be experiencing a delay if your parent or guardian has not activated your account. Please have your parent/guardian check his/her email account for the approval link. If he/she does not get an email within an hour of you completing your registration, please have him/her call the Support Center at 1-800-374-1430, select option 2.