Office Hours:
8:00 - 3:00

ABOUT OUR SCHOOL

Kelso Virtual Academy
257 Alpha Dr.
Longview, WA 98632
PH: 360-232-5000

Administrator: Cindy Cromwell
Email: cindy.cromwell@kelsosd.org

Yes. Each child is assigned a Kelso School District (KSD) teacher to work with and will receive hands-on lessons coupled with online learning.

For grades K-5:

There will be assignments students need to submit on the computer to show standard mastery. However, it’s also important that early learners get to hold a pencil, use scissors and glue, make a science project, etc. For K-5, there is a workbook that accompanies the online learning for each of the core areas: math, science, ELA and social studies. Science is online and hands-on. The units come with projects for kids to complete, using some basic household materials. Having a printer at home would be beneficial, but not required, as there are additional optional offline practice sheets parents can print off.

For grades 6-12:

The majority of the assignments will be online in format. Science will have some hands-on projects for kids to complete, but there are no workbooks.

The majority of the day-to-day learning will be from premade teacher videos. Students will have a KSD teacher assigned to them, but they won’t be scheduled to meet/zoom with them daily. Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) rules require teacher and student meet weekly to review progress, answer questions, assign the next round of work, etc. This can be done through multiple communication venues: phone, email, zoom, etc.

If a student does have a question, within the online platform they can send a message to their teacher at any time and the teacher can respond. Teachers are available during regular school hours. They may not get back to a student instantaneously, as they have multiple students to attend to who are also doing online work. But they should get back to a student in the same day, if the question comes in during regular school hours.

Full-time students are expected to complete approximately 27.75 hours of school work each week. Weekly academic progress is the benchmark reviewed with the teacher to ensure students are making adequate progress within each course. In order to remain a student in KVA, students must achieve these weekly benchmarks. If a student falls too far behind, ALE law requires we exit them back to their home school.

For grades K-5

The digital provider states the following:

• English language arts: 1.0-1.5 hours daily

• Math, science, and social studies: 45 minutes daily for each

• Electives: 45 minutes, 2 times per week. Electives could be: PE, music, art, coding or health.

Students could take longer, or work faster than these time estimates.

For grades 6-12

Depends on the rigor of the classes and the student. Anywhere from 4 to 5 hours would be appropriate.

The key to making online learning work is a set schedule and adult support. It’s impossible for a young learner to do this work without an adult around to help them. In the digital platform, that person is called the “learning coach.” This program does a great job of prepping the learning coach as far as the kinds of questions they can expect from the student and cues and tips to support a student if they get stuck. As students get older, they need adult support with scheduling and time management.

It’s really critical that parents ask their student questions about the work they are doing. It is these types of conversations that help students clarify their own thinking and understanding of a topic.

For K-5:

Parents/caregivers can anticipate spending 2 to 4 hours a day being a learning coach for their student.

For 6- 12:

Parents/caregivers can anticipate spending 1 to 3 hours a day being a learning coach for their student. The older the student gets, the more independent they will become with their learning. They still need support with time management.

Yes. A KVA student can take some classes at their neighborhood school as well as virtual classes through KVA. They just need to work with the school counselor/designee to create the mixed schedule. For a general education student, parents will be responsible for coordinating the transportation.

No. Enrollment can be on a semester (for middle school) or trimester (for elementary and high school) basis.

KVA is an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) school. ALE schools follow all public education requirements, along with additional requirements around attendance, academic progress, and (in high school) early graduation options. If a student is not making progress, they will be supported with multiple intervention plans to get them back on track. If the intervention plans aren’t successful, the student will be exited back to their home school.

Yes. Coursework can be modified within the program as needed and the delivery of a student’s Special Education services will continue while enrolled in KVA. The delivery of those services could look different, and some might still require a student to report to their home school to receive the services. Transportation to and from school for these services will remain the responsibility of the Kelso School District. Although, if a parent feels more comfortable, they could choose to bring their child in their personal vehicle.

Each student with an individualized education plan (IEP) will be worked with on an individual basis. The IEP will be reviewed and discussed by the Special Education department, case manager and group of qualified professionals (GQP) team to design a model of service delivery that meets the student’s needs.