(a) The Board of Education shall establish a distance learning policy consistent with the requirements of this section which considers distance learning and blended courses provided through the Virgin Islands Department of Education as qualifying courses for promotion and graduation.
(b) The policy must include internet safety rules, regulations, and protocol for students, teachers, and support staff.
(c) The Department of Education shall:(1) offer public school secondary-level students access to required and elective courses of study via distance learning in accordance with the Board of Education’s policies;(2) ensure that each student has access to devices to engage in distance learning from any location;(3) assess teacher vacancies and student course requests and needs at the end of each school year to determine potential distance learning course offerings; and(4) implement a territory-wide system to deliver student instruction online via cost-efficient advanced telecommunications services.
(1) offer public school secondary-level students access to required and elective courses of study via distance learning in accordance with the Board of Education’s policies;
(2) ensure that each student has access to devices to engage in distance learning from any location;
(3) assess teacher vacancies and student course requests and needs at the end of each school year to determine potential distance learning course offerings; and
(4) implement a territory-wide system to deliver student instruction online via cost-efficient advanced telecommunications services.
(d) To fulfill its mandate to implement a territory-wide system, the Department of Education shall:(1) seek the assistance and cooperation of telecommunications carriers to provide students with affordable access to advanced telecommunications services and to distance learning; and(2) secure funds for distance learning from federal, local, and private sources, and from fees derived from other revenue sources to support online learning programs and activities.
(1) seek the assistance and cooperation of telecommunications carriers to provide students with affordable access to advanced telecommunications services and to distance learning; and
(2) secure funds for distance learning from federal, local, and private sources, and from fees derived from other revenue sources to support online learning programs and activities.
(e) As per the Board’s policy, distance learning courses may not be offered if a qualified teacher is available.
(f) As used in this section:(1) “Distance learning” is where the student and the educator, or information source are not physically present in the same location. Instruction occurs via various synchronous and asynchronous modes, and information is typically relayed online but may be delivered in a non-web-based format if the technology is not available.(2) “Blended learning” means learning that combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online instruction.(3) “Online learning provider” is an entity or individual that provides online academic instruction.
(1) “Distance learning” is where the student and the educator, or information source are not physically present in the same location. Instruction occurs via various synchronous and asynchronous modes, and information is typically relayed online but may be delivered in a non-web-based format if the technology is not available.
(2) “Blended learning” means learning that combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online instruction.
(3) “Online learning provider” is an entity or individual that provides online academic instruction.